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Thursday, November 29, 2012

USENET and the Arts

The Internet, of course, is one of the best venues for information about the arts. The USENET system is also a great source of information about art. In fact, some users prefer the simplified interface of the USENET newsgroups to Internet forums and other discussion venues where the forum oftentimes overwhelms the discussion itself.

USENET newsgroups that have to do with the art world are generally found under the rec - a shortened form of the word "recreation" - hierarchy. Most good USENET newsgroups dedicated to the arts are listed under the hierarchy rec.arts. By appending the name of whatever type of art you are interested in after the word "arts" and the period, you should be able to find a discussion about any form of art in which you have an interest.

Why USENET Is Still Interesting for Artists

If you're an artist and have long been lamenting the fact that socializing in person has been overshadowed by socializing online, you're not alone. Many artists feel that the fact that the Internet has made art gatherings, gallery showings and other venues where people actually showed off their art in person rather obsolete to be very disturbing and to be detrimental to the arts on the whole.

The USENET system has text posts as its main form of communication. It's hard to get overwhelmed by the simplicity of the text post. It also tends to appeal to people who like to get information online but who don't necessarily think of being online as a worthwhile endeavor in and of itself. Many of the people you'll find using the USENET system will use it to get information about a particular topic or even about a particular artist and will then look around in person for more information on their own.

A Smart Audience

Another problem that artists frequently have with the modern world is that their base of potential clients is less cultured than they were in the past. Many of the younger generation have really only experienced art in digital forms. Disciplines such as oil painting, photography that isn't digital, watercolor and other visual mediums don't get the play that they used to because of the ease and convenience of creating art on a computer. The users on USENET will likely be interested in reading about art, which means that they're not necessarily looking for webpages full of it to substitute for a visit to an actual gallery.

If you're an artist and you're looking for substantive conversations about art and want a way to network with people without having the method of networking serve as a substitute for real life meetings, USENET is something to consider. It's been around for quite a while but it's managed to remain very useful and, for many artists, it's managed to become a very important way that they advertise themselves. USENET has a lot to offer the art community. For an example of that, check out rec.arts.theatre, rec.arts.television and rec.arts.cinema to see how they stack up against webpages about the same subjects, it's likely that you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Who Wants to Make $100 a Day Online? How to Use Forum Posting to Make Money Online The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Having A Forum On Your Website Are You Afraid to Spend the Money on a Membership Site?

4 Ways Online Forums Can Help Your Home Based Business

Forums are online meeting places for people who share a common interest or a common goal. They basically, as their name suggests, provide a forum for people to exchange ideas on a certain topic. They've also been called bulletin boards, chat rooms and message boards however no matter what you call them they all serve the same purpose and they remain as popular today as they've ever been.

If you're just starting out on the web with your home based business forums are a great way to introduce yourself to your particular market or niche. These chat rooms can also benefit your Internet venture in other ways including, but not limited to, providing these 4 advantages:

1. These bulletin boards are great places to get advice on different aspects of your business where you may be having a problem. Other members are usually very helpful especially if you've been contributing value to the forum on a regular basis.

They realize they've been where you are right now and they know what you may be going through. However you should be aware that you have to contribute to the conversation and not to expect something for nothing.

2. These are great places to network with other home business owners and to form lasting relationships with an eye focused on eventually creating business arrangements with these people such as joint venture agreements. Networking on the Internet is just as important as it is for any offline enterprise and you should take advantage of any opportunities to do so whenever they arise.

3. Chat rooms aren't only great places to get advice but they're also a tremendous resource for getting new product ideas and for gathering information about new tools that may help you with your venture. People who frequent these message boards are usually on the cutting edge in terms of knowledge pertaining to their industry and they are usually willing to share it with their cohorts.

4. Finally, you can use these Internet gathering places to promote your website and your home based business. After you've been a member for awhile and you've contributed valuable information to the group on a regular basis you can add your website link or your sales page URL to your signature file so other members can check out your merchandise.

