What turns you off on a forum?

[Altair]

What makes you decide you want to sign up for a forum ? what makes you decide not to sign up for a forum?

 

[Aaron]

Popup ads or ads right in my face.

 

[Cedric]

I like a clean navigable theme and layout. Appealing to my eyes, not too dark, not too bright. Just right. I like some activity going on whether it's a large or small forum. I hate having advertisements thrown in my face, that is an immediate cross for me.

 

[Cory]

Some of the following:

• An ugly theme that doesn't have a good color combination, is too dark/light, or has too many images to load.
• A disorganized/messy layout.
• Toxic staff members.
• Too many advertisements.
• Drama everywhere.

 

[Shortie]

When I visit a forum I like to see a clean layout and the forum looking clean. I also like to be able to look through and see a friendly community and not see anything that would be an off-put such as spam or even trolls making posts. Seeing a forum that has good moderation as well is something I look for.

The things that would turn me off are a messy layout, no care for what the forum looks like, moderation being nonexistent and spam taking over the forum.

 

[oldbuddy]

The only thing that pushes me away for a while is too much Jibber Jabber or Meaningless Chatting. (This comment is close)

 

[Heatman]

Some of the following:

• An ugly theme that doesn't have a good color combination, is too dark/light, or has too many images to load.
• A disorganized/messy layout.
• Toxic staff members.
• Too many advertisements.
• Drama everywhere.

Seriously, I have had a real tough experience with toxic staff members and I have had it up to here with them. I might be able to endure every other trash that goes on in a forum but not toxic staff members. Once I get a whiff of it, I'm gone immediately.

 

[Dilip]

Load fast enough

Good theme

Good colours scheme

No extensive ads or popups

No scripts that do funny things

 

[Strawberry]

First thing is the theme and layout. It needs to flow well and be visually pleasing to the eye. I can't stand it when I go onto a forum and I'm greeted with the default theme or something that just looks scruffy. Too many sub-forums can also be a bit much as you feel like you're endlessly scrolling down the page, but it depends on how active the forum is.

I also find too many staff members a bit messy, especially for forums that have just launched. I don't see a need to have 3 admins and 5 moderators on a forum that hasn't been established yet.

Name and domain play a deciding factor for me too, I prefer forums that have custom domain names rather than subdomains from a free forum host etc...

 

[Dilip]

I have been to forums where so random script will freeze your browser. I take it as a very shady practice. Not acceptable at all.

Plus, some forums ask for a lot of personal details. Never figured why they need them.

 

[Arantor]

Most sites' themes, ads etc. don't bother me. Probably the single *largest* turn-off are ungrateful people on forums who dismiss the hard work of others, and yet expect things to be made for them for free/cheap. The choosy-beggar people, many forums seem to attract them over time.

 

[Anachiwo]

If a forum is too slow to load, there's nothing that I would be doing on it to begin with. If it manages to load fast and I find myself on it, if it's not peaceful to be on the forum and posts without any form of harassment from either members or staff, I would take my leave ASAP.

 

[Heatman]

Plus, some forums ask for a lot of personal details. Never figured why they need them.

They are never getting that from me. It's the abandon ship red flag for me with any forum that asks for way too much personal information. I'm never getting registered on it for any reason whatsoever.

 

[Anachiwo]

Load fast enough

Good theme

Good colours scheme

No extensive ads or popups

No scripts that do funny things

Using too much ads on forums can be irritating. I understand that forum owners must make money but too many ads ruins the fun of using the forum.

 

[Heatman]

Most sites' themes, ads etc. don't bother me. Probably the single *largest* turn-off are ungrateful people on forums who dismiss the hard work of others, and yet expect things to be made for them for free/cheap. The choosy-beggar people, many forums seem to attract them over time.

Online begging can be very annoying. People don't do it often on forums by my observations but when you hit the social media especially Twitter and Facebook, it's worst there. I keep looking at people who take pride in being a disgrace to themselves.

 

[Kale]

Seriously, I have had a real tough experience with toxic staff members

I have not had any issues related to toxic or bad staff in years now. When forums were still popping yeah, of course.

 

[MisterBobbyPin]

The community itself, I haven't been on bigger forums because of how toxic those forums get. If your members are jerks, then I will leave.

 

[Heatman]

I have not had any issues related to toxic or bad staff in years now. When forums were still popping yeah, of course.

Over the years that I have been on forums, I had never experienced what I did last year. It was horrible. I just learnt how to cut out myself from all the BS and move on immediately their $hit want to boil over.

 

[André]

"What turns you off on a forum?"

😄 Ahhhaha...pretty much everything about forums turns me both on & off . . . tis truly a most antipodean plight.

The people, the topics, the qualities, the collective characteristics visibly presenting for the real world individual user...

i've noticed you guys 'n' gals often discussing what i assume are some other types of competing forums(¿?)—

🤔—i can't think of any, other than XF,... unless maybe they all look alike??

 

[ClicketyKat]

Some of the following:

• An ugly theme that doesn't have a good color combination, is too dark/light, or has too many images to load.
• A disorganized/messy layout.
• Toxic staff members.
• Too many advertisements.
• Drama everywhere.

All of this ^