What makes a good Forum?

We are in the process of launching a forum. This one has its only personality to it; so whats makes a good one.

Im also not going to name the forum, because its advertising.

Joe

Much of the answer to your question will depend on the nature of the forum. For instance, a technologically inclined forum, like this one, will vary greatly from one formed around an interest like sports and outdoor acrtivities, or some other common, shared interest.

Setting standards for conduct, like insisting that people respect each other, is a big help. An uncivil atmosphere tends to dissuade participation.

This includes the attitude towards beginners. I've seen forums where the attitude towards them is hostile, "You dummy, you should know that. Look it up instead of bothering us!" Some will even say it.

It helps to list commonly asked questions and their answers and ask that people read them. It does get tiresome to see the same questions asked over and over. Some people will start referring newcomers to sources they should read first, and some will even let their weariness show and get a bit hostile. I simply don't respond at all if I get tired, though I can understand the point of view of those who get tired of the same questions repeated ad nauseum.

Having moderators can be a help for various reasons. They may welcome newcomers, remind them of the rules (even such things as not typing all in uppercase), and may even help cool off inflammed tempers. When necessary, they can even delete and edit offensive posts.

It helps to remember that a forum is about people, not the program that runs it. Most people like to be able to at least read a forum without registering and decide if they want to register.

The type of program you choose, threaded or linear, may be determined by the nature of your forum. For those who wish to focus on a specific issue and keep the focus there, a linear program (like the one used here), may be best. Any change of subject is an intrusion.

For casual conversation, a threaded forum program may be better suited as it allows a conversation to branch out on various tangents. This is what happens in many conversations and a program that allows it, rather than impedes it, is preferred by many.