A Day In The Life Of An Admin

I logged on AA today and realised that I've been posting on this forum more than a few of my own. What's that all about?

Well. I used to be a wall and floor tiler (tile setter; if you're not speaking the Queens English) and started a tile forum for the UK back then. Since then it took off and we've made a few related forums for other tradesmen and women.

My views and values I had at the time of being a wall and floor tiler applied to my forums back then, therefore I could comment a lot on all of the topics, and really get pushing the activity.

Now I'm finding (after running forums and only forums for some years) that my values and policies are all related to community-driven needs. Therefore I can comment a lot on AA, and Administration stuff, generally. But I dare not push my values in the tile industry, as that's changed and I'm not an active party.

What can we learn from this? Perhaps nothing, after-all, it's just my day, in the life of an Admin.

Perhaps if you spot yourself loosing your initial views when your forum gets going, you can stay connected in some way offline (or online with some forum topics I'm sure) and really keep your head in the know when it comes to what your forum topic is about.

Happy Days to all.

This post has been promoted to an article

 

Thats not a bad thing though Dan...Obviously AA must be interesting enough to bring you back..after all it's for Admins and where best to express opinions and learn from other Admins about various issues / subjects with forum software etc...

 

Has it affected the way your users perceive you? They may not necessarily notice if your views have changed, but if you are less active they probably will.

 

Dave, you're right there.

Soliloguy; nah, most of the regulars know I do a lot behind the scenes. We have a bunch of related websites, not just the forums, which they use, and then we have the deals with the sponsors which Dave and I setup. We have quite a few mods on the ones that need them, and the others are quiet enough for me (and Dave) to visit periodically.

My moto is, members run forums, not the forum makers (okay, so I just made that up, but that makes sense, right?)

 

Haha good on the spot thinking there haha... sounds like something i would do come up with some saying that i live by that I just made up haha:doh:

 

Whenever members ask, I tell them I'm just the web flunky; it's the other members who are the experts!

 

I'm definately NOT the expert on any of my forums, and most of the members on most of them know that. Dave, however, is the expert on the tile forum, though he's admin of several other forums he isn't the expert of, like me.

I don't think that you need to be fully clued up on the forum topic to run one well. I just think you need to ensure you're letting the members run the place, and you're giving them what they want to stay there.

Moderators will come when you know who's posting a lot, and is very 'your way'. Whatever that 'way' is (mine's a professional image in the main, so me and Dave spot the ones that don't swear and perhaps already help the members without being asked to).

 

I totally agree with this. I am certainly not an expert in the subject of my niche (it is more of a hobby, but there is quite a bit of factual information/research that goes along with it) but I am passionate about the subject and am dedicated to remaining the number one resource for this subject. I do my best to keep that, and to ensure my members are happy and have what they want.

 

I also agree with you there. A person builds up a forum to help other people who they think are beginner, to bring a service to people, or share a passion with the world in hopes [usually you're very certain] that other people share the same passion as you. Other people create communities for what ever reasons, but in my opinion what I mentioned are the basic reasons.

 

Nice article and all too true! My forum is geared around a free space flight simulator. One of those things that you could learn constantly and still not learn it all. I know a good deal about it myself, but since I founded the forum and have been admin for a couple of years now, I find my interest & knowledge has shifted more toward the community aspect of things. It is the members, especially the developers who bring the true wealth of content to my site.

 

You want to come over and tile my bathroom? : )