How to be a good admin? - Forums Help - vBulletin, IPB, phpBB, SMF skins and community

**Pompidou** · 04-16-2007, 11:50 PM

I've been running a small vBulletin community since Christmas of 06. I still feel inexperienced. I'm sure there are things I could do to make my community happier and run smoother. I don't really equate size with success, but rather, the general atmosphere of the community. I've seen large sites where everyone is bitter and disgruntled. That's not a successful forum despite high hit counts and a large memberlist. So anyway, I'd like my forums to be the cheeriest on the internet with a really tight community, and I want to admin it as best as possible, but I'm a newb. If anyone has any pointers on keeping lots of people happy lots of the time, and generally running things in a smart manner, I'm all ears. I'm sure I'm not the only newb-admin, so hopefully this helps some others in my shoes.

ForumsHelp · 04-17-2007, 03:33 AM

Hello Pompidou

Here are few tips from my point of view:
1- Share your members in your decisions regarding the forum
2- Try to keep the forum content fresh as possible, by opening new threads
3- A general talk forum would help members to talk to each other and know each other in a better way away from the forum main topic
4- admins and mods need to stay near to members and try to solve their problems as much as possible
5- Adding some fun stuff, like arcades section for example would be a great idea.

The Scholar Admin · 07-26-2007, 05:48 PM

Nice thread!

Anyway, heres my list:

1. Be firm on some things, but fairly easygoing
2. Try to spend at least a few minutes every day, just talking to the members
3. create lot's of new topics
4. invite new members, and advertise a lot!
5. Be fully prepared to keep the forums clean. Just because your an Admin doesn't mean you should just wait for a Mod to clean up the spam.
6. Keep the members in mind with every decision you make.

talenak · 07-26-2007, 06:32 PM

I'm probably the worst admin ever.

I ask for input on big changes, like when the vbplaza vulnerability became known. They used Plaza so much, I let them vote. I just let them vote for the vbPager too. I'll be taking that off later today.

I abuse my members. A lot. We have a "Naughty Mat". lol It's a forum that when you get put in the "Bad Girls" usergroup, it becomes the ONLY forum you can see (besides news/announcements and the help/faq forums). Then I demand ridiculous things, like lists of why I'm so wonderful, or my name in a heart on their face. And I always put them there on some trumped up charge. "You looked funny today so you're on the naughty mat". My members like to be abused.

Contests! We have caption contests and stuff to get them involved. The last caption that won was a dog laying on his back hanging off a couch, a member put "Talena Strikes Again" and she won. I love how my members abuse me, and they win t-shirts. It isn't right.

Really, I think the BEST way to be a GREAT admin, is to be personally involved. When the members feel they can call the "boss lady" their friend, it cements a strong loyalty and a feeling of family all the way around.

So, let them vote, abuse them, let them abuse you, participate. That's my list

The Scholar Admin · 07-26-2007, 07:19 PM

Trust me, I can goof around with the members sometime. But it's all in good fun! Ask anyone at my forum who the biggest joker is, and they'll probably say me!

Hell, yesterday myself and the other Admin edited eachothers names and had a fake war!

but at the same time, I know when to be serious.

encoder · 07-31-2007, 06:09 AM

Thanks for the input guys, I also need this guidelines for I will start my own math forum. I think I will not have so much a problem dealing with the posters for they are my students. I play with them always and try my best to be their friend and not just a teacher. I guess that the same with forum admin.

Dipset · 08-12-2007, 11:56 PM

Is it a professionally oriented or just casually oriented?

In a pro setting, I personally feel that the admin should be around, and visible, but not necessarily posting or engaging in very much non-business stuff. Such as a on a graphics design forum, there should be an admin user that deals business, and nothing but business, and then the admins can have separate names that differentiate themselves from the business.

ForumsR4Fun · 08-18-2007, 01:56 PM

Just straight out in my opinion, an administrator should be active in both being visibly online, posting, as well as thread-making. I know there's a ton of forums where the administrator just runs the background stuff of the site. That's happened on a few forums I went to.

Also keeping up with the site updates, adding things - but not too many. One thing I go against is an arcade right away when they open the forum up. That takes away from building the community. If people begin to ask for it, tell them why - just like, "Once the community gets larger, or the forum gets busier, then I'll add one, but we're not active enough." That would hopefully click to some people (then again people would just ***** and complain - or just leave) and they would start posting. Also, keep updating the site with the latest versions, and add the occasional skin or hacks / option - but not too many.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

04-16-2007, 11:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
User Profile Pompidou FH Customer Join Date: Apr 2007 Age: 29 Posts: 11 Total Points: 491 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	How to be a good admin? I've been running a small vBulletin community since Christmas of 06. I still feel inexperienced. I'm sure there are things I could do to make my community happier and run smoother. I don't really equate size with success, but rather, the general atmosphere of the community. I've seen large sites where everyone is bitter and disgruntled. That's not a successful forum despite high hit counts and a large memberlist. So anyway, I'd like my forums to be the cheeriest on the internet with a really tight community, and I want to admin it as best as possible, but I'm a newb. If anyone has any pointers on keeping lots of people happy lots of the time, and generally running things in a smart manner, I'm all ears. I'm sure I'm not the only newb-admin, so hopefully this helps some others in my shoes.

