Do you prefer a small community or big board?

[Cedric]

We all make forums with hoping that they generate enough interest and grow with time. But in the end, what do you prefer? Would you rather keep your community small and know everyone on it ? Or would you like to have it turn in a big board with millions of posts and over a hundred thousand members where you don't know everyone?

 

[Cory]

I don't like boards with too much activity, so I'd prefer a medium-sized board that is active enough to find daily content to post to and you'll know most of the active members that stick around.

 

[Shortie]

I myself always create forums to build a community and to meet new people so for me, my main aim on my forum would be to create a community where I knew everyone and it was quite close-knit than a huge forum where I didn't know anyone.

 

[Moonface]

Anything too large is not for me really. Not only is it hard to get to know anyone properly when there's hundreds of people posting, it's also hard to keep track and up-to-date with everything being posted. I don't have an account there but in the rare times I've gone to somewhere like ResetEra it's an awful time, because in the time it takes just to scroll down a page to see if a thing I'm looking for is there, enough posts have been made that when I click to go to the next page, everything I saw on Page 1 is now on Page 2 already, and when I then try to go to Page 3 without even looking at the contents of Page 2 I can guarantee at least half the things from P2 are on P3, or went back to P1 and pushed the contents of that page into P2 instead, which I've yet to even see because it keeps going onto a page I'm loading out of. It doesn't help that place has no search feature (at least not for guests) so it gets incredibly painful trying to find anything on there, but even with a search feature I'd still hate it. There's no time to breathe.

 

[Cedric]

Anything too large is not for me really. Not only is it hard to get to know anyone properly when there's hundreds of people posting, it's also hard to keep track and up-to-date with everything being posted. I don't have an account there but in the rare times I've gone to somewhere like ResetEra it's an awful time, because in the time it takes just to scroll down a page to see if a thing I'm looking for is there, enough posts have been made that when I click to go to the next page, everything I saw on Page 1 is now on Page 2 already, and when I then try to go to Page 3 without even looking at the contents of Page 2 I can guarantee at least half the things from P2 are on P3, or went back to P1 and pushed the contents of that page into P2 instead, which I've yet to even see because it keeps going onto a page I'm loading out of. It doesn't help that place has no search feature (at least not for guests) so it gets incredibly painful trying to find anything on there, but even with a search feature I'd still hate it. There's no time to breathe.

Agreed. I've seen that forum as well and too much activity is not ideal for me too. I like to know my members, help them if I can. I also believe an admin should stay humble and in many cases I've seen growth rise to their head and think they're better than anyone.

 

[Dan The Man]

I want to create large and active forums. As long as the forum contains a well organized layout and a sufficient number of moderators then you'll be active to effectively manage the community and maintain a high quality user experience.

 

[Smokey]

Medium sized for me I think. Depends on the niche IMHO. I do like the idea of smaller, close-knit communities though.

 

[Kyng]

Medium-sized for me too... big enough to have new content on a daily basis, but small enough to still have a tight- community atmosphere.

 

[Arantor]

Yeah, I'm the same. I want enough other people in the mix to keep feeding the pot, but not so many that I don't know a decent amount of the people.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Yeah, I'm the same. I want enough other people in the mix to keep feeding the pot, but not so many that I don't know a decent amount of the people.

I'm with Arantor on this one.

I do like a community starting at 0 and then watching it grow. That is a good feeling. I like watching new people join and giving them the opportunity to feel like part of the community from the get-go.

When the forum is huge, it's hard to feel accepted from the start. I'm sure all of us have experienced that feeling! It stinks...

So, while I welcome a big board one day, it can take it's time.

I want to recognize everyone on the forum.

 

[Kale]

Smaller to medium sized is best IMO. It is less to have to handle and do modding wise and usually only a few members would regularly post. I welcome a big board one day, but again taking it's time would be best.

 

[SpookyZalost]

For now I'd like to see the communities I'm part of grow and become more popular. gods know there's not enough activity in forums these days outside of a few dedicated areas.

 

[Cedric]

For now I'd like to see the communities I'm part of grow and become more popular. gods know there's not enough activity in forums these days outside of a few dedicated areas.

Fully agreed. We need to support all communities that are small and hope they gain more activity.

 

[Nebulous]

I actually worry about that with my forum. It’s a medium sized board (in my opinion, some would say it’s large) but I fear if we ever got too big some of our regulars would leave because they feel like they are just shouting into the wind or lost in a sea of people.

Also I see certain members on a lot of small forums but they aren’t on mine. Is it because they’re intimidated when they look at the stats and see the big paragraph of names in the “Recent Visitors” section?

I’d like to think that we still have that small forum charm & I try my best to engage every member who logs in, a couple of our staff members on OT are really good at that as well.

 

[Cedric]

I actually worry about that with my forum. It’s a medium sized board (in my opinion, some would say it’s large) but I fear if we ever got too big some of our regulars would leave because they feel like they are just shouting into the wind or lost in a sea of people.

Also I see certain members on a lot of small forums but they aren’t on mine. Is it because they’re intimidated when they look at the stats and see the big paragraph of names in the “Recent Visitors” section?

I’d like to think that we still have that small forum charm & I try my best to engage every member who logs in, a couple of our staff members on OT are really good at that as well.

It's understandable that you might be concerned about the size of your forum and whether it will affect the experience of your regulars. Both small and large community forums have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Small forums can often feel more intimate and close-knit, which can be a positive for some users. It can be easier to build relationships with other members and get to know each other, and it may be easier to get attention and feedback from others. However, small forums may also have less content and activity, which could make them less engaging for some users.

On the other hand, large forums can offer a wealth of content and activity, which can be very engaging for some users. However, it may be more difficult for individual members to get attention or have their voices heard in a larger group, and it can be harder to build close relationships with other members.

Ultimately, it's important to find a balance that works for your forum and its community. It may be helpful to encourage participation from all members, regardless of the size of your forum, and to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.

 

[SpookyZalost]

I actually worry about that with my forum. It’s a medium sized board (in my opinion, some would say it’s large) but I fear if we ever got too big some of our regulars would leave because they feel like they are just shouting into the wind or lost in a sea of people.

Also I see certain members on a lot of small forums but they aren’t on mine. Is it because they’re intimidated when they look at the stats and see the big paragraph of names in the “Recent Visitors” section?

I’d like to think that we still have that small forum charm & I try my best to engage every member who logs in, a couple of our staff members on OT are really good at that as well.

So I've actually run into this exact problem. We tried a few years ago to grow and a few members were vocally against it and ended up leaving because they didn't like the idea of new people showing up in their small community.

Ideally I'd like to find a middle ground but there's not always a solution that makes everyone happy.

 

[Henrywrites]

The urge to have a big community is there as it will be one of the bragging rights. However, having a small and loyal members is everything to me. I would want to be part of what is happening while knowing how everyone is doing on a daily basis.

 

[Heatman]

The bigger the community is, the bigger the work you would have to do. Also, you can't do all the work alone, which means that you would have to hire staff members to help you carry out the duties. You will definitely spend more money to run a big community. It's only going to pay off if your making more money from it.

 

[Reverie]

I enjoy a medium size community - I enjoy getting to know about 50 people who actively post and talk daily. I think I could handle up to 100 active members a day who post and talk though as well. Over 100 I would definitely struggle to feel like I'm able to participate in the conversations properly and I think that's also where more staff would come in to help support the flux of activity.

 

[Cory]

Imagine if a forum was like Reddit where the content was coming in non-stop. There's no sense of community there, in my opinion, just a big cluster of different posts/comments.