How do you deal with being "Administrator"

[Rapscallion]

I've read your post, Mr Eyes, and my main problem is that I'm trying to work out why you're running a forum.

If it brings in money and you can tolerate it, then it's a job.
If it costs money and you enjoy it, it's a hobby.
If it brings in money and you enjoy it, you're very fortunate.

I'm sure there are many alternatives and addenda for those three concepts, but that's the set I use. I'm firmly in the second category, since I know that treating it as a business to generate revenue would sour the experience for me. Where are you? Where do you want to be?

The second problem I have is working out who is in control. I've had a few people stamp their feet and threaten to throw their rattle out of the pram, and I've shrugged at them. I've received genuine suggestions from interested members and discussed them with the moderating staff and maybe a few members, and sometimes the decisions get acted upon if they're good. I don't know your forum and the dynamics, and as a species we tend to remember the best and the worst events, so I'm open to the suggestion that you're venting about something recent. However, what I read between the lines is that you're not controlling the community. Culture shift takes time, if you want to implement such, but as the board owner the buck stops with you. Always remember that - you have the final responsibility, so you make the final decisions.

The third problem is that you seem to be embarassed by the concept of making money. This links in closely with my first point, but what the Hades is the problem if you do make a little cash? I run my place without any source of income other than my pay packet from my day job. That's a decision I took. I don't have a problem if another forum admin on another forum runs adverts or sells merchandise - that's their headache. My advice on this is to stamp down on the whining gits and post in the threads where they are creating havoc that you have bills to pay as well, and if they want a free forum with features X, Y, and Z, then they can run their own and see how far they get. It's work for you, and people get paid for their work. If the whiners can't accept that, then tough. They should either pay for the server costs or bugger off.

My fourth problem is your attitude to this - until now, that is. I've said it above and I'll say it again - you own it, you make the decisions. You want to rescue the forum from the whiners, or you wouldn't be asking for help. If you don't tackle the whiners, probably losing a few on the way via bans etc, then you're allowing them to make your life a misery. You don't owe them a living. Your time is best spent creating a forum where the community is one you would be proud to see, instead of pandering to worthless scum.

Rapscallion