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    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Building a better mousetrap

M

Mike Greathouse

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There has been much discussion lately about what Fauna should or shouldn't be and what individual members would like to see happen here.

The Board of Inquiry is obviously the primary draw on this site. But, there is also a great deal of participation in other areas.

I'm curious. What is it that makes a forum worthy of your participation?

Are you looking for a sense of community?
Are you looking for straight informational reporting?
Are you looking for drama?
Are you looking for....?

I think it would be very interesting to examine why people come here and what you would do if this was your forum to make it a place that would entice people to come and participate.

Thank you,
 
I'm looking for intelligence and information. I've found both here, so it fits..Most of the time.
 
I do like the sense of community, I've made friends here and met interesting people
I like the idea of the BOI, since I returned to owning reptiles after decades away while raising my children; and the BOI helps build a marketplace that is more trustworthy
I hate the nastiness and dramas that surface among the stronger personalities
I like the thoughtful posts started by some, both reading them and participating in such threads, even if it is on totally non reptile subjects, like the recent thread about fave books
 
Alright, Curtis, Lucille, So if each of you were going to start a forum of your own, how would you set it up? Curtis, Would it be strictly informational? Lucille, Would it be broad-based to cover a myriad of interests? What do you think would draw people to it and get them to return, once they had visited?
 
I would say sense of community is the number one thing, followed by a positive atmosphere in general and good, fair, across the board sitewide moderation (the two of those go hand in hand usually). An easy to navigate layout is important, and of course, an intelligent member base. :)
 
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Mike Greathouse said:
Alright, Curtis, Lucille, So if each of you were going to start a forum of your own, how would you set it up? Curtis, Would it be strictly informational? Lucille, Would it be broad-based to cover a myriad of interests? What do you think would draw people to it and get them to return, once they had visited?
Click to expand...

I did have a forum of my own (not a site, a forum). Had several. Still have one.
There were posts that asked for opinions and preferences and I had good response in those.
Some people liked polls and some didn't, but the ones who did responded well and often added posts as well as voting the polls.
The poll asking about what people looked like continues to be very popular as the community shares pictures of themselves and their families.
I think for that thread at least what got people to return is their interest in what others had posted and to see pictures of others in our community and their families and provide comments, banter, and just get to know the other posters better.
 
KelliH said:
I would say sense of community is the number one thing, followed by a positive atmosphere in general and good, fair, across the board sitewide moderation (the two of those go hand in hand usually). An easy to navigate layout is important, and of course, an intelligent member base. :)
Click to expand...
Kelli,
Certainly, you can speak from experience, more so then many here.
Let me ask you this: Did your plans change from when you started your forum, to when you had an established membership base? Did you find that you need to make any adjustments to ensure the longevity of the site?
 
lucille said:
I did have a forum of my own (not a site, a forum). Had several. Still have one.
There were posts that asked for opinions and preferences and I had good response in those.
Some people liked polls and some didn't, but the ones who did responded well and often added posts as well as voting the polls.
The poll asking about what people looked like continues to be very popular as the community shares pictures of themselves and their families.
I think for that thread at least what got people to return is their interest in what others had posted and to see pictures of others in our community and their families and provide comments, banter, and just get to know the other posters better.
Click to expand...
Lucille,
There is no denying that many of the threads initiated by you have become mainstays on this site. In your opinion, do you think that your style of forum would lend itself well to an entire site, or is it better suited as a subforum? (A place where a more light-hearted approach can be found within a more serious forum)?
 
Mike Greathouse said:
Lucille,
There is no denying that many of the threads initiated by you have become mainstays on this site. In your opinion, do you think that your style of forum would lend itself well to an entire site, or is it better suited as a subforum? (A place where a more light-hearted approach can be found within a more serious forum)?
Click to expand...

Good question. In my opinion, my forums were to add texture and to help strengthen the sense of community, and they were well suited to being subforums but the style would not work to govern an entire site.
 
