Stripping your forum down to its bare bones.

[Shawn Gossman]

So, what I mean by this is simple:

1. Take away plugins unless they're absolutely necessary
2. Focus 99.9% of your effort on the native forum features

I used to install resources, media, and AMS blogs on my XenForo-powered forums.
They extended the features.
They added to the forum.
They appeared to be a great feature.

But are they really?

These types of add-ons take away from the forum.
They divert attention away from the core forum component and put them in a different area.
Those resources, media content, and blog posts could have been forum posts.
You also make someone have to learn a new trade just to create content on your forum.

So, now I don't add that many add-ons, and I keep it all on the forum as much as I can.

What do you all think about such a strategy?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

We don't have a ton of add-ons installed here, but we have some. So I suppose we're simple but not too simple!

I've seen some forums that install literally every add-on under the sun. They are so bloated they are about to explode!


Also having that many add-ons is a recipe for your whole forum being screwed up and distorted every time there's a software update.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

We don't have a ton of add-ons installed here, but we have some. So I suppose we're simple but not too simple!

I've seen some forums that install literally every add-on under the sun. They are so bloated they are about to explode!


Also having that many add-ons is a recipe for your whole forum being screwed up and distorted every time there's a software update.

I used to be just like that.

I've lost forums because of it. Errors that I could never fix.

I'd rather avoid it now.

 

[PGen98]

Before adding a shoutbox and the portal add-on my forum was barebones...it's perfectly fine to run it barebones, honestly, works just as well and allows the content to flourish more.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I get annoyed at forums that have a cash add-on who don’t really need it. I get endless alerts for cash add-on related things and have nothing worthwhile to spend it on.

 

[PGen98]

I get annoyed at forums that have a cash add-on who don’t really need it. I get endless alerts for cash add-on related things and have nothing worthwhile to spend it on.

THIS!! So much this!! I am over forum currency and stores...no thanks.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

THIS!! So much this!! I am over forum currency and stores...no thanks.

@PGen98 earned $1 Off Topix Bucks for daily activity!

(Literally every time you login)

 

[PGen98]

@PGen98 earned $1 Off Topix Bucks for daily activity!

(Literally every time you login)

Yes!! Ugh. What can I spend it on? Oh why a name change I don't need? A sparkly effect on my name? A custom title? I don't need those things!

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Yes!! Ugh. What can I spend it on? Oh why a name change I don't need? A sparkly effect on my name? A custom title? I don't need those things!

What those forums tend to do is lock up standard/basic features and make you pay for them.

Stuff you can normally do standard on most forums now comes at a cost. The force you to make 100+ posts against your will just to edit your signature, change your avatar, username, edit your custom title, etc. Rather than inspiring me to post it just makes me want to logout and go somewhere else.

 

[PGen98]

What those forums tend to do is lock up standard/basic features and make you pay for them.

Stuff you can normally do standard on most forums now comes at a cost. The force you to make 100+ posts against your will just to edit your signature, change your avatar, username, edit your custom title, etc. Rather than inspiring me to post it just makes me want to logout and go somewhere else.

Agreed, it's a part of the software, just leave it alone. One forum even made you pay to unlock the edit button on posts! Just insane!

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Agreed, it's a part of the software, just leave it alone. One forum even made you pay to unlock the edit button on posts! Just insane!

I haven’t seen that one! That is insane.

 

[PGen98]

I haven’t seen that one! That is insane.

Yep, that forum failed pretty quickly, it was just so stupid to restrict a feature like that!