What Makes a Forum Good?
 

In every vbulletin contest I have seen, the forums that won usually won because of their graphics and style: not because of the special features the board had.

So, my question to you is this: What makes a forum great, style or functionality?

I realize content is the king, but let's set that aside for now. What makes you say "awesome board dood!"?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

For those who don't know much about the forum, or the software it's using, style would be their choice. If they did know a lot, it would be functionality. However, given that, the majority of people using forums on this planet do not know about the forum's software well, so it'd have to be style.

Well if you jsut look at a board, then of course the style is important.

But if you want to register somewhere graphics are not so importatn, than functionality counts...

I don't think styles can induce members to stay. A hot looking forum with tons of graphics is only cool for so long. However, little extras that make life fun and easy keep the users on the site.

However, I am obiously prejudiced because I can code way better than I can design.

It doesn't help any that my members saw the default vbulletin purple during the last upgrade and LIKED it. Oy. So, my default style is now vbulletin's purple and the premium styles are more colorful.

Amy

Community first, looks second.

[braggin]
I like mine. its not great. there are no members right now to speak of. but I keep adding to it. man pages, a dhtml nav bar.

I have been to alot of forums in the short time I have been on the net. I have taken everything that I have liked, hated and wanted and incorporated them into what I wanted.

The only drawback is the styles I have. they are "off the shelf" and I am on my neverending search for a graphic artist who will work for peanuts (hopefully free) to spruce up the look of my site...

[/braggin]

that said, I voted that both are key

content is king, but content on a forum that looks like the money lisa washed through a photohsop blur filter is sad

-Dom

Functionality and Performance, a board not only has to load quickly but has to have something that will keep me around.

Lets take yaxay for a example. Even tho i do not post there.

yaxay is a board based around design, im on 56k so it take sforever for me to load a page at yaxay, however it is loaded with fetures that are only on that site, so that would keep me around more then the style.

Agreed with AL, places like yaxay are very bad for being in the barrier of everyones needs.

Stuff like Content, Functionality and Performance are the big matters.

Can't say it any better than that. :)

Most important thing is functionality, then graphics, but my vote is that you have to have both. This does not mean sacrificing functionality for graphics, or vise versa, you just need the best in both areas.

Most definately functionality.

Look at filburts. Technically it's is quite graphical. But very light on the general design. It functions well and has a great range or experienced webdesigners. Unlikes yaxay with all its eye-candy :)

- miSt

gotta point something out

http://www.webdesignforums.net/ <-- this site rocks

style
design
community

it has it all

As they used to say "Content is king". :)

People don't hang around for whiz-bang graphics - they hang around for the community spirit, and the information they get.

The more interactivity on the site, the better. However, in the end, a forum boils down to its posts and threads - which boils down to the posters. Great posters mean a great community, which others would want to be part of.

Erwin, I already made the assertion that content is king. :D The question is, after content, what makes a "cool" board?

Have lots of features. But don't overcrowd. A page overcrowded with features is all too much. Also don't add complicated features. Remember you do get kids on all boards and intelligence deficient people... hehe :p

Get a clean and crisp style. Light and elegant and smooth. To be honest www.webdesignforums.net started out for me as another boring site. But it's developed into so much more than that for me. The design is spot-on... It's unique.

But with such a big forum amy why are you asking this ;)?

- miSt

I don't have kids on my forum. :D As to the other group you mentioned, no comment. ;)

Mist, I was just starting conversation. Philosophical debate and all.

Amy

hmm, till now the poll is intresting, nobody voted for graphics....

That really surpises me too. Any time the forum of the month contest ran, all I saw was people talking about the style and seldom the features.

Amy

Yes but half the people who vote there are only concerned about eye-candy :p

Agreeing with Erwin here.... you can have the best looking site, with the most outstanding graphics, but if your members ain't posting you don't have a community.

Which is why a lot of people can't be bothered with the award.

Problem probably is that to get a true feel of how a board runs etc you need to join :dunno:

Same here.

I don't use COPPA - I just don't take in anyone under 13, unless their I communicate with the parent directly. I have only got 1 12 year old that I know of. :)

Why don't you allow children Erwin :)?

- miSt

they are so loud :D

on my board, there are not much children, it's about strategy gaming, and only a bit older ones play those types of games really.
kids in our days just want to see enough realism and blood, not a slow strategy game ^^

But in Erwin's case i think it might be a different answer...

My site is really not aimed for kids - they won't be able to keep up with the discussions and debate - I do have a large teenage contingent though. :)

Functionality and community atmosphere are most important. I will bypass a forum if it contains too many graphics.
My forum is probably the most boring design you will find, but, the community atmosphere and functionality keep the members there.

Well I voted for GFX because I wont join a place unless it has a great style. If they are gonna have a crappy layout then no point in joining. Also you need to be creative and unique so that is why GFX and Style is important.