Foundation What’s the first thing you do when starting a new forum?

[Al]

Let’s say you’ve just installed your forum software. Blank slate. Where do you start? Some people go straight for categories and structure. Others spend hours tweaking the theme or overthinking the rules. Personally, I start by creating my structure. Sections and nodes. But that’s just habit. I like to know how the forum will actually look before it starts getting content, and often the creation of a node will be the inspiration for the first few threads. I’m curious where your instinct takes you. What’s the very first thing you actually do and has it changed over time?

 

[Cpvr]

The first thing that I do when I create a new forum is start creating the categories and nodes. After that, I start seeding it with content. Then, I'll start inviting some of my friends to help me build the foundation. I'll also engage with other forum owners by doing post exchanges. I believe that this is a good way to get a new forum going right in the beginning.

It's one of my favorite ways to build a new community right off the bat.

 

[Senkusha]

I've started with setting up the categories and overall board organization. This sometimes gets me into trouble though as often I'll find I've got tons of blank spaces with no content, but content that I want to feature, but I may not know enough about a given subject to create the topics on my own.

But I think in today's age when thinking about starting a forum, you really need to have an audience prepared before you consider starting your forum. It's so difficult competing with the big mega-corps to get people enticed enough to join your tiny, sparse community. And I've failed there too. I get excited about building the space for the community, but forget that I have to go find that community too.

 

[Cory]

I, too, start by creating the structure, primarily the category/forum layout. I may proceed with webpages, such as board guidelines and other important information. After that, I'll likely start the coding process of getting a nice skin up and any necessary code deemed appropriate for my forum.

 

[CTS]

On my most recent wind-up, I played it by how it felt.

1st, the base settings and perms for member groups. No registrations allowed but public viewable. It was a new unindexed website and domain so I wasn't worried about anyone seeing it. Also setup and tighted my cloudflare instance for the domain. All basic stuff.

Then knowing my niche, I added a base set of nodes just to get it to look like a forum.

2nd, I took a hacksaw to stock features. I considered which features were not desirable. XF is awesome with all it can provide for features, but just because they are there doesn't mean I wish to provide them all. Sometimes less is more.

3rd, installed a few add-ons that I felt were mandatory. Digitalpoint, ozzy, andyb, and a few others that provided needed functions. Glam add-ons were not part of this. Operational functions only.

4th, adjust the layout. Stripped out from guest view items that don't provide guest value, and some other things. Arranged navigation and layout for member view.

I spent a lot of time hammer testing everything. Probubly spent a month or so to get to here.

5th, start the never ending process of baking in an appropriate theme. Based mine as a child of stock.

6th, did final node considerations, settings, perms.

Since then minor tweaks on settings, layout and theme, a few add-ons to assist with layout things or functionality. Some more arranging of things. And of course content.


I dont know if I followed a correct or standard procedure, but it seems to be falling together in a way that seems right, after about 4 months of this.


Edit to add: yeah I kinda typed my whole process lol. Probubly too much.

 

[Senkusha]

I consider all of that as part of a start up action.

 

[CTS]

Yeah it was late and I just kept on typing forgetting the question lol.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I always set up my categories and subforums after I've installed my software of choice. Then I start posting threads in each section so the forum isn't empty, I've learned early that having an empty forum is very off-putting for members. Afterwards I focus on finding a theme that's right for my forum, add the graphics and start promoting the forum.

 

[InMyOpinion]

The first thing I do is create the sections and categories. I am not one to know much about code, so I leave that up to the experts. I try to create badges as well but I tend to do more of the looks and setting up the sections and categories. Once everything looks the way I like that's when I start to do the posts and get ready to launch.

 

[Senkusha]

The first thing I do is create the sections and categories. I am not one to know much about code, so I leave that up to the experts. I try to create badges as well but I tend to do more of the looks and setting up the sections and categories. Once everything looks the way I like that's when I start to do the posts and get ready to launch.

How long would you say the time is between starting up a forum and actual launch?

I know I probably just jump the gun because I'm so eager to get the community up and running, that I'm flying by the seat of my skirt!