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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
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Solved Threads: 0
Junior Poster in Training
Hello,
I was just wondering is it better to only allow users who register to see the forum?
Or allow all users registered or not to see the forums?
I was just wondering is it better to only allow users who register to see the forum?
Or allow all users registered or not to see the forums?
www.jab.poundingbeats.com - My PHP website.
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,422
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Solved Threads: 35
Let everyone read your forums. Hiding them makes it much more difficult to get new members. Reading the content and seeing that it is a lively community are the two of the biggest reasons new members sign up. Hiding your community takes this all away.
John Conde
Brainyminds | Merchant Account Services | I Love Code
IT'S HERE: Merchant Accounts 101 Everything you need to know about merchant accounts!
Brainyminds | Merchant Account Services | I Love Code
IT'S HERE: Merchant Accounts 101 Everything you need to know about merchant accounts!
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
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Junior Poster in Training
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Originally Posted by stymiee 
Let everyone read your forums. Hiding them makes it much more difficult to get new members. Reading the content and seeing that it is a lively community are the two of the biggest reasons new members sign up. Hiding your community takes this all away.
Also has anyone got any REALLY REALLY good tips on how to make a forum active.
I have no members that post hardly and if I just keep on posting topics I will just end up with like hundreds of topics with no replies, surely that cannot look good?
Anyone got any ideas?
Last edited by Barnz; Nov 12th, 2006 at 7:38 pm.
www.jab.poundingbeats.com - My PHP website.
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 13
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Newbie Poster
I came to ask the same question! so if the forum is not active, is it good to hide it from guests and allow only registered users to browse it? untill we get more posts and members?
another concern is, does that affect search engines? if I allow only registered users to read, does that have any influence on search engines?
thank you.
another concern is, does that affect search engines? if I allow only registered users to read, does that have any influence on search engines?
thank you.
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,422
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 35
1) Hiding content makes it harder to sell your forum. If your forum is slow promote it, don't hide it.
2) Hiding it prevents search engines from indexing it making it more difficult to promote.
Don't hide your forums!!! Want more members? Promote it! Make it more exciting. Run contests. Put your last 10 posts on your site's home page. Post in related forums and use your signature. Post in related blogs. Do anything but hide it.
2) Hiding it prevents search engines from indexing it making it more difficult to promote.
Don't hide your forums!!! Want more members? Promote it! Make it more exciting. Run contests. Put your last 10 posts on your site's home page. Post in related forums and use your signature. Post in related blogs. Do anything but hide it.
John Conde
Brainyminds | Merchant Account Services | I Love Code
IT'S HERE: Merchant Accounts 101 Everything you need to know about merchant accounts!
Brainyminds | Merchant Account Services | I Love Code
IT'S HERE: Merchant Accounts 101 Everything you need to know about merchant accounts!
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,043
Reputation: 
Solved Threads: 129
I am a lurker before I decide whether a forum is worth my time to register. There are just so many forums out there nowadays, and it's so easy to set up a forum. It's what you do once it's set up that makes it special, and that's what we prospective members want to see. Not that you know how to run an install.php file.
Dani the Computer Science Gal 
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
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Junior Poster in Training
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Originally Posted by cscgal
I am a lurker before I decide whether a forum is worth my time to register. There are just so many forums out there nowadays, and it's so easy to set up a forum. It's what you do once it's set up that makes it special, and that's what we prospective members want to see. Not that you know how to run an install.php file.
LOL "Not that you know how to run an install.php file" I did not run an install.php file, I handed coded it from scratch, it does not have all the features of vBulletin, but it has enough. I still get what you mean.
I want to know how Daniweb got started? Who was posting originally, there is no way your telling me you spent months posting different topics and got no replies to them.
Last edited by Barnz; Nov 15th, 2006 at 7:31 am.
www.jab.poundingbeats.com - My PHP website.
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,043
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Here's some information about how we got started = http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforum...aq=daniweb_faq
Dani the Computer Science Gal
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,043
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 129
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Originally Posted by Barnz
there is no way your telling me you spent months posting different topics and got no replies to them.
Dani the Computer Science Gal
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
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Junior Poster in Training
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Originally Posted by cscgal
I did and I was persistent and I didn't give up and eventually it all became worthwhile.
I just think it must just look silly after abit having topics with no replies to them.
But I guess people might start replying after a while, so I will give it a go I have not got anything to lose lol.
Also how come TechTalk did not take off? And why did you quit with that site, instead of continuing?
Last edited by Barnz; Nov 20th, 2006 at 6:20 pm.
www.jab.poundingbeats.com - My PHP website.
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