Occasionally members give me advice and tell me how to run my forum. I tell when they have their own forum they can run it however they like, until then, my forum - my rules.
Do you ever hear this from your members? What do you think about it?
It depends what kind of site you have. If you have a support site like here... To be honest, us members opinions shouldn't matter, as we have to place.
If you have a "forum" a dedicated topic discussion, a bunch of random people, you should take the "masses" consideration.
If you have a "community" a place where members are actual friends, that they are close, that they are more then just people on a website, then you really should value every opinion.
I'll listen but in the end it is up to me.
Listen to them and make the decision by yourself, as Alex said.
When i run script installs (a forum dedicated to script related discussions), some people suggested me to change it to promotion forum. Ofcourse its a bad idea to move a forum from unsaturated niche to a saturated one. But generally i would say, "Thanks for the suggestion. I will take this into consideration". By that, i won't make them feel bad, and at the same time won't lose my forum's nature.
Some people suggested things like Script support, Interviews from developers, etc; and i did implemented them.
You should analyze what your members say, and if its good take it, else leave it.
Don't be strict with members who are giving advice on how to run a forum. I've never had obnoxious members who rudely tell me I'm doing something wrong, however I've always encouraged suggestions & feedback. Your forum is only as good as your members, don't act like a dictator, act as a friend. Best advice I could give.
Without those suggestions, how do you know specifically what they want? Obviously the decision is up to you, some suggestions will be stupid. It's up to you to tell them why.
I’m not seeking advice, perhaps I should have said so - my purpose in making this poll was to see what the general consensus was among other forum owners about this question - though I am interested in hearing how others feel about “being told” how to run their forums. As for myself I had already made up my mind.
I can see from the poll that opinion is mixed. If you voted, thank you. If you haven’t yet voted please do.
I won’t be voting as that would skew the result, I want to know what you think.
(2011-12-20, 12:47 AM)Puppyite Wrote: [ -> ]Occasionally members give me advice and tell me how to run my forum. I tell when they have their own forum they can run it however they like, until then, my forum - my rules.
Do you ever hear this from your members? What do you think about it?
That's a bad thing to tell your members. Getting feedback and suggestions from your members is inevitable as a forum admin. Endure everything and do not be like a dictator as what Anxiety mentioned earlier.
As an admin to your forum, you should be open-minded.
(2011-12-20, 01:54 PM)pdtrx Wrote: [ -> ] (2011-12-20, 12:47 AM)Puppyite Wrote: [ -> ]Occasionally members give me advice and tell me how to run my forum. I tell when they have their own forum they can run it however they like, until then, my forum - my rules.
Do you ever hear this from your members? What do you think about it?
That's a bad thing to tell your members. Getting feedback and suggestions from your members is inevitable as a forum admin. Endure everything and do not be like a dictator as what Anxiety mentioned earlier.
As an admin to your forum, you should be open-minded.
“Endure everything” no thanks. I give members an orderly forum in which to post their questions for gratis - I’m not going to endure anything.
“Open minded” - that depends on how they express themselves. But I must also maintain order and with some of the people I administer that is no easy task.
Anxiety said: “ I've never had obnoxious members who rudely tell me I'm doing something wrong,”
I have.
And that leads me full circle to my poll question. How do
other forum owners feel about this? I already know how I feel.
You didn't get my point. Because I ask my members what I want regularly, and perform updates without them aswell, they never feel the need to tell me I've done something wrong. Because if they think I should do something, they suggest it... do you understand this?
Being mr strict is going to discourage members. You only need to be like that if you're forum is huge. Otherwise, I'd say listen to every single complain/suggestion you get.
"I give members an orderly forum in which to post their questions for gratis - I’m not going to endure anything." If I was on your forum, I'd instantly despise you and not post again. Just saying. Also I don't know what forum you're talking about but if it's this
http://www.puppylinuxforum.org/ I wouldn't say it's orderly at all
.
I always have an area where members can leave feedback and suggestions on the site. It is a good way to find out what people think of the site.