How to start a virtual conversation?

[littleBird]

At the beginning of this year I purchased an existing forum, specific to CSS. Narrow and geeky topic yes but so is most of the internet! My initial aim was actually to go through the process of purchasing a site from a marketplace and see what happens...

Many months later and the forum still exists, the forces of real life means I don't contribute as much as I would like, no surprise it hasn't set the web aflame. It would be nice to have the odd conversation though. For example, I posted an article requesting site review feedback. 215 views at last count, not a single comment!

Most likely I am looking at this the wrong way, I can put that down to experience. That said, it would be nice to have a conversation via this forum with someone other than someone I already know. Has anyone here any experiences or advice to offer a forum hobbiest looking promote a bit more community about a virtual space.

Ironically the domain name is www.cssdiscussion.com, which is funny because this forum question here will likely rank higher than the entire forum in about 20 minutes

[n3tFl0w]

Forums can take a very long time to get off the ground. Its a catch 22 situation. People see a forum with little activity so they don't join, but without those joiners how do you get the activity?

Its something Im going to be working on shortly too, but don't have much experience in yet so maybe one of the other lads here who run good forums will know...

BTW. And I feel this is an important point. The site is a CSS discussion site. CSS and creativity can produce some absolutely amazing websites... And that forum is quite bland. I think you need to look at your design and see if you're fostering the right atmosphere?

[Briask]

You need to engage people, respond yourself to posts by other people, ask questions, provide answers, run interesting polls etc.

Another technique is to create multiple users for yourself and engage yourself in conversations! i.e. invent activity until you get a critical mass of posters at which point you can start dropping some of your alter egos.

I know you mention real life means you don't contibute as much as you should, but you do have to put some effort in to generate activity. If you don't find your forum interesting enough to spend time on, why should anyone else?

[robototitico]

Split your one personality into 100 and then let all of them join the site to get it started.

You will need to write and memorise a brief biography for each of the 99 other personalities. This would include personal history, idiosyncrasies, tastes, opinions, catchphrases, idioms etc.

[littleBird]

Really, this had occurred to me before but it struck me as problematic.

1. fraudulent and in danger of appearing transparently made up.
2. an administrative pain.
3. hugely time consuming

Have you ever taken this approach yourself, how did it workout?

[Busarus]

using diffent personalities to kickstart a forum isnt that hard...

i've done it - to the stage where everyonce in a while, someone mentions the old posters and wonders what happened them....

i always liken an empty forum to an empty pub - no-one wants to be the first customer, but if you stick your head in the door, and its nice and busy, you go in