Dedication...

[ozental]

I just wanted to post a quick note to say how impressed I am with the dedication of some posters here. It's good to see a forum with people that want to comment more than just the odd word. I used to have that problem with my forums myself, but thankfully in the main, that has gone.

Anyway, be pleased with yourselves and have one on me.

[Mike Holmes]

Hey, checked out your site.

Don't take this as a criticism, but what's the purpose of the site? I don't mean the stuff on the home page - why does your forum exist when there are many others? What's your angle?

I read www.rpg.net a lot. What can I get from your site that I can't get there? Or from here, for that matter? How's your site different?

Mike

[ozental]

Hey, checked out your site.

Don't take this as a criticism, but what's the purpose of the site? I don't mean the stuff on the home page - why does your forum exist when there are many others? What's your angle?

I read www.rpg.net a lot. What can I get from your site that I can't get there? Or from here, for that matter? How's your site different?

Mike

Hey, well thanks - and very good questions. And I'm not sure I have the answers.

You are correct that there are many sites - too many sites in fact - but mine may be similar to others. I always believe that 'people' make a forum what it is and I hope that the people that visit my site and post are interested in topics that are there.

One thing different to many forums, but not all, is the RPG Zone section - where you can play an ADR RPG online. Sure I'm not the only one in the world with it but...who is 100% unique?

I suppose the only 100% unique thing of the site is 'me'. ;)

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I buy that answer. It's the same thing that makes any specialty forum at the Forge work or not - the personality of the owner, and the interactions he or she fosters there, through example or through topic.

I'm the content moderator here at the Forge, in the general forums and at the Adept Press forum. It is not an easy thing to do, and it sure as hell takes up too much time. There is nothing I'd rather see than a hundred forum pages appearing all over the internet, each with its characteristic goals and guiding aesthetics and rules, all humming away, with any number of people eventually settling on the one or two that they'd prefer to participate in. The one thing a website cannot be is all things to all people, and I place no value at all on the notion that the websites compete, nor on the notion that a site must strive to spread the widest net possible.

So Ozental, welcome to the craziness! If you'd like to know more about how the Forge operates, for purposes of comparison with other sites, just ask.

One piece of advice: don't throw a party with nothing to do. When people arrive, the last thing they want is to see echoing halls and you sitting there, saying "Hey! You're here! Whaddaya wanna do?"

Best,
Ron

[Mike Holmes]

I agree with Ron that you have the correct answer, and further what he says about having something to do. Rather, if you are the attraction, then make that obvious to people from the get go. What I see on the front page is an impersonal listing of the fora, essentially. No greeting from...

from...

Who are you?

Whatintheheckisa Ozental? To me an Ozental is somebody either trying too hard to be cool, or hiding behind a web monicker because he doesn't want to really get to know people. Even if that's your real last name or something, it doesn't sound like one. I highly recommend using your full real name, if you're the attraction. So people know that they're dealing with a genuine authentic person, rather than a "web presence."

Generally, that's my point. Make the site about real people making real human contact. RPGs are primarily social - or are problematic if/when they're not. So make the place a truely social one.

Also, while not absolutely unique, I do think that play on the site is a cool thing - definitely worth highlighting. Again, on the front page, instead of listing this as an "something else we do here," make it stand out in prominent bold type that this is an important focus of the site.

Basically, take what you've said above and create a mission statement, and put it right where everyone can see it. This site is for X, because X rocks!

Also, are you really on Tokelau? This place http://www.dot.tk/ All of ten square KM on three atols, with a population of about 1400?

If so, that's so totally cool. You have to find some way to incorporate that your site is the "Remote Pacific Island" gaming site. I mean, it's just too grabby an idea to pass on. That is, just thinking about it fires the imagination.

Mike

[Adorame]

I just started comming here myself and Im already happy withthe participation on the forums.