Comments on: Too many features can harm your community http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/ Community Building Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:04:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Andrew Keir http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-22808 Andrew Keir Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:40:11 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-22808 I hate "features" lol. So many sites with decent content are just surrounded by crap. I hate “features” lol. So many sites with decent content are just surrounded by crap.

]]> By: Martin Reed - Community Manager http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-21993 Martin Reed - Community Manager Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:30:25 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-21993 <strong>Roger</strong> - If certain features were popular before, by all means keep them and bring them back with the upgraded software. It's good to see you are skipping the features that weren't previously used - remember every feature is actually a distraction; they get in the way of people communicating with each another. Be very careful about offering incentives and prizes for people to contribute - you're effectively paying for contributions and it can damage your community. By all means, encourage some competition through a points system if you think it's right for your community, but be very wary of giving away 'real' prizes. Roger – If certain features were popular before, by all means keep them and bring them back with the upgraded software. It’s good to see you are skipping the features that weren’t previously used – remember every feature is actually a distraction; they get in the way of people communicating with each another.

Be very careful about offering incentives and prizes for people to contribute – you’re effectively paying for contributions and it can damage your community. By all means, encourage some competition through a points system if you think it’s right for your community, but be very wary of giving away ‘real’ prizes.

]]> By: Roger http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-21937 Roger Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:21:35 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-21937 We have had quite success with our PHPBB 2 forum, build on a community which offers blog, galleries and such.. The blog and gallery are completely independent of the forum it self - they are standalone modules, on a different part of the community. We offered from the beginning, both image and youtube galleri - the youtube galleri did not have any success, but the image gallery did... Now, we are relaunching EVERYTHING! As "oursite" #2, with a new forum (PHPBB3), but the same features.. We have skipped the youtube-gallery this time. But there is ONE NEW element I'm really looking forward to, and that is the Ultimate Points feature, which gives member the oportunity to "earn" "dollars" when starting new topics, posting and other things, such as uploading an attachment to their post. These dollars can be spent in the weakly lottery we are planning. Each week we'll draw a winner, and the winner is draw'n randomly - but only the members who have bought lotterytickets, will be able to join the contest. The winner gets (of course) a price. They will also be able to do other things with these dollars - for instance buy themselfes place in our Buy/Sell forum (to prevent spamming of this) - only active and serious members can use our sale-forums. What do you think about this? Is this too much? Anyone have anything to say about the "Ultimate Points"-mod for PHPBB3? And also - all the other functions, like gallery, blog and such, are still not connected directly to the forum - this is still stand-alone modules in another part of our community. We have had quite success with our PHPBB 2 forum, build on a community which offers blog, galleries and such..

The blog and gallery are completely independent of the forum it self – they are standalone modules, on a different part of the community.

We offered from the beginning, both image and youtube galleri – the youtube galleri did not have any success, but the image gallery did…

Now, we are relaunching EVERYTHING! As “oursite” #2, with a new forum (PHPBB3), but the same features.. We have skipped the youtube-gallery this time.

But there is ONE NEW element I’m really looking forward to, and that is the Ultimate Points feature, which gives member the oportunity to “earn” “dollars” when starting new topics, posting and other things, such as uploading an attachment to their post.

These dollars can be spent in the weakly lottery we are planning. Each week we’ll draw a winner, and the winner is draw’n randomly – but only the members who have bought lotterytickets, will be able to join the contest. The winner gets (of course) a price.

They will also be able to do other things with these dollars – for instance buy themselfes place in our Buy/Sell forum (to prevent spamming of this) – only active and serious members can use our sale-forums.

What do you think about this? Is this too much? Anyone have anything to say about the “Ultimate Points”-mod for PHPBB3?

And also – all the other functions, like gallery, blog and such, are still not connected directly to the forum – this is still stand-alone modules in another part of our community.

]]> By: Paul http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-21610 Paul Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:23:24 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-21610 When Facebook added a crazy amount of features, I stopped using it as much. Even today, I still dislike the large amount of apps which I get requests to join daily. When Facebook added a crazy amount of features, I stopped using it as much. Even today, I still dislike the large amount of apps which I get requests to join daily.

]]> By: Inside the mind of an online community lurker | Community Building http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-20824 Inside the mind of an online community lurker | Community Building Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:46:48 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-20824 [...] community may have too many features or communication channels. Your community may be so busy, new members don’t know where they [...] [...] community may have too many features or communication channels. Your community may be so busy, new members don’t know where they [...]

]]> By: Online communities need management buy-in | Community Building http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-19882 Online communities need management buy-in | Community Building Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:08:17 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-19882 [...] communities fail – they often launch before they are ready (no members or activity), have too many features and there is no development strategy. Even if a company has taken the sensible option of engaging a [...] [...] communities fail – they often launch before they are ready (no members or activity), have too many features and there is no development strategy. Even if a company has taken the sensible option of engaging a [...]

]]> By: Save time with these community building shortcuts | Community Building http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-19880 Save time with these community building shortcuts | Community Building Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:02:45 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-19880 [...] Most press releases announcing a new online community are terrible. Don’t list the features in your online community. Instead, make sure you tell people why they want to join and what’s [...] [...] Most press releases announcing a new online community are terrible. Don’t list the features in your online community. Instead, make sure you tell people why they want to join and what’s [...]

]]> By: Robert Brown http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-19469 Robert Brown Sat, 13 Jun 2009 07:21:18 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-19469 “Technology doesn’t encourage activity” I couldn’t agree more. If you don’t build a quality community, but have all the newest features, what good is that? No one will be there, and your community ( however much new technology you have ) will be dead. Some good pointers here.

]]> By: bob http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-19219 bob Thu, 21 May 2009 15:23:06 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-19219 I think there is trying things, and then there is OVERtrying features. Facebook etc have a good balance in general because they manage to maintain clarity and functionality. If ever a site becomes cluttered with ideas, links and features - a web user will run away. Not that web users can run away, but you catch my drift. I think there is trying things, and then there is OVERtrying features. Facebook etc have a good balance in general because they manage to maintain clarity and functionality. If ever a site becomes cluttered with ideas, links and features – a web user will run away. Not that web users can run away, but you catch my drift.

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.communityspark.com/too-many-features-can-harm-your-community/#comment-19155 Jeremy Thu, 14 May 2009 22:53:31 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/?p=1309#comment-19155 I completely agree with your opinion that too many features can be a bad thing. Look at where Google got with offering the most simplistic user interface. Now they have changed strategies and are offering a lot more extra services. They have still kept the minimalistic design approach by hiding these features on other pages and in drop down menus. I completely agree with your opinion that too many features can be a bad thing. Look at where Google got with offering the most simplistic user interface. Now they have changed strategies and are offering a lot more extra services. They have still kept the minimalistic design approach by hiding these features on other pages and in drop down menus.

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