You and a merge

[Randy]

Have you ever been a part of a forum that merged with another one? Were you a member of the original forum or did you get transferred over to a new one?

How do you feel about the whole aspect of two separate communities merging into one? What are the pros/cons of it?

 

[Darth-Apple]

I've been a member of a few, and never once have I ever really been pleased with the outcome as a member. That's not to say that I'm opposed to the idea in all cases, but for the communities I was involved in, it clearly wasn't handled correctly.

I guess, for me, I just don't like participating in communities that are more about the statistics than about the members. There are people who enjoy that sort of thing, but it's not for me I suppose.

 

[~KAGE-008]

My answer is no for the first two.

Merging two community forums is fine only if both admins are agreed with that. The pro is that it mixes both activities, making it more active. The con is that it might hurt the original feel of the community itself.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

The pro is that it mixes both activities, making it more active.

In theory. It can also alienate members and make activity drop. I've heard of merges killing forums, in terms of existing member participation.

 

[Bluezone777]

I seen many mergers over the years and they always end up as a disaster. You end up taking two forums that people like and create one out of the two that no one likes. There are aspects of a forum that are unique to it such as who runs and moderates it along with the regulars that go there that gives it an unique atmosphere that will be ruined if the board would be merged with another.

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

oh lord where do i even begin?
I have seen mergers just end up disasters and end up hurting userbase and community
Like this forum called General Discussion Forum(now defunct)
It Originally Started on Zataboards host(forum software i'm familiar with)
later that year We started be a lot more active buttt FORUM OWNER HAD BALLS move forum to complete different forum host and all went downhill to Enitble Shutdown in 2011
The Userbase was going down and down after Forum owner keeping switch forum software and expecting userbase it had come back it didn't
In end it was Forum owner fault

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

oh lord where do i even begin?
I have seen mergers just end up disasters and end up hurting userbase and community
Like this forum called General Discussion Forum(now defunct)
It Originally Started on Zataboards host(forum software i'm familiar with)
later that year We started be a lot more active buttt FORUM OWNER HAD BALLS move forum to complete different forum host and all went downhill to Enitble Shutdown in 2011
The Userbase was going down and down after Forum owner keeping switch forum software and expecting userbase it had come back it didn't
In end it was Forum owner fault

You cannot leave zetaboards once you're on it. Did he restart the forum from scratch that first move?

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

oh lord where do i even begin?
I have seen mergers just end up disasters and end up hurting userbase and community
Like this forum called General Discussion Forum(now defunct)
It Originally Started on Zataboards host(forum software i'm familiar with)
later that year We started be a lot more active buttt FORUM OWNER HAD BALLS move forum to complete different forum host and all went downhill to Enitble Shutdown in 2011
The Userbase was going down and down after Forum owner keeping switch forum software and expecting userbase it had come back it didn't
In end it was Forum owner fault

You cannot leave zetaboards once you're on it. Did he restart the forum from scratch that first move?

yeah he keeping doing that expect userbase fallow suit
basically speed quickly to its doom
He shut off original forum and went to different forum software/host
Like for he same admin that lead the Chatters(now inactive)
he was trying reborn the GD forum and failed

 

[McConnaughay]

I merged one of my websites with a friend, and it ended up well, ultimately, all the members on my site were members on his and vice versa, so it seemed logical.

 

[Bamboo]

I've been around when a merge has happened, large and small merges. I have also merged forums myself and both times I am capable of coping with them and feel like each time it has bettered the forums.

 

[Felly]

I've been a part of one merge, and it didn't end well. Admittedly, I was younger and stupider when it came to internet things, and I've matured since then, but I think even if I was a part of it now, I'd be totally against it.

The only way I could possibly be okay with a merge at this point is if the staff of both forums were okay with it and a vast majority of the members were okay with it. The members' opinions are important too, and if they're not okay with something as important as that, then how could the staff be too?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

oh lord where do i even begin?
I have seen mergers just end up disasters and end up hurting userbase and community
Like this forum called General Discussion Forum(now defunct)
It Originally Started on Zataboards host(forum software i'm familiar with)
later that year We started be a lot more active buttt FORUM OWNER HAD BALLS move forum to complete different forum host and all went downhill to Enitble Shutdown in 2011
The Userbase was going down and down after Forum owner keeping switch forum software and expecting userbase it had come back it didn't
In end it was Forum owner fault

You cannot leave zetaboards once you're on it. Did he restart the forum from scratch that first move?

yeah he keeping doing that expect userbase fallow suit

The worst thing you can do to a forum is delete it and start over from scratch. If I took the time to register and post around a forum, only to see my account and everything I've posted erased, chances are I wont bother coming back.