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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

    How many subforums are too many?

    I think keeping is down as much as possible should be the goal. You can broaden your board descriptions and focus on more content within them. When we add too many, keeping them all active becomes a challenge. Inactive sections make the forum look "not as active" as it can be. Working with...
  2. Shawn Gossman

    Changing your avatar

    I usually upload an avatar of what I look like. If I have a major appearance change, then I'll add a new avatar. I do have a larger beard now, but I've not taken a good outdoorsy selfie lately. It reminds me to take more of them :)
  3. Shawn Gossman

    Forumotion

    I think I might have played around them in the past. I only ever really messed with Pro Boards and it was for a very short time. I immediately jumped on the self-hosted forum train once I realized forum hosting services were a bit freedom-lacking.
  4. Shawn Gossman

    Weekend Housecleaning?

    Nope. I hike and bike on the weekend. No time for cleaning! LOL We keep the house liveable and we dust here and there. We're private, aside from teens visiting the teen, we don't invite people over.
  5. Shawn Gossman

    Forum Admin Forum

    Over 40 members now. Posted a new article today on forum promotion in 2023. Hope it's useful :) Always trying to post new and interesting topics. Come join the fun! https://www.forumadminforum.com/
  6. Shawn Gossman

    Icy Phoenix

    It reminds me of Php Nuke!! I used to love Php Nuke. That brings back some memories. I might have to play with it.
  7. Shawn Gossman

    How to get members?

    One thing I recommend is to get out away from your forum and to other communities, groups, blogs, and sectors related to your niche. And be friendly while being helpful to people asking for help in these areas. Try to be a problem-solver of your niche. Get noticed. Develop expertise. Be anyones...
  8. Shawn Gossman

    Forum Admin Forum

    Forum Admin Forum is doing well. I've gained a total of 3 Big Board Owners. We have over 2,000 posts and nearly 40 members. I'm writing an eBook (currently 4,000 words in) about forum management. Once it's finished, I'll be releasing it to registered members. It's free. I hope to write and...
  9. Shawn Gossman

    How much did you spend to create your forum?

    I typically spend even more throughout the year. I'll buy addons and try them out. I might buy some graphic design services. I'll spend some money for contest prizes, too.
  10. Shawn Gossman

    Less trolls nowadays?

    To me that is like a clique. I think cliques are what destroys communities. It even happens in towns. You get a neighborhood clique and usually cops get called at some point or people get into it. If we see a clique forming on our forums, I think it's best to shut them down as quickly as...
  11. Shawn Gossman

    Have you ever advertised and left?

    If anything, it is an experiment that I can turn into an article and give it away for free :D Forum members like free stuff and the forum being free isn't always enough, haha.
  12. Shawn Gossman

    community founders competition

    That's what we must do. Every time I see another admin forum pop up on the web, I'll join and give them posts frequently. They're my "competition" if you want to call them that. But if they succeed, that's one more forum that succeeds and since my forum is an admin forum, that means it has a...
  13. Shawn Gossman

    How many forums do you own?

    I've managed to get my list down to 3 now :cool: One of them is getting the most attention. The other one could be the same too if I market it more. The third one is an iffy but really depends on the weather :LOL:
  14. Shawn Gossman

    Have you ever advertised and left?

    I've never done that. I just recently "allowed it" on my admin forum. To a certain degree... Someone could become a member, advertise on the showcase board as their first post and never come back. But when they do, the catch is me sending them PMs or an email and trying to form a friendship...
  15. Shawn Gossman

    How much did you spend to create your forum?

    And also back when I went out all the time, it seemed like you got better quality food and more in a serving. Nowadays, it seems like the prices went up and quality and serving quantity went down. They blame supply chain. We still go out. We just choose Mom and Pop places because you get a...
  16. Shawn Gossman

    Mistakes

    FAF? Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the way that is going. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I think is going to significantly boost it's popularity. I'm taking some lessons learned from blogging. Haha.
  17. Shawn Gossman

    Private Messages

    I'd like to start a campaign of sending new members PMs. The idea would be to create small talk and form a friendship. The main goal would be turning them into an active and loyal member while also earning a new friend :) I think it could help kick start your community.
  18. Shawn Gossman

    community founders competition

    This^ Back in the old days of forums, a lot of forum owners were aggressively competitive. Most of those forums are gone today. I think aggressive competition helped kill forums in all honesty. With social media, I made a social group and did no advertising and it have nearly 30,000 members...
  19. Shawn Gossman

    How much did you spend to create your forum?

    Just count the costs for a week of eating out. Then only eat at home for week and count that cost. That's what made me change.
  20. Shawn Gossman

    How often do you get a hair cut?

    Maybe twice a year. When it gets so long that hair blows into my mouth while I'm taking a drink outside - then it's time for a trim :LOL:
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