Whatever you choose to call these online meeting places they still provide a valuable service to their members and if you take advantage of their presence you may take your Internet enterprise to a new level on the Web.

Discover How Online Discussion Forums Drive Traffic and Boost Site SEO

Why build a discussion forum? Businesses use them to enhance employee productivity or communicate with customers: Sports fans use them to discuss their team's performance, schools provide educational support to students, "foodies" compare recipes, and so much more. Forum audiences are as diverse as human interests. Because of this, their reach and influence as a search marketing tool should be studied and integrated in most if not all search engine marketing strategies.

How Do Forums Work?

A forum's main topic is generally set by the owner, also known as forum administrator, but the bulk of the content is provided by members of the forum. In a forum, visitors have the ability to start "discussions" with other members in the form of topics, also known as "threads." Once a forum user (guest or member) has read a thread, they'll generally have the option to post a reply which can then be read by the community. These discussions can develop without all users needing to be online at the same time.

Forums can be thought of as containers, or archives, for information fostered by the community. Depending on the permissions community members have (as set by the forum administrator), members can post replies to existing threads and start new threads at will. Most forums allow people to browse through postings before registering and, once they feel comfortable, they can set up an account and submit their own posts.

Who Should Create a Forum?

If you're passionate about a subject, there are few better ways to indulge your enthusiasm than by creating a forum for others to share and learn about the topic you love so much. Not only can you write about something you really enjoy, meet and become friends with people that share your passion, but there is often the opportunity to make good money while you're doing it. What could possibly be better?

If you love kayaking, start a kayaking forum. If you love collecting Cherokee arrowheads, start a Cherokee arrowhead collectors forum. If you love skydiving, start a skydiving discussion forum! You can be sure of this: there will be others who share your zeal.

With over 2 billion people that now have access to the Internet, there really isn't an interest, avocation or hobby that's so obscure there aren't others who share your passion. In fact, the more eccentric and unseen the subject, the more likely it could go viral and be of interest to a much larger audience. If your forum takes off and you have a large number of people visiting it every day, selling advertising space can often generate substantial monthly income for the forum owner.

Adding Community to Your Existing Site

Building a forum community is a great way to add value to an existing site and can create a sense of belonging for your visitors. This can encourage repeat visits and generate more interest in the site as a whole. With a discussion forum, there will be richer and more varied content being added to your site. You no longer need to be the sole contributor creating content, but rather many people joining in with their opinions and perspectives will help grow your site.

Also, if you're marketing a product or service, you can generally rely on rapid and unvarnished feedback from a forum community. You can quickly find out how your product is working in the real world and respond more efficiently to customer needs. Moreover, forum communities foster personal relationships between members which can help get information rapidly disseminated as well as increase pageviews and product-use through word of mouth.

Creating a Forum

There are basically two ways to create an online discussion forum; the hard way, and the easy way. The "hard" way requires a fair amount of technical expertise and involves installing forum software on a host server, creating a database, and configuring the forum once it's been installed. Further, installed forum software will also usually require some level of ongoing maintenance to insure proper functioning.

The smart and simple way to create a discussion forum simply requires choosing a free, web-based forum host. For those of you not interested in taking on the responsibilities of installing software and configuring databases, "remote" forum hosting offers a much simpler, more reliable, and less demanding free solution. Also, remotely hosted forums can easily be linked to websites or be operated as stand-alone entities.

Why Not Create A Forum About A Topic That Captivates You

If you happen to be passionate about a certain subject matter, there is no better way to spread that zeal than by creating a forum for others to enjoy, and use to learn something about the topic you love so much. The world is much bigger than ever before, thanks to the internet. Because of this, it is now possible for people that are spread out everywhere on the planet, to come together on a single website and discuss a topic that they are all interested in.

What this means to somebody that wants to start a free forum, is that there really is not a theme that is so obscure, that there will not be a ton of people who have internet access that will interested in it. In fact, the more bizarre and crazy the idea might be, the more likely that it could go viral, and you end up making more money off of it than you know what to do with.

