Discouragements as an Administrator

[Cedric]

I wanted to start a discussion about discouragement in the forum world. We all know that running a forum can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be tough at times. There are moments when we feel like giving up and question why we started in the first place.

So, what are some things that discourage you as a forum owner or moderator? For me, it's when I don't see much engagement from the community or when I encounter trolls that spread negativity. It can also be disheartening when you put in a lot of time and effort into a project, but it doesn't seem to get much traction.

I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, so I wanted to open up the discussion and hear what discourages others. And more importantly, let's talk about some tips to prevent or overcome discouragement.

Some things that have helped me include:

• Reminding myself of the reasons why I started the forum in the first place
• Taking a break and coming back with a fresh perspective
• Focusing on the positive interactions and feedback from the community
• Reaching out to other forum owners for support and advice

Let's share our experiences and help each other stay motivated and inspired. Remember, running a successful forum takes time and effort, but the reward is a strong and engaged community.

 

[Kale]

Yep, same here. When I do not see much engagement or activity it does discourage me. I don't think I've really had a successful forum besides one many years ago. Agree, if what you do doesn't get much attention it'd turn me off if no one really joined it or if they do they barely post. I step back and take a break usually, and then come back with a clearer mind.

 

[Arantor]

I think one of the most interesting discouragements I ever got was 'when are you moving your site to Jcink'... like, excuse me? The answer, of course was, 'I just spent a lot of time building this stuff, I'm not moving, and if that's a deal-breaker for you, sorry.'

The simple answer there: don't sell yourself short, don't underestimate your worth and trust your instincts.

 

[Cory]

I mainly get discouraged too due to inactivity and engagement, but since I run a resource board I don't expect there to be a lot of posting going on. My thinking is as long as I get a decent amount of logins per day, then people are using the board for its intended purpose.

Another thing that can make me discouraged is when I go through long periods without any ideas on new resources I can create and release.

 

[Strawberry]

I think the main discouragement is definitely inactivity, because without people interacting and engaging, is there really much point in there being a forum in the first place? Especially if you have put endless hours into carefully choosing the name, niche, theme, layout, staff etc...

I think it's really easy to see on a first glance which forums have had the most work put into them and those who have just chosen a name and opened a forum without much thought (I have been guilty of this in the past...) and these ones tend to not last too long.

To get over the discouragement, I think you really need to collaborate with others. Bounce ideas around, get fresh eyes on board, create positive and engaging discussions.

 

[PGen98]

It's extremely easy to get discouraged as an Administrator. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time promoting and a lot of time generating content to even begin to gain traction. The main thing is persistence and reminding yourself that forums take time, they're not guaranteed to generate activity unless you put the work in, but at the same time, it's easy to get burnt out. Persistence and balance, that's the key.

 

[Debashis]

I think mostly lack of patience causes discouragement as an administrator. You might put a lot of work but if you don't have the patience to continue doing what needs to be done while believing in yourself without expecting instantly visible results, you'll end up feeling discouraged and will eventually doubt your abilities.

 

[Ravenfreak]

When I don't see much engagement it definitely discourages me, though I've been working on that as of late I feel like it's been helping me to keep motivated. Understandably forums aren't as popular as they once were, but there's an audience for them otherwise we wouldn't be chatting on one now. Keep motivating yourself and post at least once every single day to keep activity going.