Choosing A Domain Name

Written by: Paul Omer

You have an idea for a great forum, now all you need is a catchy domain name that not only describes your forum, but is easy to remember. Remember that there is nothing wrong with stepping outside the box to give your forum a truly unique URL, but don't get too carried away, as there are literally millions of domains being used. I can assure you that there are many that are almost exactly alike.

Basic guidelines to follow.
If your forum corresponds with a main site, a subdirectory is generally the way to go. Something like, forums.yourname.com, or, yournameforums.com. Merely adding "forums" at the end of the domain name can also solve this problem, but it can lead to another problem as well. You don't want your URL to be too long. Remembering a long URL to type in and search can be a real pain, and can furthermore make it hard to advertise. Seeing as though no one can remember it. Along those same lines, it is also a much better idea to always find an available ".com". You could have the most catchy domain name ever, but because it ends with ".org" or ".net", many will forget that and type in ".com" instead. This can not only cause people to not find your forum, but can also cause them to run across the wrong forum, and you definitely don't want that.

Things to avoid.
There are a couple of small mistakes that a lot of people make when choosing a domain name. These problems, if not avoided, can make your forum hard to find, or can simply trash up the look of your domain name. Here we go:

1) Don't use digits in your domain name. This can easily confuse internet surfers, and will result in them many times not finding your forum.

2) Don't use foul language. The best way to give people a bad first impression of your forum is to use an inappropriate term in your URL. Avoid this at all cost.

3) Avoid using dashes, periods, and other such punctuation marks as well. Most people will simply forget it, and instead run it all together, giving them a "Cannot connect to server" page, or someone else's forum.

A proper domain name is crucial, don't take its selection lightly. Take your time, ask for suggestions and other's opinions, and give it lots of thought before finally making a decision.

Forum Celebrities

Written by: Paul Omer

How do they do it? How is it, that every time they post people will agree with them no matter what they say? Sometimes their post will be quoted for the rest of the topic, and then replied to with much praise. When these people speak, others listen. An interesting fact, and you can't help but wonder why.

What are Forum Celebrities?
Forum Celebrities are people who have made such a strong reputation for themselves, that when they have something to say, other members quiet down and listen up, and only the other Forum Celebs can possibly withstand their "by all and end all" voice. The little guys have nothing on them. Taking one down in debate is nearly impossible, even if they're wrong, and if you are able to somehow take one down, your name will forever be etched in other members' minds.



How did they become such celebrities?
Most of the time, Forum Celebrities are the ones who have been on the forum for pretty much as long as it has existed. They will normally have thousands more posts than anyone else, and will have join dates far older than the rest. Forum Celebrities can also come about, by simply being known for making highly intelligent and usually long posts. Celebs can also become popular by being the absolute opposite, a playful, harmless troll. Someone who's posts are never long, but generally a smart-alec, quick-witted response to someone else, that can make readers belly laugh for several minutes, and sometimes the rest of the night (definitely speaking from experience here). Whatever they may have done, Forum Celebrities are those people who have simply made a name for themselves, by standing out from the others.

The good, and the bad.
Which do you want to start with, good or bad? Oh right, this is my article. We'll go with the bad first.

Cons
The biggest problem with Forum Celebrities, is also the most obvious. If they have so much influence over the other members, then they are bound to win or come out on top of whatever discussion they may be in, even if what they are saying is false. This can be very frustrating to the members who are going against them, and are actually making sense. Sometimes if a member goes against a Celeb, other members will not support the one, even if they know they are right. They simply will not post at all. They would rather not take sides, considering the one side is wrong, but would also make them look bad in the eyes of the Celeb, because,everyone wants to be the Celeb's friend. This can cause much frustration for certain members, and because the Celeb has such a strong presence there, it can leave a bad taste in the mouth of the annoyed member(s) for the entire forum.

Pros
Thankfully, the pros generally outweigh the cons, or at least equal them. While Forum Celebrities can make things irritating for certain members, if what they are saying is generally correct, or goes along with the popular opinion, Forum Celebrities can be the main draw of the forum. Their continuous activity and posting will bring back members every day to see what their latest response was to a major debate they are in. It can also absolutely make the day of a newbie, when a Celeb quotes them, and agrees with them. This can pump up the self-esteem and confidence of the newbie so much, that their desire to be on the forum will increase ten fold. Forum Celebrities can be an annoyance to some, but they can also be a key structural pillar.

