Site Management 🌶️ Forums are too easy to start now

[joelr]

Spicy thread

Forums used to be limited to people with certain technical skills to configure settings, upload ftp, and monitor their server. Now, it's become easier than ever to start and run a forum whether it was on Jcink, Invision Free, Tapatalk, cloud hosted solutions by XF, or modern platforms like YouTube, Discord, Mewe, and Facebook that allow group building. Now anyone can start an online group with little to no technical skills.

Is this a good or bad thing?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I don't think it's a bad thing.

The more forums are made, the more interest in forums occurs. That's good for you and me because we're in the "business" of catering to forum owners.

It's good for every other forum owner because more people will get accustomed to a forum structure.

As far as the worry of competition, it's just like with social media: Anyone can be an influencer but only some can be a successful influencer. It's easy to start anything but it takes work to build it up.

Easy to start is good. It gives the whole of community and opportunity to do something but getting and staying good requires hard work and that's where the real testament comes into play.

 

[joelr]

The influencer analogy is really good.

Anyone can start being an influencer, very few will actually make it as an influencer.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I think it's a good thing that it's more accessible in this day and age. Free forum hosts have been around for years though too, which has always been good for those just dipping their toes in the water. This means literally anyone can start a forum, though the question remains "Do they have the means to keep the forum running?"

 

[Al]

Ya, this smacks of elitism and gatekeeping. Forums are not too easy to start, they are as easy as they need to be - and still could be easier. This is the kind of atttitude that turns people off from starting a forum, you know? Existing forum owners should be embracing the ease with which people can start a forum and encouraging others to do so.

 

[joelr]

Ya, this smacks of elitism and gatekeeping. Forums are not too easy to start, they are as easy as they need to be - and still could be easier. This is the kind of atttitude that turns people off from starting a forum, you know? Existing forum owners should be embracing the ease with which people can start a forum and encouraging others to do so.

Hi Al, I wanted to take a moment and say that this topic doesn't represent my personal beliefs. It's a thread designed to elicit discussion.

Two, I hope people consider the changing shift to Cloud (for better or worse). IPS is pushing cloud, XF is developing cloud, it takes no technical skills or server configurations and only a few seconds to spin up a cloud instance at this point.

 

[Al]

I understood the rationale behind the post and assumed it was not a personal opinion. Perhaps I should have rephrased it as

"The idea that forums are too easy to start now smacks of elitism and gatekeeping."

What is your personal belief?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Hi Al, I wanted to take a moment and say that this topic doesn't represent my personal beliefs. It's a thread designed to elicit discussion.

Two, I hope people consider the changing shift to Cloud (for better or worse). IPS is pushing cloud, XF is developing cloud, it takes no technical skills or server configurations and only a few seconds to spin up a cloud instance at this point.

But does that make it SaaS? The cloud? Does that take your right to "own the data" away? If so, it's nothing more than doing a Facebook group, rented space.

 

[joelr]

Does that take your right to "own the data" away?

You'll have to check on the particulars with each software vendor, but my understanding with IPS and XF is that you can request and export the data at any time. You have the right to your own community's data at any time.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

You'll have to check on the particulars with each software vendor, but my understanding with IPS and XF is that you can request and export the data at any time. You have the right to your own community's data at any time.

That wouldn't be so bad for a newbie then

But for me, I have a server that I can access. I can install things to it and make changes when needed. I don't think I'd be ready to give that up for the cloud SaaS thing.

 

[joelr]

I understood the rationale behind the post and assumed it was not a personal opinion. Perhaps I should have rephrased it as

"The idea that forums are too easy to start now smacks of elitism and gatekeeping."

What is your personal belief?

The web itself has dramatically democratized in the last 20 years. You can start a WordPress site, a Wix site, an online group on Reddit, Facebook, Discord, YouTube, etc. almost instantly. People now have more free, easy and frictionless ways to communicate and form online groups than ever before.

I don't have a personal opinion, I just have the following observations:
1. It's easier than ever to start an online group - not necessarily even a forum - than ever before
2. Because it's so easy, that means it's easy to start, but hard to stand out.

 

[Al]

That's a cop out.

Tell us your opinion.

 

[Shortie]

It's a good thing that forums have become easier to start now as it allows many to be able to start and run a forum even if they are not too tech-savvy.

Unfortunately, it does lead to the opening and closing of a lot of forums depending on whether the forum owner sticks it out or gives up after a little while.

 

[Nomad]

With the evolution and popularity of social media, creating online communities has become easier. While building self hosted communities by using forum software is also easy, running these forums can be hard as you need money to invest but running a social media community is really easy. In fact, it is easier to build a huge community on social media compared to your self hosted forum

 

[Jason]

People might be frustrated over failed attempts. Even myself, my forums have failed because there isn't enough money behind them. Money is needed to participate in some Postloop type service (if they are still around and in good shape) and/or a situation where 10 or more people can be paid for regular posting that is done a lot.

As far as post exchanges are concerned, I suppose they work for some, but it's tough to keep them going because it takes a lot of the owner's time and so seems doomed to fail.

How about people posting with nothing in return? There's little chance of it unless you got very strong content, and you've marketed to an audience very hungry for it. Perhaps you've marketed to them in the past, as I've seen with certain drumming and guitar forums, so the place has become a hangout, like social media is now.

 

[Nomad]

If you are too depended on postloop type service (there is one platform I know that offers postloop like service) or post exchange, you will not benefit much because you will have activities as long as you are spending money or posting on other forum for exchanges. The key to survival is you need to get users who are actually interested in your niche and you need to build content that has value.