04-17-2007, 03:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
User Profile ForumsHelp Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 968 Total Points: 327,343 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (1) My Mood:	Hello Pompidou Here are few tips from my point of view: 1- Share your members in your decisions regarding the forum 2- Try to keep the forum content fresh as possible, by opening new threads 3- A general talk forum would help members to talk to each other and know each other in a better way away from the forum main topic 4- admins and mods need to stay near to members and try to solve their problems as much as possible 5- Adding some fun stuff, like arcades section for example would be a great idea. __________________ vB Alien Custom vBulletin Skin Design & vBulletin Services

07-26-2007, 06:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
User Profile talenak Banned Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 31 Posts: 29 Total Points: 641 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	I'm probably the worst admin ever. I ask for input on big changes, like when the vbplaza vulnerability became known. They used Plaza so much, I let them vote. I just let them vote for the vbPager too. I'll be taking that off later today. I abuse my members. A lot. We have a "Naughty Mat". lol It's a forum that when you get put in the "Bad Girls" usergroup, it becomes the ONLY forum you can see (besides news/announcements and the help/faq forums). Then I demand ridiculous things, like lists of why I'm so wonderful, or my name in a heart on their face. And I always put them there on some trumped up charge. "You looked funny today so you're on the naughty mat". My members like to be abused. Contests! We have caption contests and stuff to get them involved. The last caption that won was a dog laying on his back hanging off a couch, a member put "Talena Strikes Again" and she won. I love how my members abuse me, and they win t-shirts. It isn't right. Really, I think the BEST way to be a GREAT admin, is to be personally involved. When the members feel they can call the "boss lady" their friend, it cements a strong loyalty and a feeling of family all the way around. So, let them vote, abuse them, let them abuse you, participate. That's my list Last edited by talenak : 07-26-2007 at 06:34 PM. Reason: bad spelling, we need strikethrough

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07-26-2007, 05:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
User Profile The Scholar Admin Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 65 Total Points: 1,081 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Nice thread! Anyway, heres my list: 1. Be firm on some things, but fairly easygoing 2. Try to spend at least a few minutes every day, just talking to the members 3. create lot's of new topics 4. invite new members, and advertise a lot! 5. Be fully prepared to keep the forums clean. Just because your an Admin doesn't mean you should just wait for a Mod to clean up the spam. 6. Keep the members in mind with every decision you make.

07-26-2007, 07:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
User Profile The Scholar Admin Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 65 Total Points: 1,081 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Trust me, I can goof around with the members sometime. But it's all in good fun! Ask anyone at my forum who the biggest joker is, and they'll probably say me! Hell, yesterday myself and the other Admin edited eachothers names and had a fake war! but at the same time, I know when to be serious.

07-31-2007, 06:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
User Profile encoder Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 75 Total Points: 1,177 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Thanks for the input guys, I also need this guidelines for I will start my own math forum. I think I will not have so much a problem dealing with the posters for they are my students. I play with them always and try my best to be their friend and not just a teacher. I guess that the same with forum admin.

08-12-2007, 11:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
User Profile Dipset Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 28 Total Points: 578 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Is it a professionally oriented or just casually oriented? In a pro setting, I personally feel that the admin should be around, and visible, but not necessarily posting or engaging in very much non-business stuff. Such as a on a graphics design forum, there should be an admin user that deals business, and nothing but business, and then the admins can have separate names that differentiate themselves from the business.

08-18-2007, 01:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
User Profile ForumsR4Fun Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 22 Total Points: 937 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Just straight out in my opinion, an administrator should be active in both being visibly online, posting, as well as thread-making. I know there's a ton of forums where the administrator just runs the background stuff of the site. That's happened on a few forums I went to. Also keeping up with the site updates, adding things - but not too many. One thing I go against is an arcade right away when they open the forum up. That takes away from building the community. If people begin to ask for it, tell them why - just like, "Once the community gets larger, or the forum gets busier, then I'll add one, but we're not active enough." That would hopefully click to some people (then again people would just ***** and complain - or just leave) and they would start posting. Also, keep updating the site with the latest versions, and add the occasional skin or hacks / option - but not too many. Then again, that's just my opinion.