The Admin Zone is an online Community of Bulletin Board owners and
administrators dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information relating
to all aspects of managing Message Board Communities. Our goal is to become
the leading resource for every Bulletin Board Administrator seeking the
information and advice needed to plan, launch, and manage their online
Communities.
List some of the most popular forums and describe its discussions.
Pregnancy Talk, News & Events, Getting to Know You
What prompted you to start your forum? What was your launch date?
We launched in Jun 2004. We wanted to reduce isolation for parents/parents-to-be in this new world where people don't live in villiages no more. We found that most parents need a place to get support where they don't want to ask their "usual" support people (family, friends). We wanted a place where parents can meet other parents (through organised meets) and grow friendships with similar aged children, situations etc.
Do you have any special forum features or activities?
I have custom developed a few cool things like: Footy Tipping, Tickers, Horoscopes
SOFTWARE:
Which software do you use for your forums?
vBulletin 3.8 (we used to use phpBB2 with CH mod)
Do you use any add-ons scripts to enhance your site? Which ones?
Too many to list here We use vbadvanced
HARDWARE:
What is your current server set-up? Do you have multiple servers for your big board forum? Who manages your servers?
Single server, I manage the whole show.
MEMBERS:
Membership stats? How many members?
3,320 members. 465,493 posts
What are the demographics of your site? (Percentage of men, women, age groups, locality related)
Mainly female - all over Australia and some members in New Zealand, Malaysia/Singapore, South Africa, USA, Canada and the UK
STAFF:
Tell us a about your staff including how many admins (and their functions), moderators, mentors, web-developers, etc. Explain how your staff is organized.
2 Admins, 3 Mods - and I'm the web developer. We have moderator guides and we chat regularly about the site.
REVENUE:
How do you generate revenue to cover your expenses? (Ecommerce, subscriptions, advertising, affiliate links, etc)
At the moment we dont - we'd like to explore this.
Do you offer upgraded members groups for a fee? What benefits do they get for subscribing/upgrading?
No.
ADMIN:
What is your name?
Randal
Please share a few things about yourself. (Bio, family, education, background, hobbies, your favorite pizza topping, your favorite vacation spot, your choice of transportation, etc)
I run an IT business, and have been in the IT industry for 20 years. I love camping & 4WD'ing - and my BMW!
How do you spend a typical day as admin on your site? What do you enjoy about your job as admin of your site/forums? Do you office in your home or in a separate office space away from your house?
Office in home. I check the site usually from morning to sleep time. I spend a lot of time trying to create ideas for posts and topics/articles.
What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in starting or running your forums? How did you/do you handle it?
Keeping the site interesting, keeping the traffic/activitiy flowing. Handling member issues.
What 3 things have helped your forums to be a success?
...Understanding “Ghost Town” Effect
What is a ghost town?
Ghost towns are towns or small cities that have been complete abandoned by human life forms. This is due to dire economic conditions, natural or human-causes disasters, war, etc. How does a ghost town have any relation to an internet forum?... [Read More]
Admin Zone Forums
We use vbadvanced
