Comments on: Tips for Starting a Forum http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/ A blog about our thoughts on entrepreneurship, teamwork, our services, the Web and anything we find interesting. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:27:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Doug http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-66996 Doug Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:18:35 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-66996 I've had my website up for about 3 months and add content daily. Stop by and check it out, See What the Pow Wow is All About. Not much as of now but looking to grow it. I’ve had my website up for about 3 months and add content daily. Stop by and check it out, See What the Pow Wow is All About. Not much as of now but looking to grow it.

]]> By: MikeP http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-65534 MikeP Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:49:08 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-65534 These are some great tips for our company's upcoming forums, which I am about to launch in a month or so. Thank you! These are some great tips for our company’s upcoming forums, which I am about to launch in a month or so. Thank you!

]]> By: lance http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-64376 lance Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:30:59 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-64376 hey nice post I was look for ways to grow my very new forum, I was thinking how do you fee about phpbb3 or should I use something elce Link to my forums join we are a empty hall http://forums4hardware.com hey nice post I was look for ways to grow my very new forum, I was thinking how do you fee about phpbb3 or should I use something elce

Link to my forums join we are a empty hall http://forums4hardware.com

]]> By: cms http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-45506 cms Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:20:40 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-45506 If you are going to create a forum, use a content management system like Drupal. You can build your company brand by integrating your blog, website, podcasts all in one theme If you are going to create a forum, use a content management system like Drupal. You can build your company brand by integrating your blog, website, podcasts all in one theme

]]> By: Ade http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-31034 Ade Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:11:10 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-31034 No problem Mike -- I completely understand. Thanks for following up. No problem Mike — I completely understand. Thanks for following up.

]]> By: Mike McDerment http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-31029 Mike McDerment Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:00:32 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-31029 @ade: I still owe you on this...this week has been pretty hectic and I have not had as much time to blog as I would like. I'll will reply to you ASAP. Thanks for your patience. @ade: I still owe you on this…this week has been pretty hectic and I have not had as much time to blog as I would like. I’ll will reply to you ASAP. Thanks for your patience.

]]> By: links for 2007-02-18 | Mike Stopforth http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-30622 links for 2007-02-18 | Mike Stopforth Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:18:16 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-30622 [...] Tips for Starting a Forum More useful tips and hints from the Freshbooks stable (tags: forum advice community startup tips hints howto) [...] [...] Tips for Starting a Forum More useful tips and hints from the Freshbooks stable (tags: forum advice community startup tips hints howto) [...]

]]> By: Steve http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-30414 Steve Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:29:29 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-30414 Great article. I run the Matt Sharp forums and even though it's an ugly website we got 2500+ members and 22000+ posts. I followed most of the things you've mentioned in the article. Also there was a lack of a forum for this musician so naturally people came. We don't use any of the board systems you mentioned, we us SMF from simple machines. I had switched from phpBB to SMF because it seems more stable and the search results were extremely accurate which is important when dealing with large forums. Great article. I run the Matt Sharp forums and even though it’s an ugly website we got 2500+ members and 22000+ posts. I followed most of the things you’ve mentioned in the article. Also there was a lack of a forum for this musician so naturally people came.

We don’t use any of the board systems you mentioned, we us SMF from simple machines. I had switched from phpBB to SMF because it seems more stable and the search results were extremely accurate which is important when dealing with large forums.

]]> By: Mike McDerment http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-29955 Mike McDerment Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:58:38 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-29955 Ade: great questions. I'm just flogged right now (and as I see it for the rest of the day), but I will reply to your questions as soon as I can make the time (probably tomorrow). Thanks in advance for your patience. Ade: great questions. I’m just flogged right now (and as I see it for the rest of the day), but I will reply to your questions as soon as I can make the time (probably tomorrow). Thanks in advance for your patience.

]]> By: Ade http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-29953 Ade Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:27:50 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/02/12/tips-for-starting-a-forum/#comment-29953 Very helpful, and great timing -- I've been considering launching forums for one of my web applications. I don't have advice, but I do have a few questions if you don't mind answering: 1. Why didn't you make it a requirement for users to have to create a FreshBooks account (even if free) before being able to post messages to the forum? Was this a technology decision, or one based on trying to grow the community. 2. How do you balance posting updates/notices to the forum rather than the blog? Are you generally trying to use the blog to inform customers rather than the forum? 3. Why did you wait until June to start the forum? Did you think you needed a certain mass of customers before it would be effective? Thanks for any insight you could provide. And keep up the great work with FreshBooks (it saves me so much time) as well as the blog. Very helpful, and great timing — I’ve been considering launching forums for one of my web applications.

I don’t have advice, but I do have a few questions if you don’t mind answering:

1. Why didn’t you make it a requirement for users to have to create a FreshBooks account (even if free) before being able to post messages to the forum? Was this a technology decision, or one based on trying to grow the community.

2. How do you balance posting updates/notices to the forum rather than the blog? Are you generally trying to use the blog to inform customers rather than the forum?

3. Why did you wait until June to start the forum? Did you think you needed a certain mass of customers before it would be effective?

Thanks for any insight you could provide. And keep up the great work with FreshBooks (it saves me so much time) as well as the blog.

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