What brings you back to message boards?

[Lamb]

What types of things interest you so much that you'll return to a message board?

I see we're having people post a couple of times and then not return. How do we get them to come back?

 

[kaynoel]

I sure hope this place takes off. I've been looking for a good Christian board to visit. Since I'm disabled and home a lot, it's good to make friends.

Not sure how to get others to stay interested.

 

[Lamb]

What suggestions would you give to help boost this place along? I want this to work too. I really look forward to having amazing conversations and fellowship!

 

[psalms 91]

I have already made a couple in the other thread. I think this place is amazing and I want it to suceed as well

 

[kaynoel]

I think you are doing a good job, Lamm, by starting so many awesome threads. I'm not so good at coming up with things like that. I can respond though.

 

[tango]

What types of things interest you so much that you'll return to a message board?

I see we're having people post a couple of times and then not return. How do we get them to come back?

Accept it's not for everybody.

Personally I like to see a basic framework of rules that are clear but not intrusive. A board I used for a while but drifted away from (let's call it CF, for the sake of a name) had so many areas with so many rules it seemed like a relentless minefield trying to figure out where I was allowed to post. A different board I used (which I'll call BF, for the sake of a name) had that sorted out much better. It had a men-only area, a women-only area, and a young-people-only area. And that was it, aside from those restrictions if you were a Christian and a member in good standing (which meant little more than having 50 posts and a positive reputation) you could post anywhere.

Rules that do things like prohibit a married member from offering advice in the "engaged" area are stupid - there probably aren't too many married people who weren't once engaged, and most married people know a thing or two about being single, courting, being engaged and being married. Personally I find the presence of endless denomination-specific subforums counterproductive - the question "what do Catholics say Hesitations 4:13 means?" seems to miss the mark because perhaps the Baptists interpretation of that particular verse is the correct one. If there really must be endless boards that people aren't allowed to post in, hide them so the posts don't show up at all.

Some people want a busy board and get bored if there are just a handful of members who obviously know each other. Some people want a quiet board and will leave if there are thousands of people. Some like debate even if only for its own sake, others will shy away from a board that encourages what they think is pointless debate.

Some people will leave a board they believe promotes heresy, or allows heresy to be promoted. "Heresy" in this context is whatever the user in question thinks is heretic.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Decent people who do not pose to prove how superior they are or how inferior everybody else is. Oh yes, and none of those endless threads where people just keep repeating the same tired old comments again and again as if by doing so they thereby prove their point. :|

 

[hedrick]

I'm tired of boards whose management put their own theology into the rules.

But I can tell you from experience that having no rules turns out to be hard in the long run. A single person doing the wrong thing can change the tone of a whole forum to a surprising degree. The reason for having separate groups where only members can post is that it provides a place for Catholics or Baptists or whatever to talk about things that matter to them, without constantly having to rehash the Assumption of Mary or Sola Scriptura.

For many years I ran a discussion group using a previous technology (soc.religion.christian, in Usenet). That group was moderated, so I had to approve every posting. I took a completely hands-off approach on doctrine. Fundamentalists and atheists were equally welcome. The things that helped the most were preventing the continual rehashing of the same thing, and aggressively dealing with personal attacks. That was practical in a digest with a dozen or so messages a night. It's harder in a very large forum, without a large number of people to help.

 

[brinny]

...it seems like it's really taking off well......i'm hoping that it continues growing

 

[psalms 91]

so do I Brinny

 

[tango]

I'm tired of boards whose management put their own theology into the rules.

I agree with this 100%.

I think it's reasonable to have a basic outline of "what it means to be a Christian" as far as a board is concerned, and to restrict some areas to be Christians only. I remember when I was a mod on another board and questions came up repeatedly over whether particular topics were suitable for discussion. My stance was that if the rule is going to be "this is the board theology, nothing else may be discussed" there's no point having a board because all people can do is agree with each other or be banned.

But I can tell you from experience that having no rules turns out to be hard in the long run. A single person doing the wrong thing can change the tone of a whole forum to a surprising degree. The reason for having separate groups where only members can post is that it provides a place for Catholics or Baptists or whatever to talk about things that matter to them, without constantly having to rehash the Assumption of Mary or Sola Scriptura.

It's hard to strike a balance really - on one hand it's reasonable for a Catholic to ask something about the Assumption of Mary without fending off yet another barrage of posts saying it's pointless, but at the same time if a board allows too many threads to run where challenging the underlying premise is prohibited it merely allows people to teach heresy unchecked. And if the board owners then step in to lock the threads, that counts as them putting their own theology into the rules.

For many years I ran a discussion group using a previous technology (soc.religion.christian, in Usenet). That group was moderated, so I had to approve every posting. I took a completely hands-off approach on doctrine. Fundamentalists and atheists were equally welcome. The things that helped the most were preventing the continual rehashing of the same thing, and aggressively dealing with personal attacks. That was practical in a digest with a dozen or so messages a night. It's harder in a very large forum, without a large number of people to help.

All that means is that as a board grows so the number of moderators has to grow, and if a board is international it needs a team of moderators who are also international. When I was a mod on another board I was often the one to catch spammers and trolls posting porn, simply because being five hours ahead of eastern time I saw them first thing, while US-based mods were still asleep.

 

[~Jo~]

I'm very easy to please on these sites to be honest, I love talking to people, and playing games, listening to music and making pretty pics on profiles etc. the only problem I am getting is I cant find a way to make the print slightly bigger and find it hard to read as its very small for me. other than that I have no complaints.. maybe one day we could have a new skin colour and make it darker to.

 

[psalms 91]

Yes, I love games as well

 

[Lamb]

I'm very easy to please on these sites to be honest, I love talking to people, and playing games, listening to music and making pretty pics on profiles etc. the only problem I am getting is I cant find a way to make the print slightly bigger and find it hard to read as its very small for me. other than that I have no complaints.. maybe one day we could have a new skin colour and make it darker to.

They made it bigger a little while ago. Does it help to enlarge your browser using ctrl and the scroll button on your mouse?