What's Your Favourite Forum ?

[1UPGamer]

Ok so apart from 1UPGamers which is your favourite forum website and why ?

Also when you use forums do you discriminate based on the type of forum software it's running ? e.g. is it VB, phpBB, SMF, MyBB, IPB your favourite ? The only reason I ask this is that I know users that won't use a forum unless it's VB etc...

[Primeval]

I don't care what software a website runs. And other than here, I don't post anywhere except on the forums of games I am playing. Which is a given because if you don't than you're one of those people "out of the loop".

[fanpages]

I like forums where you can edit your comment(s), to either change text where you've had a "oh damn!" kind of moment after you have submitted the post, or where you can go back & add more details as you wish.

A "vBulletin" based forum is a good example of this, but it is not just the original forum software that makes a good site.

The members, the atmosphere/interaction between the members, the regularly changing content, and the feeling that you can add a comment without getting 'flamed' by the site "regulars", are all important aspects.

Also, certainly in respect of 1upGamers.com, I think the "skin" (style) presentation is one of the best I have seen. Very "clean" & easy to read.

The ability to support mobile (cellular) telephone handset browsers & RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds is useful too... but only if the site traffic (or membership) dictates the need for this.

Oh.. just remembered (thank goodness for the ability to Edit posts, huh?), later versions of "vBulletin" embed YouTube videos directly in the comments posted with the appropriate tags. That is sometimes useful so that readers do not go off-site to YouTube & get lost there without returning to comment. You know how easy that is to do on the World Wide Wait, I'm sure!


BFN,

fp.

[1UPGamer]

Interesting view points there, and yeah I think we do need a VB upgrade at some point we're still on 3.6.x and I think VB is up to 3.8.x....

Actually on the point of forums, I'm actually enjoying the forums here even though there's only a few of us.. lol In fact I hardly visit any of my more popular forums
as it's just too difficult to keep track of things and stuff... I definitely want these forums to get busier but it's interesting how if a forum gets too large it can often be a turn off... I'm getting a lot of my old members at signaturebar.com leaving (Most have already left) who simply don't like it there anymore as it's gotten too large for their standards...

I'm happy because it's making more money but also a little upset that the founding members and guys who really made that forum what it is today are going. I've told them that if things are changing lets change them back as you guys are the senior members but for some reason they've simply lost interest now.. Anyway that's just a little of my own experience with runnning forums.

[fanpages]

That's sad... but just a sign of a fickle audience in an online world where there is always another choice for what your needs are.

I can certainly appreciate being "turned off" by a cluttered forum, or one that just does not seem appealing to read (any more).

The official PlayStation Community forums (in English) are full of messages in the "Announcement & Events" area in one long list & every time I visit I may read one or two at the top of the list, but I miss out literally hundreds because it is just such an effort.

The main forum list is just as tiresome as there is little organisation into relevant topic areas & the colour scheme makes it look bland (like an old dial-up bulletin board from the mid-1980s).

Such a shame as I'm sure there are loads of great threads to participate in, and as the Administrators & Moderators are employed by Sony the posts are always full of factual information.

I submitted an application to become a Moderator of the European Community Team in September last year, but I did not hear anything further after it was confirmed my submission had arrived.

I thought that was rude, but maybe my condemnation of the current presentation of the forums (in other areas of the Interweb) did not do me any favours.

All this aside, as I mentioned above, the "atmosphere" of a forum makes it what it is. Once that has gone, or you find it is a struggle to participate at any time, it takes away the fun of doing so.

Not that I'm here at 1upGamers.com because I cannot find anything better, mind you.


In-site fighting between members is sometimes missed by the forum administration team, so it may not be anything you did (or did not) do that led to the departure of the established members.

Maybe the reasons that senior/regular members leave is because the chat has become too friendly, some personal information has been made public (either intentionally, or unintentionally), or somebody has innocently mentioned their real name without thinking about why a member has an internet-based alias. Details passed to somebody in personal communication can often be relayed back publicly without any thought.

The internet is full of people trying to remain anonymous for their own reasons. If, for example, any of my person details (name, address, and so on) was ever to be revealed by anyone, I would certainly consider leaving that forum, adopting a new alias & building up a presence elsewhere.



My typical "sign-off" at the end of my posts may give me away though...


BFN,

fp.

[1UPGamer]

Hmmm yeah , now that you mention it I do get a lot of infighting on one of my other forums, but that's mainly because they're young teenagers are get really stressed out about friendship etc.

Agreed though on the atmosphere and annonymity aspect. I certainly don't post any pics or real life stuff from my life on my forums... lol although if someone really wanted they could quite easily find out my full name and address i suppose. lol

[fanpages]

Originally Posted by 1UPGamer

Hmmm yeah , now that you mention it I do get a lot of infighting on one of my other forums, but that's mainly because they're young teenagers are get really stressed out about friendship etc.

Agreed though on the atmosphere and annonymity aspect. I certainly don't post any pics or real life stuff from my life on my forums... lol although if someone really wanted they could quite easily find out my full name and address i suppose. lol

What makes you think some people have not already done so? (Insert evil genius type of laughter here)

You certainly have to take care with stating personal details especially considering name, location, and desirable electronic equipment you own,... and a sign of the times is not giving out too many details about your family, their respective ages, & their movements.

If respected, the Internet can be a fun place. However, yes, as you mentioned, "Google" is a data protection nightmare, and although a very useful tool can be a potentially dangerous one too.

Having a user name like mine that relates to a computing term (and was recently adopted by Facebook... if only I have trademarked it!) seems to be a useful "cover"


With respect to your forum with the members of a young age, fortunately there are always more to replace them... with their own issues

BFN,

fp.

[Primeval]

I am a "young teenager" lol. I am only 16 years old.

[1UPGamer]

lol, yeah don't want to discriminate against you Primeval but us oldies just have a way of looking at you young guns

[Primeval]

Haha, I love you "oldies" that play video games still. I know my uncle plays on his PS3 all the time, he's my favorite uncle to hang out with lol.