What Makes a Forum Good?

[amykhar]

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.

[N9ne]

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.

[Xenon]

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...

[amykhar]

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

[filburt1]

Community first, looks second.

[Dominick]

[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

[Brad]

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.

[Tony G]

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.

[007]

Originally posted by Xenon
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...

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.

[Dean C]

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