If your forum is popular, you are bound to have a few of these Forum Celebrities. Appreciate them, at least for the fact that they have stuck around. Just make sure that you don't favor them, as this would quickly lead to a bad situation, and probably a disgruntled member somewhere. Oh and, definitely don't make a Paparazzi group. That would be overkill.

Getting Started

Note to Followers: Something very interesting happened to me the other day. I was interviewed by the site InterviewedYou.com. In it, I was asked several questions regarding my past and current work online. Read the full interview here Read Interview, and feel free to comment and rate if you like. I also now have a Twitter page, so if you're interested in keeping up with whatever neat stuff I may be doing (if you even find me the slightest bit interesting), you can follow me there as well. Follow me on Twitter

Written by: Paul Omer

To those of you out there who are considering creating a forum, though have not, a very common and important question that may be going through your head right about now, is just what should the subject matter be about, and how big should the forum be?

Subject matter.
Too many people I feel will make a forum that they think will do well, even if it's on a subject matter that they don't care about. This is rarely ever a good idea. The reason why is very easy to figure out. Starting a successful forum requires hard work from the founding Admin. This in 95% of cases means that the Admin needs to have a passion for the subject(s) the forum covers. If you don't, you'll burn out quicker than the fire in my wood burning stove that I'm not tending to like I should be. This being said, pick something that you enjoy. Something that will keep you coming back to your forum to work and to better improve.

Specific or broad?
This will greatly depend on what subject you choose to make your forum about. If it's gaming, then you'll have a definite subject. This can be narrowed down even more, by making a more detailed forum regarding just one subject of the gaming industry. Take for example, instead of a forum on all consoles ever made, you have a Wii based forum. This kind of forum will generally be much smaller, but more detailed. If you decide however, to be a bit more general about it, you'll end up with a larger forum that covers all the consoles. Whatever subject you may choose, you can expand on it however you like. Whether it's everything about that subject, or specific points, your choice.

Everything I just covered though, still falls under specific. Some forums are massive, and cover everything you could possibly imagine without being too ridiculous. At the top of the forum, you could be talking about puppies, and at the bottom, you could be talking about how to stoke fires (which is something I need to be doing right about now if I haven't already mentioned that). These forums are, contrary to popular belief, the hardest ones to get off the ground. Why? They require two to three times more Staff, and because they are so broad, some people can't ever feel like they are enjoying any one specific subject to the fullest. Chances are, they will go off somewhere else, and join two or three forums that cover their interests in more detail. Not to say that these forums can't work, but you better be prepared for a larger workload. If a large and broad forum of course is what you want, go for it.

How many forums is too many forums?
Ever been to a forum where you feel like it takes you 15 minutes just to reach the bottom of the Index Page? Man I have, and believe me, I hate it. Large and broad forums require this in most situations, so it can be understandable. For some forums however, half of the forums on the page aren't even being used, or have at most 2 topics in them. This is not good for your forum's appearance. It's sloppy and gives off a very cluttered feel. Either use subforums to keep closely related subjects together, or eliminate them entirely. Having a forum for every little specific side of a certain subject is simply not necessary. Again, this is where subforums come in real handy. In short, be smart and efficient in the structural building of your forum. Also, if your forum becomes super active, and you feel it needs things to be sectioned off, then don't be afraid to. As communities grow, forums change.

Getting started can be difficult, but it can also be incredibly fun. Forum construction is something I greatly enjoy, and I think you will too. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a nearly out fire to check on. >_>

Dealing With Troublesome Members

Written by: Paul Omer

Note to Followers: I would first like to give out a personal message. Recently I have been very busy with various things in my life, mostly pertaining to running and managing several forums at the moment. More work and opportunities have come my way, so having time to sit down and type up an article for The Forumist isn't as common as it used to be. Keep in mind however, that I still plan on keeping this place going for as long as possible. I see that I now have 8 Followers. Thanks so much for the support, and the good word I've received else where.

Something pretty much every forum has, are members who for some reason other than simply wanting to tick you off, constantly break the rules. This can be a very irritating thing and can cause uneasiness for Administrators, especially for forums that are just getting started, and that don't have a solid member base to support them. Who would want to ban one of the five most active members on your forum? No one, obviously, but you know it has to be done, and so you need to know where to draw the line, and how.

