startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
do you have any suggestion on how I can make it different
my Star Trek forum
- Thread starter startrekrcks
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startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
Maybe we should start with the most obvious question... why do you prefer to have a small, separate forum which, by definition, will have much less traffic, and which will require work and commitment to participating in the TrekBBS, or the forums at New Voyages or Hidden Frontier or one of the other Star Trek websites. Have you visited the several dozen other Star Trek forums around the web? What is it that is missing in these forums that you hope to offer in your forum?
I created my Star Trek website because I was looking for a website that organized existing fan films, told me enough about them to pick one I was in the mood for, and made it easy to watch them. I didn't find any website that did that. There was a thread here at the Trek BBS that claimed to have all the fan films, but not only didn't it do that, it put audio drama and film together, and organized it by minutes produced, and offered little by way of guidance about what you might expect if you watched (or listened) to the drama. I didn't find it useful in the way I wanted. Since I was putting that information together for myself, I organized it and put it on the web to share with others.
I don't get a huge amount of traffic, but I have gotten a lot of 'thank yous' from people who love fan films, both oldies who find I have found a fan film or three they missed, or newbies who can just watch fan films rather than hunt for them. I am also trying to help people who would like to work on fan films find the best one for them to work on, by showing locations, types of films, etc.
What is it you want in a forum or website that isn't already available? There are tens if not hundreds of Star Trek forums already. There are Star Trek fan networking and dating websites. There are conventions. I admit, I didn't set out to create a website, I just set out to watch fan films and was surprised that the website I wanted didn't already exist.
I used to be active in the Turtle community. Lots of people tried to organize new forums, but there was, in effect, enough people for just two. The rest failed. If somebody had organized a 'kids only' forum that might have worked if there was a way to screen age, but no one did.
startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
I just want to offer my own Star trek network
So I have to ask then, if somebody else, who you didn't know and had never met did that, who you had no particular interest in, would you prefer to spend your time at a slow board with very few posters just because somebody created that board, or would you choose an established board with more people and more traffic? Most people would pick the latter.
Time is a precious commodity. So I have to ask, why spend your time on this? Is it that you want to power to exclude people? What is it about having your own BB that you find compelling? Is it that you just don't want somebody else to be able to bump you off the board? I can understand that. I worked on a website for years, did more work than anyone, and a young cute blonde woman decided to make false accusations against me (I'm a middle aged grey haired woman) and guess what? Every guy on the board took her side, except one, and I was kicked off. Mostly just because she wanted to be the only girl with a position on that board.
However, that did not put me in a position to start a competing board. I could offer nothing but myself to a group, in spite of reference work I had done for it. What's more the usual exclusion period from that board was 2 years, she had me kicked off for 22 years. I'd have been back on that board last January if they had banished me in accord with the board rules. But they had to please the cute young blonde girl.
So, if you just don't want somebody to be able to kick you off, I understand that, but know that, unlike the turtle boards, there are a LOT of Star Trek boards, and it's unlikely any one person or group could have you kicked off all of them.
A lot of times people just want to offer something that they put time into. Heck, I have my own website where I host my fan fiction after I'm done letting everyone here nitpick it. Do I get a lot of traffic? Certainly not, I don't write enough new material to get people there regularly. Is that ok for me and what I'm doing? Sure, even if 1 person a month happens to come across the site and enjoy whats there, job well done in my opinion.
Would that work for a forum... Probably not.
Would that work for a forum... Probably not.
startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
you just don't care some help you are
I've spent more time answering your comments than you have mine. Seems to me like it's you who don't care. Since you don't think my comments are worthy of a point-by-point response, I'm going to give up trying to make them.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope it makes you happy.
People here have been attempting to be helpful and offer advice. You have been asked alot of questions and been given alot of opinions in an effort to help determine what it is you want to accomplish with your forum and what you'll need to do to make it appealing to people.
But so far, you have never answered a post -- not one -- with more than a one line reply. And you have rarely, if ever, said anything more substantive than "come join my forum" or "I just want to make my own forum."
If you want advice, the people here will give it to you. But you have to be willing to read their questions and comments, consider them, and answer them thoughtfully, with more than a one line reply.
If you would take the time to write a few well-written paragraphs that answer some of the questions you have been asked and explain what it is you'd like to accomplish by having your own Trek forum, I think you'd get alot of positive and helpful replies.
startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
ok I do want advice on how I can make my forum better and so that can it be appealing to people but so far by me being rude it isn't getting me far anyway I do want help.
Well then, please respond in a reasonable and thoughtful manner to what we have said.
Some things that will help us give advice,
Why do you want a forum? "Cause I want one." is all well and good, but you're likely to get bored with it.
What do you want to offer? The thing that drives traffic the most is the content. Just having a generic trek board isn't going to get very far, because there are already a lot of them. Maybe instead of having each series listed as it is here, you could have different races. You're forum could be to discuss the different cultures in trek.
Some things that will help us give advice,
Why do you want a forum? "Cause I want one." is all well and good, but you're likely to get bored with it.
What do you want to offer? The thing that drives traffic the most is the content. Just having a generic trek board isn't going to get very far, because there are already a lot of them. Maybe instead of having each series listed as it is here, you could have different races. You're forum could be to discuss the different cultures in trek.
startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
well it is a social network do you think I could add different topics you know the site Trek Space could I make it like that
startrekrcks
Fleet Captain
no could you be moderator please help me
Message boards, in general, are on the decline in favor of blogs and other social networking sites. Only the large-scale message boards (TrekBBS, TheForce.net) are managing to maintain traffic. Why not create a blog and create posts that encourage discussion from your readers?
Why are you responded as if you have a Twitter word-limit? If you're actually interested in feedback (which I don't think you are) pay attention to the following:
Readers on forums and blogs don't really care for drive-by website plugs. You didn't describe what you were trying to do and why, you only responded with short, one sentence responses and you didn't take the criticism well when people told you they simply aren't interested in another Star Trek forum. You've been given good advice here about doing some independent research and finding out what your forum could bring to the broader community, but instead you're just playing offended and throwing in the towel.
Readers on forums and blogs don't really care for drive-by website plugs. You didn't describe what you were trying to do and why, you only responded with short, one sentence responses and you didn't take the criticism well when people told you they simply aren't interested in another Star Trek forum. You've been given good advice here about doing some independent research and finding out what your forum could bring to the broader community, but instead you're just playing offended and throwing in the towel.
I have tried to be helpful, as have others. However, until you are willing to respond to questions asked and feedback given -- and do so in a longer form than single sentence replies -- you are not going to be able to get the help you want here. Is there some reason that you won't reply beyond a single sentence?
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