This idea was passed around another forum I'm on and the consensus was that it wasn't worth it.
It is great to hear validation from the users, but I gotta admit that I am stuck WELL in the mud on this topic. I've been participating in online communities since the mid-80s, and have moderated, edited, and run maillists and forums since the mid-90s. Certainly the tools have changed since Al Gore invented the internet <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> but the basics of maintaining a good community have been amazingly consistent:
Establish and maintain a clear direction, and the community will follow it and grow.Pretty simple, right? There are a billion corrolaries, tho -- and one of them in my experience is this:
Fail to maintain that direction, and the community will founder. Old members will depart if the discussion that drew them in the first place disappears, and new folks won't see a reason to join up front, or stay in the end.
So no off-topic for Isuzus at 4x4Wire.. i'm stubborn on this because my experience tells me I'm right, and most of the PMs and emails over the years validate that, as well. There are plenty of places to talk about politics, religion, sports, and just about ANYTHING else (Britney's Bit-Bit has her own discussion group!) but this community is where we talk about Isuzu 4x4s. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
Speaking of which, I'm gonna go home and wrench on mine right now.
Randii
