Earning the Trust of a large new Community

**kinkarso** · 12-01-2007, 08:36 AM

Hi,

I just recently purchased a very large forum, BattleForums.com. Does anyone have any advice as to how I can gain trust from my members as the new owner and administrator of the forum? What should/shouldn't I do?

Thank you,
Donny

**Flashgear** · 12-01-2007, 01:48 PM

Introduce yourself first, act like you're just a new member, don't act all adminish - and integrate with the community.

A contest would go down well also

--------------------------------------------------------
On further inspection..

On further inspection of your forum, i see you have already done this, and it hasn't gone down so well, its because they've had a string of bad admins, you'll have to work overtime to prove your there for the long run.

**kinkarso** · 12-01-2007, 07:11 PM

Yeah, unfortunately. I expected it though, with all those 'warnings' given to me by the previous owner. Oh well. I guess I'll have to develop trust through time.

**Flashgear** · 12-01-2007, 08:24 PM

Are you there for the long run, or is it just a quickie then sell?

**Ryan** · 12-01-2007, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashgear

Introduce yourself first, act like you're just a new member, don't act all adminish - and integrate with the community.

Do this and also start a new thread that is open to suggestions. Just start a new thread letting people know who you are, what your plans are for the forums, and ask for feedback....It'll be a Q&A session and also a feedback session. Ask the members what they would like to see changed or added...Let them know that you're new and you're here to make those forums the best forums possible, and in order to do that, you want to know what the members want to see.

Most importantly, address every suggestion that is made - whether you implement it or not. If you plan to implement their suggestion, let them know...If not, let them know what not. You need to be open to suggestions and also willing to follow through with them.

There's not much you can do about the forums having a history of bad admins. All you can do is continue to reassure the members that you are not like the previous admins.

Good luck! Those are some big forums

**GeorgeB** · 12-01-2007, 10:19 PM

What kind of warnings did you get?

**calum** · 12-01-2007, 10:26 PM

From the threads I looked at the members are, whats the word... grumpy?

They hate the old admin, they don't know you and think you used to post there, they don't like the skin, something called "the asylum" is gone which they don't like and their posts are gone.

If you want to gain their trust then slowly do things, don't change it all rapidly, I would put back "the asylum", I don't know what it was but it seems they are unhappy about its removal.

**Ryan** · 12-01-2007, 10:38 PM

Don't just start adding stuff back blindly...If the previous owner removed it, he probably did so for a reason. Before you just add it back because the members want it, you need to understand what it is and why it was removed.

Typically, you want to do things that the members want to see, but sometimes that's not always a good idea and they just have to deal with it.

**kinkarso** · 12-02-2007, 08:08 AM

Thanks Ryan, Flashgear, calum, and everyone else. I have started a suggestions thread and hopefully, it will work out pretty well. Apparently, it has been years since the last bulk email has been sent out, so that's pretty good. This is going to be hard, but I think I can handle it

.

Thank you,
Donny

**lpxxfaintxx** · 12-03-2007, 05:44 AM

Lol, kinda sounds like the old owner kinda 'spoiled' them.

12-01-2007, 08:36 AM	#1
kinkarso Apprentice Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 354	Earning the Trust of a large new Community Hi, I just recently purchased a very large forum, BattleForums.com. Does anyone have any advice as to how I can gain trust from my members as the new owner and administrator of the forum? What should/shouldn't I do? Thank you, Donny __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Network Websites (Featured): \|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|

12-01-2007, 01:48 PM	#2
Flashgear Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,390	Introduce yourself first, act like you're just a new member, don't act all adminish - and integrate with the community. A contest would go down well also -------------------------------------------------------- On further inspection.. On further inspection of your forum, i see you have already done this, and it hasn't gone down so well, its because they've had a string of bad admins, you'll have to work overtime to prove your there for the long run. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Where Innovation Meets Design

12-01-2007, 07:11 PM	#3
kinkarso Apprentice Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 354	Yeah, unfortunately. I expected it though, with all those 'warnings' given to me by the previous owner. Oh well. I guess I'll have to develop trust through time. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Network Websites (Featured): \|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|

12-01-2007, 08:24 PM	#4
Flashgear Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,390	Are you there for the long run, or is it just a quickie then sell? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Where Innovation Meets Design

12-01-2007, 10:19 PM	#6
GeorgeB Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 114	What kind of warnings did you get? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. George from To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. .

12-01-2007, 10:26 PM	#7
calum Apprentice Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Scotland Posts: 163	From the threads I looked at the members are, whats the word... grumpy? They hate the old admin, they don't know you and think you used to post there, they don't like the skin, something called "the asylum" is gone which they don't like and their posts are gone. If you want to gain their trust then slowly do things, don't change it all rapidly, I would put back "the asylum", I don't know what it was but it seems they are unhappy about its removal. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

12-01-2007, 10:38 PM	#8
Ryan Forum Guru Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 10,256	Don't just start adding stuff back blindly...If the previous owner removed it, he probably did so for a reason. Before you just add it back because the members want it, you need to understand what it is and why it was removed. Typically, you want to do things that the members want to see, but sometimes that's not always a good idea and they just have to deal with it. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Professional vBulletin Skins

12-02-2007, 08:08 AM	#9
kinkarso Apprentice Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 354	Thanks Ryan, Flashgear, calum, and everyone else. I have started a suggestions thread and hopefully, it will work out pretty well. Apparently, it has been years since the last bulk email has been sent out, so that's pretty good. This is going to be hard, but I think I can handle it . Thank you, Donny __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Network Websites (Featured): \|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|&\|\| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \|\|

12-03-2007, 05:44 AM	#10
lpxxfaintxx Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 143	Lol, kinda sounds like the old owner kinda 'spoiled' them.

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