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Off Topix: Embrace the Unexpected in Every Discussion

Off Topix is a well established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public way back in 2009! We provide a laid back atmosphere and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register & become a member of our awesome community.

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  1. Shawn Gossman

    Teens as staff?

    18 and over? Sure. Under 18? No thanks. I manage a teenager here at home. I don't want another one to manage on the forum, LOL. No offense, teens :D
  2. Shawn Gossman

    Niche Forums Vs. General Discussion Forum

    Some off-topic forums can make it, like this one, but most do not. I tried my own hand at it. It was hard to keep active. I like talking about specific topics. I'll probably post in this section more than anywhere else on this forum haha. A good off-topic forum needs to have some kind of...
  3. Shawn Gossman

    Forum Monetization

    Any website you create should have a monetization plan. I give all my forums a year to establish a community. If they pass, the next year is all about establishing revenue. After that, it's about establishing profit.
  4. Shawn Gossman

    How much did you spend to create your forum?

    I spend nearly $200 a month on a VPS. It's big. I have a lot of websites on it. I spend $20 a year per domain name. I have about 30 domains registered. All forums use XenForo, so there is that cost, too. My blogging efforts are paying for it all and still giving me some profit. It took hard...
  5. Shawn Gossman

    Bad Moderators

    Yep, that's kind of how I look at it, too. You put in most of the work on your forum. Toxic members can ruin a forum but a toxic moderator can ruin your reputation in the niche. No one wants that.
  6. Shawn Gossman

    Running a Forum as a Business

    Like you, I'd consider myself a professional blogger in a way. I earn profit from blogging. They not only pay for themselves but they put money in my pocket. Forums are different. They're way harder to monetize. I suppose if you tried to treat them like blogs, you might do better but because...
  7. Shawn Gossman

    Bad Moderators

    I set expectations from the get-go. If my expectations aren't met, I de-mod pretty quickly. The best way to deal with a bad actor is to take away the tools of power from that bad actor. I've become pretty picky of who I want to make a moderator these days.
  8. Shawn Gossman

    How many forums do you own?

    I currently run 5 forums. I'm pretty much stopped at 5. They include all my favorite hobbies and interests so I'm content with them :) One is growing pretty well, the other 4 are new and just getting started in their niche worlds.
  9. Shawn Gossman

    Being staff on too many forums

    Aside from one other forum, I just staff my own forums. I don't care to be a member of other forums, in fact, I enjoy it, but I'd rather not be a staff member. That's more responsibility than I wish to have. I think though, if I wasn't a forum owner myself, I'd have more time for it.
  10. Shawn Gossman

    Blog posts - Where do you inspiration come from?

    I always look to questions in the niche to create new posts for my blogs. Someone is always asking something. Take the question and turn it into an article. This tactic will ensure that you have unlimited content ideas.
  11. Shawn Gossman

    Speeding up WordPress

    What tactics, plugins, and server additions are you using to speed up your website using WordPress? I'd love to know!
  12. Shawn Gossman

    Russia Demands to have Alaska Returned

    I think Putin is like Kim from North Korea, an insane person. But like with Kim, he is insane with Nuclear weapons. I have a feeling this isn't the worst thing the world is going to see out of this, sadly.
  13. Shawn Gossman

    Are you still wearing a mask?

    I do it when businesses require it or if I go see my grandmother who lives in a living assistance facility. But in general, no, because it is no longer a requirement. If it was required again, I would likely wear it in public. But walking down the street or a hiking trail, nope, not going to...
  14. Shawn Gossman

    Watch Sports or Play Sports

    Sports... Would you rather watch sports? Or would you rather play sports? Why?
  15. Shawn Gossman

    How many websites do you have?

    I have a virtual private server. I'm probably going to go dedicated here shortly. I'm waiting for the monetized blog to hit a certain point before I do it. It is almost to $100 a month. I'm hoping to get it to $150/mo and then upgrade. I have other sources of income from merch, Patreon, and...
  16. Shawn Gossman

    Ukraine

    It is a sad situation. I do feel that America is going to have to step in at some point and take a military action against the Russian forces. It might mean another World War. It might mean the use of tactical nuclear weapons. But a people being removed from the earth needs to be stopped at some...
  17. Shawn Gossman

    Corporal Punishment for Minors

    Agreed. I don't think I could hit. I could definitely restrain if the child was becoming abusive or combative. You'd need to stop that right away and stopping their ability to move would cease that. My girlfriend has a 16 year old daughter. She isn't my kid but I treat her like she is mine. I...
  18. Shawn Gossman

    Do Use Paid to Post Sites?

    I really miss Post Loop. I used to accumulate points and get posts for my forum projects. I never used it to make money. I miss it now especially because it seems like post exchanges are hard to come by anymore. I feel like I remember a website that was nothing but forum exchanges. I remember it...
  19. Shawn Gossman

    Do you work on your website daily?

    Multiple times a day! I write articles every day. I post forum topics every day. I respond to posts every day. I create posts and reply every day multiple times a day to social media. I'm a brand and an influencer and the only way to keep that popular is to work my butt off every day. I just...
  20. Shawn Gossman

    How many websites do you have?

    I'll break them down here: I have 4 message forums. Two that I am actively trying to turn into something long-term. The other two I am not as actively trying but I am seeing where they go because they're in a competitive market. In an attempt to promote the 4 forums, I have created 4 different...
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