Would you be staff on a forum you sold?

[milksheikh]

It all depends on the attachment I had to the site, if it's something I worked on for a while then I would offer my services to the new owner.

That sounds like a good idea too

 

[Azareal]

It really depends, although it's highly unlikely that I would sell for a profit in most cases, as it's usually a massive loss.
Especially, when you consider the time invested into it, the resources which had to be covered to host it, any specialist software, etc.

Would I stay around? Probably not. Selling it probably means that I don't really care about it.

 

[Ed321]

Sticking around is like getting a divorce and then still living in the same house as your ex. It is like selling a stock and then looking up the quote every day so you can remind yourself what an idiot you were. It is like selling your home and then still coming back and mowing the lawn there.

Okay... a little humor there. Whatever works for you is the answer. I have agreed to stick around and train new owners for a couple internet and a couple brick and mortar businesses. It is really tough. Every change they want to make can be perceived as a slap in the face to you. You have to be really strong and not take anything personally when they start rambling about what a mess things are and good thing they took over just in time.:allsmiles:

 

[AresBlade]

I attempted to stay with a forum that I had recently sold in a transition period and I found it to be incredibly awkward. The transition didn't last very long with me still being involved because I didn't like the changes they made to attempt to monetize the site to such a higher level. It was intrusive and I didn't want my former users to associate my account with it as an endorsement. It was better to just walk away.

 

[Maniak21]

Well, depends. If the community is/was nice with me, then why not, in the end the community does not restrain one person to be excluded because he beforehand had a higher rank on the forum.

 

[Goat of Departure]

Well it would depend on the reason why I sold my forum in the first place. If I sold the forum because I needed quick cash then I think it's okay to stick around and help out. But if I sold the forum because I don't have time to manage and maintain it anymore then I may not be around to help around. Also if I sold the forum because I don't want it anymore then it's a big no also.

But I think it would still be great to have your presence around your forum. I think I would stick around for a while and help out the new owner of the forum just enough to familiarize himself with the forum and try to be some sort of a mentor until he gets all the things nailed down.

 

[xTinx]

It depends on my reason for selling the forum. If I sold it because I'm strapped for cash but still harbor some affection for it, then I would negotiate with the new owner to include me in the list of staff members. If I sold the forum for more personal reasons (e.g. I'm reminded of what a failure I am), then why should I be a staff member when in the first place I sold it to start with a clean slate?

 

[Rainman]

I don't see if there's anything wrong with still being a staff member on a forum you've sold. Some businesses get sold and the former owners continue working at the same place because they know what works and what doesn't. Because of his experience, if he's willing to stay, the new owners will keep him.

The same can true for forums. If forum members like the forum owner, the new owner may not want to lose such a valuable member because there could be a backlash [some members could leave]. If I'm asked nicely by the new owner, I could stay around only long enough for him/her to earn the trust and respect of the forum members

 

[net_zen]

Depends on why I sold the board. Maybe I got sick of it and started hating the whole idea, in this case no, I would not be part of the staff. For all other cases the answer is yes, if some money is involved. After all, I'd have a pretty good idea of how the forum works, it would be easy to navigate and do my duties. There are quite a few big board admins that did just this, they remained active on the former staff position once ownership was transferred.

 

[Deka]

Definitely. If the new forum owner would allow me to be a staff or an admin even, I would love it. For whatever reason that I do decide on selling my forum, I would still want to be a part of it. I have invested so much time and effort in my forum that it's a part of my life already. It's not just there for profit or a hobby, it has become a part of my daily life. And if I can do anything to be still in it, I would choose to be its staff despite not being its owner.

It's fun to see your forum grow and grow more everyday. And being able to at least see where it goes, can give you that satisfaction that you have at least been a part of that and you're still is. Even if you're not the owner, you get to say that you have handled it before and are still a part of the people who handle it now. You can still contribute with any ideas or strategies you might have to make it grow more.