An internet forum really comes into its own when it reaches a certain critical mass of like minded individuals. Curiously this doesnt necessarily mean a bunch of nicey nice people - I have seen succesful forums built up around conflict and flaming. This works aslong as all the regular participants know the lay of the land and enjoy the banter that flies back and forth in heated threads.
But how does this come about?
Maturing
The feel of a forum is shaped in the early days of its conception. There is that painful time when there are only a half dozen members and very little chat. You wonder if its worth pressing on with your new website. But if the topics are strong and the site begins to draw new users it is possible to grow and evolve your forum into a bustling online community. Sign up to our RSS feed to recieve future tips on growing your forum.
This is the critical phase. These early days will have a large influence on the cummunity nature of your forum ongoing. It only takes a few members to upload x-rated avatars, engage in purial tit for tat flaming for the tone to be set for ever more. Getting a balance that is right for your target audience is important. If you are running a needlecraft forum it is likely you will want to have active moderation. Remove inappropriate posts quickly. Engage with rogue users. Work to set a high standard.
If you are running a gaming site aimed at collage X-Box players then a high level of moderation will quickly scare of the majority of users. Most likely in barrage of “freedom of speech” threads! Here you need to be careful to allow users to have their fun, but also not expose yourself to any illegal content.
Momentum
Once you have established a set of rules it is amazing how quickly the forum becomes self regulating. The frequent posters will start pulling up on inappropriate behaviour and new joiners will quickly pick up on the tone. In an effort to fit in they will imitate and conform to some extent. At this point you can pick out a couple of helpful regulars to act as moderators and ideally your forum begins to run itself.
Happy days!