but i dont wanna switch to jcink

proboards is comfy and familiar and i hate spending money

I don't wanna move to jcink either... So I set up a discord for all the inappropriate content. Coming from the age of proboards versus invisionfree and I stuck with proboards and now jcink is hella popular and I'm sadface. I really wish proboards also had that good ol' premium option for content. I almost wonder if they'd get more people back if they did. I watched so many disappear to jcink with the release of v5 that I am almost terrified to see what v6 brings. .-.

I'm on probably the odd side of the spectrum where I'm actually a little bit nervous because I'm setting up my first proboards site and not using jcink for the first time. I know v6 is looming on the horizon somewhere and we decided not to jump ship from our original plans because there doesn't seem to be a timeline for when that's happening (unless that's changed!!!) and we are in love with everything we've set up so far, but it does make me wonder!

i confess i have no idea what im doing 99% of the time

The jcink admin panel makes me cringe. I tried. I really did. But I have no idea what I'm doing.

this site looks so good and well put together and yet it died

how could i make something that wouldnt

Persistence.

No really.

Every site has ups and downs. Flows of activity that come in small bursts here or there, and then maybe it dies for a whole season before coming back up again. I've had my site open for three years now, and plan for another three or so at least before it reaches its conclusion. Everyone is aware it will happen someday so it's fine. However, the first whole year, it was me and like 2 people. That was it. Then we hit an unexpected burst of new members, and then a few of them stuck around. If you get like one or two solid member through each burst of activity, then eventually you'll have a solid community.

However, what they don't tell you is, persistence is absolutely key.

There are going to be times when activity is down, and I mean waaaaay down. Where people don't post for a solid month or more. You have to be accepting of that, and not press them into moving faster or pushing that activity. Keep what you want to do with the plot to move the site along in your head or written somewhere, and just keep tabs on the community itself. Eventually activity will pick back up and you can go through the flow.

Remnants just spent the whole solid winter season being much slower than usual. I expect it will pick back up again once the seasonal depression goes away, but until then, it's all about being patient and not letting the project die just because no one is using it right now.

not that we aren't doing things because we do still manage to flood the board with about 50 posts or so a week but that is pretty slow for us

highkey shout out and god bless communities and members that trust their staff. it's a gem to see and experience when faith is put on the team and community. after all, we're all here to have a good time and take care of each other, yeah?

My members try to overthrow the government. Hahahha

Lemme explain. It's not because I am a bad staff, though it feels like it sometimes. But the opposite. I am just one of them. One of the members. I am pulled under the plot bus just as easily as they are. We are friends. I'm not some mythical staff creature, though I'm told I really am because there are staff out there that are like "well i'm the admin, this is my site, what i say goes" and whatever.

But the most important thing for you to realize as an admin, is that without your members you wouldn't even have a site. So take the time to invest in them too. Help them move their own character arcs and plots forward. Put your time and effort into them like they are doing to you. That's how you build a strong community.

i love when your fellow staff members are enthusiastic about things you all have planned. hue hue

Sometimes I do wonder if two sites might be too much for me. Doing all of the events, doing a majority of the admin work, trying to balance other things on top of them... And then I remember that I'm not in this because I have to be. I do these things because I want to. I remember how miserable I was with just one single site underneath me. I need the creativity of multiple universes and multiple settings. Honestly, I've been posting way better on both than I did on just the one. And if it is too much for me? Well, as least I have understanding members and no activity enforcement x.x

I think I've been working on my fantasy site for too long that I don't think it's going to get big once it's finished.

Which is leading to me looking at how I'm setting it up and going "I don't really care anymore. It's just going to be me and a few friends." And that sounds fine, honestly.