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[Cyan Prime]

I've seen many boards thrive on user bases of professional programmers, and web designers. I've seen many boards thrive on 12 year old spouting internet memes and other stupidity, and I've seen boards thrive on user bases that do nothing but talk shit about each others choices in video games, and systems, but I see very few boards like this. Boards for mature users to just bullshit. In fact, the only two that come to mind are this one and Pyoko.

How does one make a board like this? What is it that separates this board from others, and prevents it from turning into another GaiaOnline, 4chan, or gamespot? If it's the userbase, how does one attract members like it to my forums?

[Kazz]

Sharkey was popular before he had a message board.

[Rico]

but I see very few boards like this. Boards for mature users to just bullshit. In fact, the only two that come to mind are this one and Pyoko.

Hahahahahahahaha

user bases that do nothing but talk shit about each others choices

Much closer.

[Mothra]

Effort

[Bongo Bill]

Inertia.

[Brentai]

Dumb luck.

[Classic]

One line answers to complicated questions.

[King Klown]

Dynamic people with thick skin. 

[Thad]

I think part of it is having an admin team with a balanced view of when to exercise their powers and when to let people do their own thing.  Pyoko didn't survive because it was run by a guy who wanted the power to fuck with anyone who pissed him off but not the responsibility to actually keep the thing running on a day-to-day basis.  (The fact that the people who actually WERE keeping it running on a day-to-day basis all either jumped ship or were pushed did not help.)

Checks and balances are important too.  Kazz and I sort of cancel out one another's excesses (and Arc's), Sharkey has final say which he rarely ever uses, and Det can pick up slack when the rest of us get overwhelmed.

Inertia.

This helps too.  We don't get a lot of new guys at this point, which is a bit disappointing in some ways, but stick around long enough and there's a sense of respect and camaraderie even if some folks don't exactly get along.  I think I may have the dubious honor of being the most polarizing figure here (at least, I'm the one who banned users keep coming back to annoy), but even the people who don't like me very much don't generally seem to take my presence as a deal-breaker.

Hell, YOU keep coming back.  And have been surprisingly friendly to...well, pretty much everybody but Lyrai.

[Brentai]

The community was run by tyrannical administrators for years and years before the Pyoko split.  Trust me, I was the most tyrannical of them all.  I don't think it was a deal-breaker, at first it was all part of the charm really.

Though I suppose that ties into the previous assertion that everyone here has thick skin.  People who don't enjoy being constantly chewed out tend to not stick around.

Either way, don't take the WFE as an example of a successful community.  You can see right at the bottom that on our absolute best days we only number about half a hundred.  This place is tiny and stagnant and there are too many dicks on the dance floor.

Way too many dicks.

[King Klown]

Way too many dicks.

Those attract chicks. 



Edit: Forgot this was in real world.

When I first came here via Doom, it was more of a browsing type deal. Most of you are genuinely funny, dicks or not, which kept me around.

[Disposable Ninja]

Yeah, there really isn't a whole lot of diversity here, and to be honest, that probably helps. Most of us are white, liberal, straight and male -- we've got a few women, and at least one person of color. No conservatives. Ever.

[Kayma]

This place is basically the local bar at this point. Everyone knows each other, most people hate each other, but if it wasn't here, what the hell would we do with our time?

[Doom]

It's the old debate table aspect that appeals to me. I can't think of any other minds I'd rather mock the aspects of any upcoming WoW patch with. And you know, then mock them as well.

[Koah]

This place is basically the local bar at this point. Everyone knows each other, most people hate each other, but if it wasn't here, what the hell would we do with our time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJKtS25F3L0

[Kayma]

Right, yeah. Or maybe even How I Met Your Mother... but maybe we don't sleep with each other enough for that.

[Thad]

The community was run by tyrannical administrators for years and years before the Pyoko split.

Well, yes, which is pretty much why I was in such a hurry to get the fuck out of there after he broke his latest "No, seriously, I'm giving up running the boards forever, really, I'm gone, you won't see me anymore" vow.

Trust me, I was the most tyrannical of them all.

Ah, bullshit.  I'll grant you need other admins to keep an eye on you, but to the best of my knowledge you haven't spent the last two years seething about me behind my back and then fucking with my account in subtle ways.

(Although SOMEBODY keeps breaking my "banned from Real World" group...)

[Mongrel]

I don't mind the stagnation too much. I've been on a few other boards that started out the way this one carries on, small, close-knit etc. After a while they became victims of their own success. The eventual flood of mouth-breathers just drove most folks away and drowned anyone who was left.

As for the con-lib white kids thing, that helps, but you CAN have groups of disparate opinions and backgrounds as long as there is core common ground and respect for each other's views. This usually doesn't happen, so you just get dogmatism and retardedness.

If there's one thing that always tired me right the fuck out it was communities where every item that ever came up for discussion simply degenerated in another permutation of The Argument*.

*_{(The Argument is eternal and pointless, but it's exact nature changes from community to community).}

[A²]

This helps too.  We don't get a lot of new guys at this point, which is a bit disappointing in some ways, but stick around long enough and there's a sense of respect and camaraderie even if some folks don't exactly get along.  I think I may have the dubious honor of being the most polarizing figure here (at least, I'm the one who banned users keep coming back to annoy), but even the people who don't like me very much don't generally seem to take my presence as a deal-breaker.

Hell, YOU keep coming back.  And have been surprisingly friendly to...well, pretty much everybody but Lyrai.

So it is SoraCross?

And seconding the respect, camaraderie  thing. As an example, I strongly disagree with how Doom plays WoW, but I don't hate him for it. The whole Dirty Santa thing is a huge example of how bonded this group is - we trust each other enough that if we hand our address out, they're not going to show up in our bushes with a video camera and body bag. Or send us piles of shit.

stuff about thad kazz sharkey det & arc being admin dream team

* DUN DUNDUNDUNDUN!
WE'RE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE! WE DANCE WHEN ERE WE'RE ABLE.
WE DO ROUTINES AND CHORUS SCENES WITH FOOTWORK IMPECCABLE!
WE DINE WELL HERE IN CAMELOT WE EAT HAM AND JAM AND SPAMALOOOOOOOOOOOOOT

* Dancing with, fuck, I don't know, Brentai & Doom

WE'RE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, OUR SHOWS
ARE FOR-MIDABLE!
BUT MANY TIMES WE'RE GIVEN RHYMES THAT ARE QUITE UNSINGABLE
WE'RE OPERA MAD IN CAMELOT WE SING FROM THE DIAPHRAMALOOOOOOOOOOT
 
* Friday bludgeons Cait

IN WAR WE'RE TOUGH AND ABLE
QUITE INDEFATIGABLE
BETWEEN OUR QUESTS WE SEQUIN VESTS AND IMPERSONATE CLARK CABLE
IT'S A BUSY LIFE IN CAMELOT
I have to push the pram a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooot

* music *

I blame the cold meds & the fact I'm marathoning the series. I BLAME NO ONE.

[Fortinbras]

People who like to talk to each other need a place to talk to each other.