Using a simple process.
Most Staff will simply use their discretion, and in most cases this is probably the best way to handle it. Certain infractions may be greater than others, and there's also the member's attitude to consider. Though it can be hard to tell sometimes, a new member may say or do something that is not allowed, but because of the fact that they are new, they simply didn't know. Jumping to the extreme and banning them right away is rarely the best solution. The infraction would need to be major, and obviously deliberate. The way I always generally handled it, was to give each user three strikes. If they broke the rules, I would warn them, and after about 60 days I would lift the warning. Anyone who breaks the rules three times in 60 days is probably not a member you're going to want to contend with right on out. This of course still allows however for a more serious punishment if indeed the infraction was serious. Members who reached the third strike would get a two week ban. If they received three strikes in 60 days again, I would up to a month. After that, ban hammer time.



Trolololololo!
Oh yes, there are PLENTY of these guys around. Members who come on for the sole purpose of making you wish you hadn't got out of bed that morning. Don't let them get to you! You getting all mad and flustered is exactly what they want, so don't play their game. Some trolls are obvious, which makes them easy. You can quickly identify them as a troll, and ban their pathetic selves immediately. Others however, tend to rely more on finesse. They'll push the envelope constantly, but because they're never actually breaking the rules, you can't get on to them, or so that's what they think. Truth is, you are the Administrator, you get to decide. If you notice a member who is consistently pushing the envelope, just because they aren't technically breaking a rule, don't hesitate to confront them about it. Such members are simply a disturbance to the rest of your community, and one rotten apple can ruin a bushel full of good ones.

Being strict doesn't mean being rude or overly harsh. It means you firmly stand by your rules and principles for whatever the reason. Members who are turned off by this aren't worth having, so for you young forums, don't be afraid to get rid of them. You'll be way better off in the long run.

Stick With One Style

Written by: Paul Omer

Skin Chooser, a very common and popular feature for many forums. If you are a phpBB user, it will require a modification. For the vBulletin users, it comes standard. Many find this to be a great and valuable feature, but I have my complaints and concerns, so before you go and make 10 different styles for your forum, let's stop to consider some of the things that come along with it.

More options is better, right?
In most cases, yes, but in this case, it reflects more of your member's attitude. It may not be such a good idea to give your user's the option to actually change the look of your forum. Your forum should have that special look, that no one wants to change. If your users are going around changing the style all the time, then it may mean that none of them look all that nice. There are those obviously that just like to change things up a bit, maybe too much actually. Remember that you can't please everyone, but you should try and make that one killer style that everyone likes. I am also not saying that slight alterations to the look, or added appearances for special occasions is a bad thing. A lot of times people will put up a different set of smilies for some special occasion, which is all well and good, but way different than changing the entire color scheme or style of your forum. Sometimes giving your community every little thing they want can come back to bite you in the butt. This is one of them. It's your forum, keep it that way. If they don't like it for what it is, then you don't want that member any way.

Your community should want normality.
Users will come to see your community's look and color scheme as it's overall personality, and this connection is important. It will help people become more attached to it. A community who wants to be able to change styles all the time don't REALLY like the main point of the forum now do they? A community who is critical of any changes made is a good thing. It's a sign that they truly respect and care for how things are done. I have been a part of some forums that had a community that always wanted something changed. Usually, the members did not stay around very long. While other forums had members that were so critical, any little change made was practically reviewed by each member. May seem a bit over done, but these are the kinds of communities that hold together for years.

How multiple styles affect mod installation.
This is over looked sometimes, but a no brainer when you think about it. For most modifications, you would have to alter each individual style in order for them all to be up to date. This can multiply your work load to the point where you dread installing even a single mod, and it is definitely more important to have some nice mods, then the ability to simply change around the style.

If your community is going to stick around, they're going to have to be the kind of people to grow attached to your forum, and that includes the look. Kids who want to constantly change the style all the time, won't stick around even if you have 137 to choose from, so don't waste your time trying to please them in that regard. Unless of course this is a school related forum, or a forum that simply deals with kids often. Still, do your best to stick with one style. One great style, is better than endless mediocre ones.

Grammar: Why It Is Important

Written by: Paul Omer

Aw man! Do I have to!? I'm in a hurry, can't you see? Well yes, I can. We all can for that matter. We can all plainly see that you are in too big of a hurry to even slow down and type out your words correctly. Grammar is crucial in everything we do. It's too bad so many don't realize this. A lot depends on the age of the individual of course, the average teen who is used to texting all the time rarely uses proper English, but rather the "text" form, also considered "L33T", which derives from the word "elite" then changed to "leet". The "3"s take the place of the "E"s in a lot of cases. Regardless of what you call it, or where it comes from, it still looks terrible when made into a post. Let's take a look at a couple of examples.

