Topic Responses

[Reverie]

Sometimes there are quite a few topics, but these topics don't have many responses or discussions where people are actually discussing the topic. How do you as a staff, administrator, or even a member continue to grow the discussions? Do you keep it marked "watched" and return each time there is a response and try to respond?

Sometimes there is a natural flow where people respond, but what do you do in cases where this isn't happening? Do you have recommendations for users creating new threads?

 

[Debashis]

Sometimes few topics need the members to push themselves to think a little more in comparison to the other topics they come across, before they can put a response for it. It seems like too much effort hence people mostly skip those topics. It somehow says that the members are not yet ready to discuss a topic of that level so it's better to not post something like that. The staffs can push a little by breaking the ice but it won't be of much help.

 

[veloman]

I've got literally a hundred "dead" topics that I've made - and I'm quite happy to let them sit there. My thinking is that I try to be informative and interesting, but of no one wants to comment on it then so be it.

I suppose I treat it a bit like a blog, but one that is left open for all time - perhaps someone might write back in a few years! Likewise I've noticed a few posts with no replies are doing okay on Google searches (still early days though!), so hopefully they're learning something and might stick around for a bit.

As for getting users to create topics... I'm not sure I'd be able to do it in a genuine way. I just provide the platform and tools, and if it suits their needs they'll make a post. Sometimes people just have nothing to talk about, so I suppose all I can do is reply and hope someone gets a spark of inspiration.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I tend to come back to a dead topic only if I have any information to add to the topic. I would hope other members could possibly chime in and add their 2 cents during the time I don't have anything to contribute to it. If I noticed that the topic has been dead for some time, I'd possibly come back after doing some research if it's on a subject I'm not familiar with.

 

[Shortie]

If I see threads that do not have many or even any responses, as a staff member I tend to take a look at the thread and if I am able to add to the topic and still keep it relevant then I will do so to help drum up more activity on that specific topic.

If the thread can not be responded to and make it relevant, I tend to leave it as is.

 

[Cory]

I try to reply to all topics I can relate to on my forum, but if I can't relate to them and no one else posts on them either, then they simply fade away into endless pages of topics. Who knows, someone may find the topic via a board search or search engine and bring it back from the dead because they have something of great quality to add to the topic and where they go others may follow. If about 3/4 of all topics on your board have been replied to, then I think you're doing decent by having a member base that engages in that many topics. Most active forums you go on you'll see most topics have at least a few replies, but there are always those obscure subjects that people may not find as much interest in as others.

 

[SDL]

I respond to most, if not all, topics where I can. However I don’t like to try and revive cold posts, if someone wants to in the future with their own input then brilliant but if not then that’s fine. Forcing it on people won’t do it much good.

I know there’s a bump add on for XenForo where it bumps it to the top of the category without replying. That might be useful in case new members join and don’t want to scroll through all the pages.

 

[Paul]

Can't say that really happens. If anything, it only happens on games where people might not understand the rules of a game.