- Thread starter
- #10
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
371%
- Oct 1, 2019
- 24
- 89
@mindsetferg Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Love your ideas that make building a forum more accessible. I can foresee the following challenges / concerns.
1. Customization - where do I start?
When I say I don't know where to start when I look at Xenforo, I mean, the installation doesn't seem to have the features that one see on FastLane, e.g., multi quote, reactions, @author name to facilitate and encourage engagement in the community. I think I need to take some more time to study one solution at a time like what comes with the cost, and what I need to customize myself. But, there are bigger challenges below...
@Andy Black @aeden Thanks for helping!
@MJ DeMarco Thanks a lot for those two ideas. Will look into it.
@404profound I think you are addressing MJ. Not sure.
2. Compatibility (CraftCMS) I might also need to consider the forum plugins / solutions that could work integrate with CraftCMS, since I read there could be some double log-in issues if not integrated well.
3. Testing / Validating Needs - How do I know people want what I'm trying to create
@Genius01 @Kid I acknowledge this can be an issue, and I frame this challenge as such: how will I approach this to prevent myself from creating something no one wants and if I shall do that, then let it NOT cost me an arm and a leg.
I know there two other major forum sites. I have also had an in-depth conversation with one user each respectively. It's actually tempting hubris to think I can create something "better". But, I have read enough to know better not to do that. The question IMO is how will my site serve a different need.
4. [Moderation / Value Creation] - another challenge is how will I design the forum mechanism so people with answers will give them.
People don't want a forum, people want their problems solved.
The reason I want to create a forum in the first place is so my answers to those users on email become a more scalable value unit. But, then people don't always read comments - they are busy and lazy like me. But engagement and experience still matter.
For example, on FF, my love for FF went down a bit when I saw a random link to my question as the first response. Then Andy chimped in, then the legendary MJ came. My love for the site is back again.
So, how do I replicate that experience on my site. Would I have moderators like Andy and SMEs like MJ? I can't be that all the time, then where do I find them? Why would they give it damn?
5. Differentiation - How would my site be different?
As I mentioned, there is another forum live in the same niche, which aims to allow users to build up their the publications profile much like LinkedIn. There is another less well-known one but with more stickiness that allows users to let others review on a work-in-a-progress. My concern is more on how am I going to position this and serve a different purpose than a moderately better version of "Me Too". (And the "better" value is too subjective for me to know what is working and what is not.)
Thanks to all of your questions and comments.
1. Customization - where do I start?
When I say I don't know where to start when I look at Xenforo, I mean, the installation doesn't seem to have the features that one see on FastLane, e.g., multi quote, reactions, @author name to facilitate and encourage engagement in the community. I think I need to take some more time to study one solution at a time like what comes with the cost, and what I need to customize myself. But, there are bigger challenges below...
@Andy Black @aeden Thanks for helping!
@MJ DeMarco Thanks a lot for those two ideas. Will look into it.
@404profound I think you are addressing MJ. Not sure.
2. Compatibility (CraftCMS) I might also need to consider the forum plugins / solutions that could work integrate with CraftCMS, since I read there could be some double log-in issues if not integrated well.
3. Testing / Validating Needs - How do I know people want what I'm trying to create
@Genius01 @Kid I acknowledge this can be an issue, and I frame this challenge as such: how will I approach this to prevent myself from creating something no one wants and if I shall do that, then let it NOT cost me an arm and a leg.
I know there two other major forum sites. I have also had an in-depth conversation with one user each respectively. It's actually tempting hubris to think I can create something "better". But, I have read enough to know better not to do that. The question IMO is how will my site serve a different need.
4. [Moderation / Value Creation] - another challenge is how will I design the forum mechanism so people with answers will give them.
People don't want a forum, people want their problems solved.
The reason I want to create a forum in the first place is so my answers to those users on email become a more scalable value unit. But, then people don't always read comments - they are busy and lazy like me. But engagement and experience still matter.
For example, on FF, my love for FF went down a bit when I saw a random link to my question as the first response. Then Andy chimped in, then the legendary MJ came. My love for the site is back again.
So, how do I replicate that experience on my site. Would I have moderators like Andy and SMEs like MJ? I can't be that all the time, then where do I find them? Why would they give it damn?
5. Differentiation - How would my site be different?
As I mentioned, there is another forum live in the same niche, which aims to allow users to build up their the publications profile much like LinkedIn. There is another less well-known one but with more stickiness that allows users to let others review on a work-in-a-progress. My concern is more on how am I going to position this and serve a different purpose than a moderately better version of "Me Too". (And the "better" value is too subjective for me to know what is working and what is not.)
Thanks to all of your questions and comments.
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.