Member 1
For some styles, it's better to use a small avatar. Usually 80x80 works well.

Member 2
usually its bettr 2 use smaller avatrs liek 80 80 on small stlys

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Member 1's post is much nicer to read. Not to mention more educated and sophisticated. Many will say something along the lines of, "Well I got the point across, every one knows what I said". Yes indeed they did. They also know that you don't care about making a quality post, or making it easier for the person reading it to understand. Do you know how long it has taken me sometimes to even comprehend a 5 word post? Trust me, a lot longer than necessary. In a way, it could easily be proven that the time "saved" when typing quickly and sloppily, is a lot of times lost as soon as it takes the reader 10 minutes to decipher it. Forget grammatical mistakes, I've seen some people leave out an entire word in a simple sentence pretty much every time they posted. I've had to fill in the blanks so many times it isn't funny, and even once I found what I thought was the correct word to fill in that spot, sometimes the sentence STILL did not make any sense.


Why would I point this out so much? Simple. Posts are what forums are made of. They are generally the entire means of conversation, aside from the occasional PM conversation. Every active member on the forum posts, and every post made by said member is a reflection of that person's personality. When you have a member that takes their time and puts thought into their post, it shows, and it never goes unnoticed, by either the other members, or the Staff. As an Admin of many previous forums, I can tell you with a certainty that the Staff greatly appreciates the member that takes their time and makes quality posts. A forum filled with "lololololo"s are NOT appealing in any way, and if your forum is full of them, it's time to make some changes. Such content (if it can truly be called content) is not going to help your forum succeed and prosper. I can tell you that if I came across a forum (as I have many times), that was nothing but useless "yeah"s and "lol"s, I would immediately surf my way to another site with all haste. It takes many things done well to better ensure a forum's success, grammar should not in any way be over looked. The Staff on a forum are the primary example setters. What they do and encourage will rub off on the other members. Your Staff members should always uphold the laws of English, if they don't, no one will.

This does not mean you punish all members who don't have the best of typing, and certainly not the ones who have the occasional typo. We all make mistakes, but posts like Member 2's should be called on if continued with no signs of improvement or any efforts of improvement. Don't be afraid to call on your members over such a subject. Your forum's reputation is at stake, and every time someone takes one look at your forum and turns and goes the other way, it's one less member that you could have had. Something else to take into consideration, is the occasional foreigner who does not understand English as well as others. Many of them use translators, and with translators there can be confusion. You shouldn't look down on such people, at least they try, and in the end, that's what you need to look for in your members. Grammar goes so much deeper than the obvious appearance, it many of times reflects the person's overall character, and their respect for the forum, and even themselves. People who do not care about what their grammar looks like will not be considered intelligent by the other members. Seriously. Why would you listen to what they have to say as soon as you see that they can't even spell correctly? You begin to question their overall intelligence. I'm not saying that anyone who doesn't type just perfectly all the time is an idiot, it's just not a good habit to become slack in, and don't be surprised if you are warned or called on all the time. It's understandable, and in some ways should be expected.

When done correctly, proper grammar is a win for all sides. The individual members, the Staff, and the forum's overall professional appearance. Don't let it fall by the wayside. Take the extra 2 minutes to type it out correctly. You'll look smarter, and even feel more accomplished. Can you imagine what it would have been like to read this article if I had typed it out like Member 2? Yeah, exactly. You have the entire English language laid out before you on your keypad. Use it, don't let it go to waste.

Why Forums?

Written by: Paul Omer

FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, and countless other social networks have stormed the internet over the past few years, becoming the most widely used forms of internet communication. For every day use, E-Mail has become a thing of the past, as people prefer the "right now" side of social networks. They have become so popular that "FaceBook" was the most spoken word in 2009, with "Twitter" being third, and why wouldn't they be popular? They're fast, easy to use, and a great way to find long lost friends all the while finding new ones to chat with, but how versatile are they really, and just how efficient are theyreally when it comes to discussion and growing closer together?

A downside to social networks
The typical person on FaceBook will get up in the morning, or whenever they are bored, and send a quick text to a buddy of theirs, usually consisting of the words, "Sup?". The friend will reply with, "Eating". Another scenario would be for someone to get up in the morning and try to get in touch with 10 different friends in 10 - 15 minutes. This process continues until the extra time has passed away, and nothing has been accomplished, and nothing has been learned. The two people know nothing more about one another, but has simply used the other to pass the time while getting ready to go to work/school. They have nothing stimulating their mind, and nothing to comprehend throughout the work/school day. This is of course not all that social networks have to offer, as said before, these sites have some wonderful upsides to them, but have you ever stopped to consider that there might be abetter way to talk and stay in touch with friends?

