Forum Name:
Review My Proxy Forum

Forum URL:
Talk Proxys

Comments:
Forum Name:Review My Proxy ForumForum URL:Talk ProxysComments:Hi guys!I'd appreciate if you review new Proxy forum and give me some advice on how to rise the activity on the forums.Thank you!

Overall Ratings per Category
Design
(3/5)

Features and Modifications
(1/5)

Guest Friendliness
(3/5)

Guidelines and Staff
(1/5)

Organization and Navigation
(2/5)

__________________
[FREE SCRIPTS & MORE] [ARTICLE GEEK] [CHEAP EBOOKS & MORE]

Design
Category Rating: (4/5)
Category Comments:
Clean, simple and stylish design. I like it. Modern looking, and effective.

Features and Modifications
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
Im not sure that this category can be commented on here.

Guest Friendliness
Category Rating: (3/5)
Category Comments:
Attractive and simple to use. The introduce yourself thread is the most prominant and the general areas of the site are at the top which i feel promotes a good level of user friendlyness and makes new users more easily found - giving them a platform to get to know everyone.

Guidelines and Staff
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
No idea on this category.

Organization and Navigation
Category Rating: (3/5)
Category Comments:
Simple, clean and not too cluttered.

Design
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
The overall design is clean and simple, but a little too simple for my personal tastings. While it's wise not to overdue it and make your community too flashy, it doesn't really look like there was any effort in customizing and/or trademarking your community. For example, while the banner is simple and straight to the point, there is a puzzle piece next to the text. I don't really see how a puzzle piece relates to proxies, but maybe I just don't see the relation. To be quite honest, if I had stumbled across your community randomly and saw it at it's current state, I probably won't come back. Now, I understand that your forum is still new and the content is on it's way, but there is nothing significant (design-wise) that stands out to me. Nothing to make me remember TalkProxys. Have you thought about creating your own logo/mascot? Something that guests can identify TalkProxys with? Or even a simple slogan? There are number of things you can do to "trademark" your community. I'd first start by improving the banner and then working to forum icons (etc etc) to customize your board. I'm not too familiar with the AEF forum software, so I don't really know what is customizable or what's not.

Features and Modifications
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
Aside from installing a new skin for the community, any other features and modifications are nowhere to be seen. Actually, scratch that. I noticed that you implemented a "hide" feature that prevents your community's downloads being downloaded by guests. Other then that, I don't really see anything else. Being a proxy forum, I don't really know what kind of features or modifications that would benefit your community, though I think it would be pretty cool/wise to have an active proxy at your website. Whether it be implemented into your forum or just be a little module to the side of the forum (afterall, you are a community dedicated to proxies, why not have one available for your members to use?).

Guest Friendliness
Category Rating: (3/5)
Category Comments:
There is no welcome message! Once again, I don't know if you can implement a welcome message into your forum software, but I think that's something you should consider. When I first went to your forum I didn't really receive a warm welcoming or any encouragement to as why I should sign up and contribute to the community. The majority, if not all, of the forum is accessible to guests. The main attractions (in which I think are the downloads) are restricted to members only (which is a love or hate decision). Personally, I think it's smart to hide your key contents, but I also think you should offer some downloads available for guests. I don't really know what else to say except that you need to work on establishing a community that feels welcoming on site. Wouldn't it be cool if all your proxies popped out of the screen and put leis around necks screaming "welcome to talkproxy!" Not really possible, but that's something you want to, figuratively speaking, want to achieve. Whoa ho ho, after browsing your forum for the guidelines, I stumbled across your welcome message. Glad to see that you have one, but it doesn't really stand out at your forum. Try emphasizing it; making guests well aware that they are welcomed to the forum.

Guidelines and Staff
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
There are no guidelines, rules, FAQ articles, and/or any other kind of support information available to my knowledge. I browsed through and through again and didn't see anything available. The staff, being you and only you (I think), seem to be active and personally welcoming new users to your forum. I'd seriously consider writing up an article dedicated to your forum rules and outlines. I understand that your forum is new and you haven't received any questions regarding the community, but what are some questions you feel that are important and people would be interested in. Just add on when you feel it's appropriate.

Organization and Navigation
Category Rating: (1/5)
Category Comments:
Personally, at your current forum's stage, I believe that you have way to many subforums. There are a number of ways you can condense your forum index. For example, just have a general "buy/sell/trade" subforum for all products until it gets enough traffic to generate the need for individual subforums. Doing that alone would condense SEVEN sections. I'm sure after running your forum for a couple of more weeks, you'll realize what sections you should get rid off and which ones you should move to the top of the boards.