Do forums with the default style ever do well?

Basically, would you ever join a forum which doesn't have a custom or pre bought style and just used the software default? I know quite a few older sites still use that, but is the only reason it does well there because their sites are old enough the content outweighs the boringness of it? Would even the biggest forums online do much better if their styles were made to a 21st century quality?

 

Sure I would, why not?

On my main forum I used to default vbulletin style for maybe a year and its growth was steady. All I did was change the header image.

I would rather join a forum that used the default style, then join a forum with a bloated style that is image heavy.

 

Yeah, I don't pay attention to the content.

So I'd say yes to the OPs question.

 

depends how active the forum was and the quality of posts. the style doesnt matter to me as long as i can read the posts and it is easy on the eye

 

Might depend on what forum software is being used.

 

Yea, forget the content, I'am just there to look at the pretty graphics of the theme.

 

Sure I would, it's all about the content.

 

I would if I could read the default style well. I need to have some contrast in the background and text, if the text is too light on a light background, it will give me a headache. I like the contrast here at AA.

 

I'm always surprised to find sites with the default vBulletin theme when I Google and lots of times these sites are very popular. Look at HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource (one of the largest cell phone forums out there) is vB default with a few CSS changes.

Successful sites with the default theme always seem to be older sites. I don't know if that's because they were established before custom themes were a big thing or they were just the first in their niche, got established, and aren't looking to change.

 

from the admin side and the regular user in me....i would rather join a forum without a bunch of crazy images and flashy banners and ect. the first forum I ever joined was a basic, plain jane looking skin...actually, all the forums that I belong to as of this day are no more flashy than this site right here!default vb skin FTW!!!!

 

Holy smokes! That is one busy site. 3,000+ users online! My server would have long crashed before then. :lol2:

Guess that is proof in itself, the content makes the site. You can have the coolest skin in the world and in fact I remember a site from a couple years ago call Astrobuffs that had one of the best custom skins I've ever seen, but it didn't last more than a year.

 

I think it depends on the forum. If it's a well-established forum then obviously the content reigns supreme but if it's a new forum then it might be a turn off since there's almost no reason to stay there since the community hasn't established (at least in my opinion).

 

This is exactly the point I'm trying to raise with this topic. Whether for example a big forum using the default style would do even better by changing it to a non default one.

 

Hm. It wouldn't be a factor for me - I'd join providing if I liked what the site offered

 

was just ribbing ya.

 

They aren't attractive at all, but I know a few forums that have stuck with the default style w/ a new logo, and members don't seem to complain, but that's funny since 3/4 forums I usually go on members stick their noses out to making sure a forum as an attractive appeal.

 

Honestly, I LOVE the default vB 3.8.4 and IPB3 themes. If it weren't for users I'd so just keep those themes. The default themes are just so nice looking I don't see how people could not like them. But I guess they don't like em .

Also, CityData Forums are using the default vB style. That place is super busy to.

 

Yes, Pisoga had the Default MyBB theme for 2 years and we had 3,000 users registered. It's the content. Lookin' good wouldn't hurt either.

 

As long as the forum loads and doesn't have a lot of blinky crap, I don't really pay attention to the style.

 

while default style is often satisfactory, I'm often tempted to change the buttons.