You could ask ten people on the side of the street if they knew what a "forum" was, and at least nine of them would say "no". Forums (at least for some age groups) are unknown to most, considering they've never been presented with such an idea. Social networks are all they know, and therefore all they use. When you stop to consider however, all of the possibilities with a forum, social networks begin to fade away in terms of usability and versatility. When you get right down to it, the only thing that social networks provide that forums don't, is the ability to search someone, and find an old classmate or friend that moved away. All the mean while, social networks lack so much that forums have to offer. You may be asking, what do forums have to offer that's so special? Let's look at it.

Discussion is the forum's most prominent feature
Forums offer that unmatchable ability to create tight-knit communities that can last years. This is created by the openness that they have when it comes to discussion. Unlike E-Mail or social networks, forums are generally used to discuss things in the open for the other members to see. This of course encourages said members to become interested, and respond themselves, thus making the discussion even more deep and interesting. Forums can be about anything, and I mean anything. You can have a forum on one specific topic, or have one that covers everything under the sun. Some forums are small, while others are large.

Addition features are plentiful
To leave it at that and say that forums are only good for open conversation would be unfair. Because forums have so much potential, there have been hundreds of modifications made for forums. The modifications can be installed right into the forum, giving it a whole new feature that causes the forum to function better, and helps make the forum more appealing to passer bys. Modifications can be anything. Some people use their social network to play minigames and such with their friends and earn rewards. This is also possible through forums. Arcade modifications are quite popular, and there are thousands of games to choose from, giving your community endless fun.

Privacy and security
To some this makes no difference, but there's always the privacy issue to consider with social networks. At one point, 29,000 sex offenders were found on MySpace. You can hide your information for the most part, but when it comes to privacy and security, forums are the way to go. With extensive permission settings, forums can be completely out in the open, or so hidden it's simply impossible to do anything on them, IF you can even find them.
Ever wonder how Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines find websites? It's all made possible through Bots (also known as Spiders), that "crawl" around your site or forum finding content. A Bot that comes from Google will bring back content from your site, so that when keywords matching your forum are searched, your forum can then be found more easily. The Bots however can be turned off at any time. Causing all information and content to remain hidden, making it impossible for anyone surfing on a search engine to find your forum.

Real life instances and scenarios
Versatility is a key word when talking about forums. The possibilities are endless with them. Whereas social networks are good for pretty much only one or two things, forums can be used for many different scenarios. Here's a couple of examples of real people effectively using forums.

I have had a forum for nearly 2 years now. My friends and I have varying schedules, so it is a nice place to communicate where we can all chat without actually being online at the same time.

So I have to do a project for school, that I have to do to graduate. The basic idea of it is that it has to benefit the community or the school. I was thinking of ideas, and one of them was to suggest the idea that each teacher in the school keep their own forum, so that kids could ask about homework and such while they're doing it, and don't have to wait until school the next day to ask. The general idea would be that each teacher keep their own forum, which they're admin at, and each class that they teach has a section, and all their students could join the forum.

Of couse this has been done for colleges as well, and is just as effective. The process is quick, effective, and organized. This is something that the typical social network could never do to the same degree.

There for the save
Forums can also contribute to internet surfers in need of a quick answer. How many times have you searched for some info on something on Google, and a forum was picked up that was at the time discussing the exact question you asked? I would say many, maybe even more than you realize. Forums have that knowledge base side to them. They can range from anything, from fish, to astronomy, to origami even. Searching for some info on new TVs may land you in a forum all about TVs, and the upsides and downsides to various models, with other people's opinions all right there in the same location. Social networks simply can not do this.

Stepping back and looking at all the aspects from a distance, you can easily begin to see how forums are one of the greatest things the internet has ever known. Sharing photos, playing games, talking to friends (privately as well through the use of Private Messages, and instantly by use of Chatboxes), in-depth discussions, and a path to finding a quick answer, forums are extremely useful to to the tech geek and to the average Joe. It doesn't matter who you are, a forum can be a very useful tool, with a touch of fun mixed in. Some may think I am pounding on social networks and calling them useless, that's not at all true. I am forever grateful for social networks. I became so when I found a long lost friend by searching for them on Google, and finding their Twitter account. We were able to once again be in contact with one another. This isn't hard to believe, social networks are great for that kind of thing. Just don't let the advantages of a forum slip your mind.