What draws me has changed over time. Used to be when I first came here it was for the information mostly. Maybe the drama some too. Not so much to participate in the drama~ but more to get a sense of whose who and whats what in an area I was new to when I first started coming to Fauna. There is so much MORE to the reptile world than I ever would have guessed. Sometimes when I would come over to read the boards I would tell the family I had to "read my gossips."

It's changed over time though. I don't really care about the drama any longer. I pretty much know who is who as much as I care too~ and when new people come in it seems anymore they are considered old standbys while I'm still thinking of them as an unknown entity.

When I first started coming to Fauna I never went to the chat room (I don't even know if it had one then) Now I come here for the Chat room more than anything else. To sit down in the evening and have a "visit." I post in the forums some, during the day if I'm taking a "break"~ but not as much as I used to. Mostly I'm at the point of treating Fauna like the neighborhood bar. I don't go to bars though~ instead I come on in to the chat room~ I really enjoy sitting down after a long day to have a drink and a chat with whomever is in the "bar" that night and probably shares at least some common interests with me.

If I could change anything? Well~ I guess I was very disappointed when Fauna chat got separated from CS chat. I know why it was done, the arguing over it is long past.......but for me........the more the merrier in the Fauna chat room!
 
Kelli,
Certainly, you can speak from experience, more so then many here.
Let me ask you this: Did your plans change from when you started your forum, to when you had an established membership base? Did you find that you need to make any adjustments to ensure the longevity of the site?
Click to expand...

Actually no, my plans have not changed at all since the beginning of my site The only adjustments I have made (other than adding new forums as the need or want arises) is I added a couple more moderators, which by the way do a fantastic job and have my complete trust (very important), and also now I manually approve each new registration, so rather than it being an automatic thing I now have to approve or deny new registrations. I do this to keep the spammers out. So any new accounts that appear to have a spamming type user name or suspicious email address get deleted as a user before they can even post. We have over 1200 members now and get new ones on a daily basis so I guess I am doing something right. :shrug01:
 
Kelli,
Cheryl raises an interesting point about the chat rooms. Do you find that to be a major draw as well? I can probably count the times that I participated in a chat room on one hand. I have always found the pace to be a little too fast for me. By the time I answer a post, it's usually not even visable any longer.
 
Rich,
I would love to get your opinion on this, as you run what I consider to be, the most successful reptile forum on the internet. In your opinion, what makes us all keep coming back for more?
 
Cheryl raises an interesting point about the chat rooms. Do you find that to be a major draw as well? I can probably count the times that I participated in a chat room on one hand. I have always found the pace to be a little too fast for me. By the time I answer a post, it's usually not even visable any longer.
Click to expand...

Our chat room is not a major draw at all. I spent a lot of money on the chat program and it really does not get used that much. I'm glad I spent the money though, and we will be able to get more use out of it in the near future I hope.
 
Isn't this just another spin on the www threads theme?
Personally i see it going the same direction. :shrug01:
Also smells a little like conspiracy too. :ack2:
 
christopher66 said:
Isnt this just another spin on the www threads theme?
Personally i see it going the same direction. :shrug01:
Click to expand...
Chris,
Not at all. If anything, it is the opposite. I'm simply interested in hearing what draws people to an internet forum. I have no ulterior motives and I'm not trying to suggest anything for Fauna. I think it could be an interesting look at what motivates people to visit and participate in an on-line forum.

What is it that keep you coming here?
 
I come here for the people that ive gotten to know ( again ) through the chat room here. I come here for the "news" of the reptile world and to see whats going on, whos breeding what, and what they expect to get.
I could agree with cheryl on "reading my gossips" bit. though I dont really come here for the drama ( but at times its just a bit unavoidable) so much as the information and the fun people that do post( and the really great photos of other animals!!). Im doing my best to stick my nose into things that i enjoy doing rather than the drama of the site.
I love to try to help others too, so the more people i can get to come visit this site, the better. The more questions i try to answer and help with, the more educated another person in the herp world is. I also come here for others to teach me about the different things ive yet to know, or know a little about. This is just one of those places.. that.. if the internet could be called it.. it would be "home" in a sense. ^_^
 
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