Lifestyle Design Forums

[Kiri]

I realize this could be considered in direct competition with this site but what better place to ask for advice.

I've recently started http://lifestyledesignforum.com and I need some feedback on what I need to improve and ways I can get members.

I'm hoping this will become the "complete" LD forum. Taking all the best things that you might find in existing forums such as this one, WorkingNomad and NuNomad.

Also if you would like to be involved, although unadvertised moderator positions are up for grabs.

[clanshrapnel]

If you insist on creating yet another (http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-art-of-lifestyle-design/) on top of the many other lifestyle design websites (http://thegrowinglife.com/2008/03/lifestyle-design-and-4-hour-work-week-resources/) besides the one you're already posting on, I'd recommend you at least get vBulletin for your forum.

The 'free' forums have a cheap look to them that degrades your company's credibility. The $180 investment for a permanent license will repay itself many times over (and not to mention, vBulletin has awesome support). If one site doesn't work out, you can still use that license for your next idea. In that sense, the $180 is really nothing.

[Sven]

It takes a long time for a site like this to take off, if it ever does.
If it does take of, it is because there is something there for the users. The only one who has a need to put that content there is you!

So as harh as this may seem, if you have no vision and no writing skills (or outsourcing skills ;-) it probably won't take off.

You ask for moderators. At this point, why would you need them and why would they be interested?
The public is uncreative lazy and easily distracted, they want to have everything handed to them.

It is your job to provide solutions!

Oh, and ofcourse you need trafic too... But that is a different subjecs and not very interesting without content.

Good luck!

[Kiri]

Things are slowly starting to get moving, the issue of free forums is relative I think, personally I find MyBB is pretty much a clone of Vbulletin anyway plus like any forum the appearance can be changed. There are crap looking VB forums its just with free stuff some people try their hand at making themes\templates when they probably shouldn't bother. Worpress is another example, some great and totally crap free themes and the same goes for the paid ones.

[kamakiri]

Nice name kiri. I like the sound of it.

The bottom line here is not which forum software you bring to the table. Comparisons of them are lost on most people's ears, and for those who talk the talk, they are as opinionated as coke and pepsi from 1983.

Instead of asking for feedback here, why not ask yourself why you need a forum in the first place? If you are going to put spam bits on there to try to make money, you are moving in the wrong direction.

You post affiliate links as welcome as long as they are in context, what ever the heck that means. I am absolutely sure that you and I have a completely different opinion of that, and with those types of posts, you will only attract the lowest common denominator of pond scum. The rest of us have no interest in drudging through affiliate links for some real kernals of information.

Making a forum is like working for work's sake. If you still feel the need to make one after reading my post, go out and read Tribes by Seth Godin. Make a tribe of your own and lead them to your forum, because that is your only viable option.