A way to attract more meat onto the Forum

Ok I have another suggestion why not display this message befor the meat sees the download linkImportant Message:You are now a few clicks away from downloading the roms you had always wanted but before you download why not try some of RomUlation's very cool features:1. Why not post in the forums (recomended)2. Why not start a sensible topic (highly recommended)3. Just go to the downloads (the rest is for you to decide)

"Why not" doesn't work, users don't just start filling in reasons for posting on the forum, we need to give them that reason, and we specifically need to target their interests and show where they can read about/discuss it. I know how to do this I just don't have the time to implement it at this point.

If this is possible I suggest that we vote for a "topic of the week" or "board of the week" then place it on the main site and if someone happens to read it and becomes interested then we would get more active members

it looks like a good idea if it would be implemented

clyffe28 · #23If this is possible I suggest that we vote for a "topic of the week" or "board of the week" then place it on the main site and if someone happens to read it and becomes interested then we would get more active members

or you could do this instead

Cahos Rahne Veloza · #25How about this, lets make the people (prospective new members) know that RomUlation is not just a "games download" site. Let's show them that we're also fun loving, out going people who think about & discuss topics outside gaming.Why not put links to these threads;https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7168.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7125.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7146.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,4966.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7096.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,6758.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7009.0.html
https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,7061.0.html

how would it attract them if they don't see what topic is in those links.....chances are they would just ignore them

to be honest I dont think we need new meat. the regulars we have here are plenty interesting and great to talk to, I dont think we should go out of our way to attract people into the forum. Dont forget that the 'chat' part of the community is only a small part of what its here for. The main purpose is to provide the users and members of RomUlation with the help and support they need in relation to emulation and the roms they download. Second to share files and other information in a communal way that RomUlation itself doesnt provide (for examples special release roms, NDS movies, ect.). We already have enough spam as is, people really need to use IRC more often (that includes me lol).

Forums need a constant influx of members to not become stagnant, I've run enough forums (okay 2...) in my time to know that, if you don't then eventually a forum degrades into internal chat and banter that no-one outside of the small group can understand, and eventually that becomes boring to read for all parts involved.New users keeps content and discussion fresh and interesting, add this to users posting and discussing new events and we're pretty much set.So we actually do need to work on getting more members active, and we will, we just need to find the time to do so.

This would cause an inconvenience to people becoming members, but could they somehow be redirected through the forum to register to see and know it's here? I remember that I wasn't really aware of the forum for the first while that I was registered here.Or maybe make it so that recent posts on the romulation profiles is always on instead of being an option in hopes of them seeing something that they like? I know pretty bad ideas, but I just had to get them out of my head.

I intend to create an API to ease searching our forums to topics and then search for the name of the game a user is currently viewing, if any topics are found it will then be listed as potentially related forum topics.So we do have ideas, just not the time to work on them right now.

We should have new topics, I agree on that.... Maybe Fashion might attract more girls...then Mechanics might attract mroe men... but we should add a section in downloads that says:1.Why not pass the time, and post in our forums during your download?
2.Vote for us at whatever
3.Have some fun at our forums!
4.Continue with the downloadYes, and put forums twice to emphasize the forums :)

Again, "why not" doesn't work, the only thing that works to attract users is "you're interested in x, well we have a discussion about x here, go join it!"

Replying to #34

Or, we have a really big link that says ROMULATION FORUMSand a little download icon at the bottom, centered

SephGiving points for posting would surely amplify the current problem of posts lacking a decent quality.

That means that currently posting members would have a great amount of posts. And that's good.But also, wouldn't that encourage spam from members who are downloads hungry? i.e. the fresh meat? :P

Shouldn't this be in the Forum Suggestion category?

It's ambiguous, things can be done to the site to interest people to go to the forum too.

I was really just looking for a good place to scream out "I freakin' love this site," but this topic kinda makes me think I should get in on the forums a bit...But just to double-underline, this is the greatest ROM site I've ever seen. I fell completely in love with the site when I read the rules to sign up, and the content is rather exhaustive. The point system is completely fair, and I don't think I've seen anything quite like it.
So, simply put, kudos.

not enough time eh ? perhaps some of us can help you guys, because mostly it seems that you guys need some web coders. maybe if there was a board where the admin guys put up some stuff about what they need help with, forum members with the know-how could provide assisstance. however this might prove to be a double-edged sword, but consider the pros of this idea. it would also be a nice way to identify members with much needed technical expertise. just an idea.