So, you have an idea for a forum....

I start making the forum straight away, usually set-up a free provider and make it up as I go along, the ideas usually flood in and I make loads of edits. Probably isn't the most efficient way but it works for me.

 

Yes, Visio is a Microsoft product.

What about mind-maps. Have you guys tried those? Here's an online one: Text 2 Mind Map ? The text-to-mind-map converter

And here are twelve desktop products: Wild Apricot Blog : Top 12 Mind Mapping Tools for Web or Desktop

 

Buy domain, upload forum, play it by ear. :V

 

I have never actually tried making a "mind map". Is it really helpful in planning a site?

 

I think it's a good start when you have ideas flowing through your mind. You can just quickly type the thoughts out as they come to mind and not have to focus on one thing. Then you go about organizing the map, saving it and then planning further on each item of the map.

 

Wow, that Text2MindMap is a VERY good tool for me!

Thank you so much for that Nick!

 

FYI Nick, I just clicked on the "Helpful Post" option on your post about the Text2Mind tool and got the attached text on the post above the + and - symbols. Is it just "reputation" not spelled correctly?

 

Arny, we're doing some debugging and as you can tell, the mod author spelled reputation wrong. The error code is supposed to allow us to pinpoint the problem.

Thanks for pointing it out, but I'm fully aware.

 

Okay, cool...just making sure

I figured that it could never be you or Savage or Chris making a mistake. I mean, didn't you say that collectively you do not even own any white-out because you don't make mistakes?

 

That's correct, Arny!

 

Oh, I make mistakes - that's for sure - but as for how long I leave them for the public to see? That's a different story. :lol:

 

I always come up with an idea - plan it out on numerous pieces of paper on the way to work (I work shift work and have to travel 3 hours a day on the train), I then look for other websites that have the same niche and look at their suggestion boards to see what people want.

And then I plan out the boards, how and if I want to monetize it and so on before I even sit at the computer to type anything up. I then search for people in my country, or who are interested in the same thing or can bring something to my site and bring them on as co-admins and we start building the website.

My current website - an australian based sports network - was two and a half years in the making and am still working on it, however I am not a coder and don't know much about coding and so I know it can get better.

 

merk_aus, you made a great point about going to other niche or similar niche boards and looking for suggestions made on their sites! Something that should be obvious and I completely did not think about that. Thanks!

 

Start writing the business plan of course:

View attachment awww.adminaddict.net_data_MetaMirrorCache_335df988a3c85d5a5ff1452369ecb7d7.jpg

 

Yes, that is indeed a great point, merk. I've done it in the past and always check my competitors often. I try to make their weak points my strong points. For example, one forum I've been to never acknowledges feedback given by the members. Suggestions go ignored and unanswered. Personally, I hate this and since I am a firm believer that the people should determine the direction of growth, I read and respond to every suggestion that is put forth. You may have noticed that here.

 

I am actually going to several vBulletin resource sites and looking at their suggestions and request forums where people ask how to do something but haven't gotten answers. Figuring these out is how I am building the content on vBCodex.

The suggestion forum at vBulletin.com is especially lucrative because many things are easy to implement in the current system. People just don't necessarily try.

 

The vB community needs more people like you, Wayne Luke! Here's my suggestion: I have a lot of categories on my science forum and I'd like users to be able to put them in the order they want on the index page.

 

Very cool Wayne! And, a very smart move from a business standpoint.

Get that MMS / mobile phone picture and video upload to vBulletin working and I'll be happy!

 

today i got a piece of paper and wrote down important things that i need to do to start a forum...the organisation of the forums-even colour coded:

*category
**forum
***subforum

adding notes on who can view what section...red dots near ones guests can view, and notes on some of them saying that "only admin and mods can see this forum"

then i listed names of other forums that are about similar subjects...which ones will let me advertise on? what is it about them that makes them successful?

i wrote down a list of rules, and some random ideas what i would like to have, what mods i would like....

i thought of the feedback from the old forum that is closing soon (i am taking over from it, and opening my own forum, for all of the members who posted there to go on. the admin is fine with it, and i might ask some of the mods to come over to mod there). i looked at things that they want to change about it...asked some of the members about their opinion on it.

after i have had a bit of feedback, i will then start making the forum, then get my friend to join, look round it from a members point of view, give feedback, and then i will invite a few other people to create threads and help get it going before i start promoting.