Are smaller forums better than big forums?

[Shawn Gossman]

This is an opinion question for both users of a forum and forum owners.

Smaller forums have a more personal feel of a community. The larger the forum gets, the less of a tight-knit community feel occurs.

Does anyone agree with the statement above?

Would you rather have a smaller but active community to keep that small community feeling? Or do you hope to have a thriving big board where you might not know a lot of the members on it one day?

I'm curious how everyone feels about this.

 

[Dilip]

For support, yes. Medium forums give more importance to newcomers. As for big forums, they don't give a damn if you just landed on their forum. I have seen them more focused on premium members.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

For support, yes. Medium forums give more importance to newcomers. As for big forums, they don't give a damn if you just landed on their forum. I have seen them more focused on premium members.

I have seen different instances.

I joined one cycling forum that is a big board and they took me in like I was a regular.

Another one I joined, I became a premium member on and it was like I was shunned because I was an American.

I think it really depends on the community and if the forum has allowed cliques to form.

 

[Dilip]

True. Not every forum does that.

 

[Kale]

Yes IMO. I think it is less crowded and feels almost like...sort of a family or so.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Yes IMO. I think it is less crowded and feels almost like...sort of a family or so.

I like the way you think.

A small forum, to me, feels more family-like.

The size of this forum, for example, is excellent at the moment because I can form a relationship with active people here.

I think that's important, too!

 

[Elseb]

Absolutely you lose the community feeling on bigger forums which Is what I like about forums however I also like regular content so it's a balancing act I guess.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

A small forum is like living in a small town where everyone knows each other.

But once the forum gets into a big board, it's like moving to the city. And I guess that's OK, too. I mean it is kind of neat to see activity going on everywhere around the forum.

But you still miss that little community small-town like feel.