Wait a second, first you said I should start a "Free Forum", and then you said I could make a great deal of money doing it, did I read that correctly? You did, and this is how it works. If your forum takes off, and you have a great deal of people visiting it every day, you can sell advertising space on it, and put those funds in your pocket.

Yep, you got that right. Not only can you write about something you really love, meet and become friends with people that share your obsession, but also make good money doing it. What could possibly be better, not too much is the answer to that question.

To start a forum is relatively simple really, all you need is an URL, a forum hosting plan, and a piece of software to run it and you will be all set. There are even free forum hosting options that you can use until yours has so much traffic that the host can no longer handle it.

So, now that you know all of that, what is your new forum going to be about? Let's see, what if you are a mother raising a 2 year old, why not start a forum about how to be get through the "Terrible Two's"? In fact, that is a really good idea, and you can be sure that one would explode.

Another idea would be "What's it like to be a soccer mom". Or, how about "Fly Fishing" or "Skin Diving". You see, there really are no bad ideas, only ones that are not executed properly, or for that matter, are not started at all.

If and when you are ready to create a forum, please make sure that you do it about a subject that you truly love, as opposed to just trying to make some money off of it. This will ensure that you have a great deal of fun getting it started until it takes off, and actually becomes work.

Discover Forum Moderating Tips Pros Use to Build Large Forums!

Before you open the doors to invite guests and prospective members to explore your new forum, the rules of engagement should be somewhat established. We say somewhat because they'll probably change over time as others contribute to the management and growth of your community.

Forum Rules

While the details will probably evolve, you'll want to implement a basic framework of rules as soon as possible. Getting people to agree to guidelines as they join will be far easier than imposing new rules on an established community down the road. Below is a short list of suggestions to get you started:

Rudeness, insulting others, personal attacks, threats or inflammatory posts should not be tolerated Repeat, redundant posting to increase post counts should be discouraged No advertising, spamming, solicitation or commercial self promotion should be allowed Prohibit discussing any illegal activities No posting of lewd comments, language or photos No posting of misleading or irrelevant comments, stay on topic No posting of disturbing material (benign images that suddenly change to a screaming face) Limiting members to a single forum account is advised

While this list is by no means all-inclusive, it will hopefully provide an overview of the types of forum behavior that should be monitored and controlled. For additional ideas, try Googling the term "sample online forum rules."

Recruiting Moderators

As your forum community grows, so will the need for additional moderators; you'll know when you need help. It will be that moment when you've reached your limit on how many threads you can monitor, questions you can answer, and squabbles you can defuse.

Recruiting moderators is a natural progression in the growth of every healthy forum community.

While choosing the right moderators is good for everyone, empowering the wrong personality can wreak unimaginable havoc. Below are a few key points to consider when selecting candidates:

Has the user contributed regularly over a period of time? Are they knowledgeable? Do they have good grammar, spelling and syntax skills? Does the user have the right personality? Are they even tempered, likable, and fair minded? Do they have the time to commit to being a moderator?

When extending invitations to prospective moderators, try approaching users who post a high number of quality posts and appear to be committed to the forum. Approaching candidates can be as simple as private messaging them and asking them to become a moderator. Explain why you've considered them and clearly define their role.

Moderator Responsibilities

Clearly defining moderator responsibilities is of utmost importance. They must know what's expected of their position as well as which decisions and activities are assigned to others. Moderators are typically assigned a particular discussion forum or user group and are expected to perform the following functions:

Visit the forum at least once each day Keep posts clean and move off-topic posts to appropriate categories Communicate with unruly members and advise them of the consequences of disruptive behavior Edit postings when necessary so that they conform to the forum's content guidelines. Delete or move single posts or entire threads when necessary Lock or unlock posts as required

Supporting your volunteer moderators once they've assumed their new roles is also critical. Be sure to communicate frequently with them, recognize and reward their contributions and give them some time off occasionally so they don't get burned out.

