The Psychedelic Panda/Zen for Zimcat

[zimcat]

The Psychedelic Panda

Zen for Zimcat

[endo]

Neither of your links are clickable, and neither show an image. Would you like some help linking? Just asking.

[zimcat]

I'm still new to using the affiliate table so yes I might need some help lol

[endo]

Should be good now.

[zimcat]

I haven't had any new members for a while, it's frustrating I put so much work into them. Can I get some honest feedback?

[endo]

I'll try to give some critiques, not very good at it though. I worked for years on this place before it started to take off, if you could even call it that here.
It is a lot of work, and it's easy to get frustrated and want to just quit, so here's some things that I noticed.

Both of your forums look pretty much the same, so someone may feel like they're on the same forum when visiting either. I know they're named different, but the visual people get when they first go to your forums is that they're the same.
A theme helps identify your forum immediately, and both looking the same can be confusing.

Activity, especially on a new forum trying to get members, is the responsibility of the admin. It's just you until people join, so you have to be the active poster. Even when you do start getting members, you should still be the one being as active as possible. I'm not saying yours do, but a forum that looks dead isn't attractive to perspective members.
Post away, even if it's to yourself at times.

You have two forums right out of the gate. Maybe concentrate on one, and go all in on that one. Trying to get one off the ground can be tough, trying to get two going at the same time is really tough. Maybe stick to one and once it's doing what you like, then add another if you want.
When I started this place, I just wanted a place to talk horror. That was it, that was the subject. So, I made the place look like a horror forum, and most topics are horror themed. As the forum grew, I added things that people requested, or I thought would be good conversation starters. But the core was always horror.
Keep the forum theme the main topic of the forum throughout. Cool to add off topic stuff, but always keep what the main theme of the forum is, the stuff that's posted about the most.

Your forums look nice, laid out well. It takes time to get going. I affiliated anywhere I could when I started this place, and still do. That's a great tool to get your forum out there.
I know it's frustrating when nothing seems to be happening, but don't give up. Takes time, sometimes a long time, but members will come if you give them something to want to join for.

Again, terrible at this, but I hope I helped at least a little. Good luck with them!

[zimcat]

thanks

[zimcat]

I poured my heart into both of them, but I find having two boards a little less discouraging if one is doing better than the other. I have people rooting for me, telling me not to give up, and I wont.

[endo]

Good for you, don't give up! I'd gladly affiliate our forum with yours if that would be something you'd be interested in.

[Tony Hates Everything]

I think endo gave some great advice. I can give some advice as a member of a forum since i don't operate one.

Theme
I honestly thought i opened the same link twice, but when i read the banners i realized i was on the right pages. This was confusing the theme is basically the impression you are giving to the viewer, you dont have the privilege of letting people getting to know you before they judge you. They see your theme and make their judgement most times it will lead to them to not even read a post before judging. The theme needs to give some sort of feel of what the forum or page is about, The first thought i had was pandas and hallucinogens lol but only one forum has the word panda in it and that is confusing  . Lets say i was a member and was unaware of the other forum if i came across it i would automatically think someone stole someones theme, if i was a browser i would think i already came to this forum and whatever impression i had would probably stay and i would go to the next one.

Topic
I'm still not sure what the forums are about i have a slight idea but then i come across topics that make me confused. Look at what endo has done here he has done a fantastic job with the board over the years. Sure he has an edge over most with a name like Horrors Online... not many things this forum could be about with a name like that  but as you see the topics "Classics, Shorts, Newer Horror, Originals vs Remakes" you instantly understand this is a horror genre movie forum. We have the wasteland but there were not nearly that many topics when it was started it grew over time. As a new member it's nice to know what you are joining those core topics that make you join, as a long time member you appreciate the other boards as they come because you grow with the members and build a connection and after awhile enjoy talking about things other then the main topic. 

Activity
I left this board for a long time, life happened and i grew away from the forum when i came back one random day, If i didn't see endo, NDX, or any of the other important people still here still posting i would have not gone through the trouble of trying to figure out my username and password to post again. Their activity on here helped convince me to log back on and post. Not only the activity but the topics they were posting in, they were posting everywhere especially in the horror section of the board, if i came back and all the new post were in the wrestling board i probably would not have signed back up. I dont hate wrestling but im not a fan.. I think i have posted there once or twice and thats about it but i wouldn't join a horror forum if everyone was only talking about wrestling.

I can't give you advice on how to grow a community but, If i know what im looking at, I understand or like what im joining, and i see people there talking about what i want to talk about.. That is something i would want to be apart of. 

[endo]

Thanks very much for the kind words Tony Hates Everything . But, don't sell yourself short, you were a big part of the start of this place and a great help.
The themes and graphics help you were able to provide were instrumental in getting this place off the ground and going. Much props to you, and I'm still very thankful for it and very glad to have you back!

[zimcat]

Working on a new theme for Zen for Zimcat

Zen for zimcat started as an art board but grew into a mental health board that is a little different - You are more than a diagnosis is the message for people mental illness or not to just be real in a safe space.

The psychedelic panda is a writing project of mine, not sure what it will become

[zimcat]

Got the idea last night for the Psychedelic Panda, a creative writing game where the writings are character dialogue and you are "retracing your steps" to figure out what happened for you to say that and what you knew. I'm going to do some work on it later to set it up for that. It's not an RPG, it's creative writing

[zimcat]

The story thing didn't work out but I'm offering tarot meanings soon

[Smeets]

zimcat i like your zen for zimcat site. very cool, open, and creative dialogue going on there. i like how it's mental illness themed too. i do like the psychedelic panda too. it's organic. i feel like it's alive and bubbling over. why not have a board for the creative writing game? you can still have the tarot stuff too on another board. i'm down to play the game. here i go....

rocks and gravel make a solid road. happy endings. my bed is nice when it is red.

-- this is hard - i should practice this more. it's like free-association or something.