Comments on: How to reduce failed threads and encourage community discussion http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/ Community Building Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:04:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Paul http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-21658 Paul Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:09:23 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-21658 I guess you can try and do a few things to reduce failed threads but if one dies, just move on and try to get over it. I guess you can try and do a few things to reduce failed threads but if one dies, just move on and try to get over it.

]]> By: Edward http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-20246 Edward Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:53:05 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-20246 In a lot of ways I think Martin has answered Ryan's question with his reply, i.e. if you own a forum, you should be listening more than you're talking. Allowing members to open up about their own experiences without having a mod jump in after every reply is part of a healthy community. Martin responding by asking how he could do better, which will improve his community if he gets an answer. I don't know about Ryan's specific situation, of course, but it seems like if his forum was once thriving, then something must have changed. What changed? Ask questions. Email those "power members" just to chat and see what they're up to now. In a lot of ways I think Martin has answered Ryan’s question with his reply, i.e. if you own a forum, you should be listening more than you’re talking. Allowing members to open up about their own experiences without having a mod jump in after every reply is part of a healthy community. Martin responding by asking how he could do better, which will improve his community if he gets an answer.

I don’t know about Ryan’s specific situation, of course, but it seems like if his forum was once thriving, then something must have changed. What changed? Ask questions. Email those “power members” just to chat and see what they’re up to now.

]]> By: cheifdrunk http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-20138 cheifdrunk Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:17:03 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-20138 Dead threads are a big problem and this post is amazingly informative. Props to Martin Reed. I have a gaming forum and it is a common occurrence to have topics get shot dead after one "dry reply". It doesn't encourage discussion at all. Dead threads are a big problem and this post is amazingly informative. Props to Martin Reed. I have a gaming forum and it is a common occurrence to have topics get shot dead after one “dry reply”. It doesn’t encourage discussion at all.

]]> By: Paul Nathan http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19789 Paul Nathan Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:38:06 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19789 You make some good points here. I agree that the best way to avoid a lot of dead threads is to figure out why people are not responding, one thing i want to point here is frame work of website holds an important play in it For example, people don't have much more time now a days that they can click on comment link and place their views's there, so we have to design theme in such a way that latest post has its comment place in Home page itself and rest of post are been shown as a list in sidebar, this will surely encourage people to pass their views, and their time will be saved, try this..I m sure this will work out.. Thankyou for such a nice articles, Waiting for your upcoming post's You make some good points here. I agree that the best way to avoid a lot of dead threads is to figure out why people are not responding, one thing i want to point here is frame work of website holds an important play in it

For example, people don’t have much more time now a days that they can click on comment link and place their views’s there, so we have to design theme in such a way that latest post has its comment place in Home page itself and rest of post are been shown as a list in sidebar, this will surely encourage people to pass their views, and their time will be saved, try this..I m sure this will work out..

Thankyou for such a nice articles, Waiting for your upcoming post’s

]]> By: Footprints (07.07.09) | Chris Deary http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19756 Footprints (07.07.09) | Chris Deary Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:18:00 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19756 [...] How to reduce failed threads and encourage community discussion [...] [...] How to reduce failed threads and encourage community discussion [...]

]]> By: Nicole Price http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19738 Nicole Price Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:10:42 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19738 Martin, your response to Ryan does not address the issues that I have raised. That perhaps will solve the problem. Martin, your response to Ryan does not address the issues that I have raised. That perhaps will solve the problem.

]]> By: Nicole Price http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19737 Nicole Price Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:07:22 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19737 I believe that it is organic. If the quality of the thread is sound and interesting, it should grow. If it does not, what is wrong? I agree that too many failed threads will indicate that there is something wrong, and that is likely to be the quality or the subject matter of the topics. A good strong look at the quality and the expected type of topics should ensure that threads do not fail. I believe that it is organic. If the quality of the thread is sound and interesting, it should grow. If it does not, what is wrong? I agree that too many failed threads will indicate that there is something wrong, and that is likely to be the quality or the subject matter of the topics. A good strong look at the quality and the expected type of topics should ensure that threads do not fail.

]]> By: coachstew55 http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19732 coachstew55 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:16:27 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19732 Hi Martin - As a professional life coach, I'm also wondering about how we can shift our perspectives on that idea of a "failed" thread. Is it possibly a thread teaming with opportunities? What are some of the strands we can pull on to spin that thread into gold? I like what Angela suggested about directing others to posts that might interest them. Facilitating that connection for someone in the community is such a powerful thing. Even if just one person responds to that post, we have helped to make a connection, and best of all, we have acknowledged that person for his or her contribution. That's what I'd call a "successful thread". Hi Martin – As a professional life coach, I’m also wondering about how we can shift our perspectives on that idea of a “failed” thread. Is it possibly a thread teaming with opportunities? What are some of the strands we can pull on to spin that thread into gold? I like what Angela suggested about directing others to posts that might interest them. Facilitating that connection for someone in the community is such a powerful thing. Even if just one person responds to that post, we have helped to make a connection, and best of all, we have acknowledged that person for his or her contribution. That’s what I’d call a “successful thread”.

]]> By: Angela Connor http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19727 Angela Connor Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:57:21 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19727 Hi Martin: Letting other members know about posts that may interest them is a great thing to do. It illustrates knowledge of their interests and that goes a long way with community members. Good post! Hi Martin: Letting other members know about posts that may interest them is a great thing to do. It illustrates knowledge of their interests and that goes a long way with community members. Good post!

]]> By: Umar Ruhi http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-reduce-failed-threads-and-encourage-community-discussion/#comment-19726 Umar Ruhi Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:29:38 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1533#comment-19726 Great post Martin! You've touched upon two very important facets of fostering participation in online communities: Member Responsiveness and Offering Conferment. These ideally go hand-in-hand, and act as catalysts in inviting and inspiring other passive and peripheral members to contribute. Great post Martin!

You’ve touched upon two very important facets of fostering participation in online communities: Member Responsiveness and Offering Conferment. These ideally go hand-in-hand, and act as catalysts in inviting and inspiring other passive and peripheral members to contribute.

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