Moderator Conduct

To promote cohesiveness and decorum, moderators should be responsible for their own "code of conduct." While similar to general forum rules, moderator codes of conduct are intended to preserve neutrality, authority and confidentiality. Below is a list of suggestions for your consideration. Prospective moderators should agree to:

Be respectful of all members, each other, and represent your forum with professionalism Be discreet and maintain confidentiality regarding moderator activities and member information Consider member feelings before hitting the submit button, both in public forums and private Deleting member posts should be done only after conferring with the forum admin or other moderators Resign from moderator duties if there is a breach of confidentiality or the code of conduct is not followed

Moderation Tips

Because each forum and its audience are unique, moderation styles and guidelines will differ. Consequently, you'll want to craft your own strategy as it applies to your community. As a general overview of forum moderation practices, the list below provides a starting point.

Be professional: Personality is good but don't take liberties or get lazy. Try to use correct grammar, punctuation and capitalization when you're typing. How you present yourself reflects upon your forum and people's perceptions. Watch out for trolls and spammers. Always be vigilant and proactively seek them out and take action to minimize their annoying posts. Watch for members abusing other members. Don't tolerate flaming; disagreements are fine but any more than that will discourage guests from joining and drive quality members from your forum. Make sure everyone has a chance to participate. Choose forum staff carefully. Make sure the people you choose lead by example and are patient and fair. To expand on the previous point; watch for troublesome forum staff. Don't let moderators intimidate other members or dole out unnecessarily harsh penalties for infractions. Conversely, timid moderators can be just as harmful to the health of your forum.

Summary

As your forum community grows and more people participate in the discussion, you'll most likely be amazed by the things people say. You're the host, so the responsibility for maintaining a functional environment falls to you. A good moderating strategy will help that goal immensely. Hopefully this article has provided a solid reference for establishing a moderating plan for your community. For more tips, tricks and strategies on building your forum, please refer to our previous articles in this series. Thanks for reading!

Forum Internet Marketing

Forum internet marketing is a technique that has been around for a very long time but is still effective. In order to see positive results within the shortest time possible, there are a few guidelines that should be followed. They include:

1. Specialize

Effective forum internet marketing entails looking for forums in the niche you are servicing. For instance, if you are promoting a certain brand of pet food, you should only use forums dealing with pets and pet foods. Search the internet for around 5-10 popular forums with a very good reputation obtained over a long time. You should then spend a few minutes every day to add useful content in order to develop a good reputation with other users.

2. Follow the rules

In order to be effective with forum internet marketing, you have to follow all the rules and guidelines laid out in the forums you want to work with. Reading through these guidelines will also help you to know how you can best undertake your forum internet marketing endeavors. For instance, you will know about the linking guidelines, self-promotion techniques that are allowed, restrictions on junior users and the like. In most cases, you will be banned from the forum if you break these rules meaning that you must follow them to the letter.

3. Populate your profile

People that use forums are more interested in conversing with real people over buying products. This means that you should add as much personal information as possible in your profile. As people see your contributions on the various threads over time, they will visit your profile from where you can direct them to your websites. A very compelling profile will go a long way in aiding your success with forum internet marketing. On the other hand, you must make sure not to add sensitive personal information since spammers and online thieves can easily get a hold of it.

4. Avoid flame wars

One of the best ways to fail with forum internet marketing is to get into heated arguments on inconsequential with other users. This will cause people to develop a bad opinion about you making them ignore your comments and profile. This means that you should avoid controversial topics and keep to those that will help in gaining the respect of other users. In that same vein, avoid criticizing other users, overusing internet slang and emoticons and the like. Making a point to develop a good reputation will yield success on your forum internet marketing activities within a relatively short time.

5. Utilize signatures

Signatures are pieces of information that accompany each comment made on a thread. You should include information that will help in your forum internet marketing activities. This information includes quotations, banners leading to specific websites or threads, links to landing pages etc. You need to be creative because a good signature will cause users to develop an interest in you and your product.

In a nutshell, forum marketing requires a lot of time and hard work to do effectively. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to pull off without having to spend too much time and money.