What Makes A Successful Message Board?

by SanFranciscoJim 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  SanFranciscoJim

  Didn't know what forum to post this on, so I'm just putting it in "Friends" for now. If one of the mods wants to move it elsewhere, please be my guest.....

  As many of you know, I recently opened a new message board for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender former (and active) JWs at: http://frost.bbboy.net/acommonbond (straight exJWs are welcome to post there, too!).

  Since the board is very new, there aren't a lot of posts on there yet, and although it's getting a fair amount of traffic, not many people are actually posting.

  IMHO, the JWD Forum is the "ultimate" in discussion boards/forums for the recovering JW community. While I never expect the Common Bond Forum to get anywhere near the amount of traffic this board generates, I'm wondering if others who participate here have observations on what makes this board so heavily trafficked and successful?

  Simon? Anyone?
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  acsot

  I ain't no technie and don't post anywhere else (yet). I like this one since it's "user friendly" - you have the various "topics" you can post under

  - there's all that info about how many posts you can do and topics you can start;

  - it has the personal message feature;

  - you can paste a photo or an avatar with your user name (which is cool though I haven't the foggiest idea how to do it)

  - the box where you post your replies has the different fonts, smilies, etc. It's easy to get the proper tone you want to convey because you can do this:

  - there's a wide range of topics - sometimes you need to be reassured doctrinally that you've made the right decision with respect to the borg, but other times you just want the best chocolate chip cookie recipe <--- see how fun those are?

  - I like the way things "line up", i.e. when you look at the Active Topics, you see who posted what when and who was the last to answer, and all that stuff

  If I think of other stuff I'll let you know. BTW, I'm one of the ones who has browsed your website but never posted. Maybe I will now , even though I'm straight! I love these smilies
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  simplesally

  Personalities...... people not afraid to talk. You probably need some strong posters with some really super fun topics and some controvsial ones to get it going.
• 

  gambit

  Well, Jim, the old saying is probably pretty true.... misery loves company.

  I have been to a lot of boards, and it is extremely hard to find any true companionship or comraderee on a board built on a "positive" movement. Strange, but I find that to be true... the most active boards with the truest spirit have an underlying "negative" life bond... just like this place...

  Through it all, I think thats what makes this place one of the best... the pain instilled on many, if not most, of the posters here is very similar in some ways, very dis-similar in other ways, but has an underlying common denominator. With everyones input, wisecracks, tough attitudes at times, healing words, laughter, stupidity, and plain old everyday breakfast table talk... the common denominator slowly shrinks in comparison to the numerator (lol) thus making the sum of everyone stronger and more willing to participate as postive role models for others.

  So, for your sight, maybe a few "healing hearts" or "trouble times" type of subject boxes where peolpe share some of the difficulties of childhood, teenage years, coming out, etc... and I don't mean "adult" stuff here, so that some of the younger teenage crowd would be able to join in and open up with the same type of feelings evoked around here.

  Good Luck Jim...
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  Sassy

  I'm going to tell a friend about your board SanFranciscoJim. She has been through a struggle dealing with having grown up a JW and yet being open now about being bi. She is caught between missing her family and not being allowed to see or talk to them and who she is internally. I think your site will be a good one for her. I can talk to her about the shunning generally, but I am sure there are things I can't understand, or completely relate to, not having those same feelings.
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  SanFranciscoJim

  I'm going to tell a friend about your board SanFranciscoJim. She has been through a struggle dealing with having grown up a JW and yet being open now about being bi.

  Yes, please do! Interestingly, since I set the message board up, the busiest forum has been the forum for bisexuals.

  To everyone else who have posted in this thread thus far:

  Thanks for your insightful observations. Lots of good information! Keep it coming!