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Outlaw Star Nexus

Discussion in 'Showcase' started by Mantis, Nov 20, 2018.

  1. Mantis

    Mantis Active Member

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    I figured this was long overdue, so I'd like to talk about my forum which, if memory serves, has been on The Forum Wheel for about a year and a half. If you're not interested in the forum's past you might want to skip to the end, or it might be a useful read if you want to subscribe. It might also help you understand the trials and tribulations the forum owners you're working for may or may have faced. It's down to you I guess.

    [​IMG]

    Outlaw Star Nexus has a bit of a history. It first launched one decade ago as Outlaw Star UK, which is of course where I'm from and I wasn't feeling particularly creative.

    The name would probably sound a bit wacky without context. Outlaw Star is an anime (a Japanese animation) from the '90s with a space setting, but more simply it's a very fun show about adventure and chasing your dreams. It's become something of a cult show over the years and I was so hooked when I first watched it in 2008 I wanted to find more fans of the show. It wasn't that easy so I just went and made a forum.


    (Just a little promo video of the show.)​

    It took a while for things to take off, but when they did I met some great people. Back then forums had more life, however. As time went on, social media became king when it came to most forms of online communication. Sites such as Facebook had features like groups for fandoms and they ultimately overtook forums. Only the big boards survived unscathed. Eventually, despite my efforts I threw in the towel. That was in 2012.

    I continued to run Outlaw Star UK as a Facebook page for a few years. It became more like a blog though. It's ironic that you can get to know people who present themselves almost fictionally with a stupid avatar and a cheesy username better than those with a face and a real name on Facebook. Maybe it's because people feel they can be themselves with some kind of anonymity. People "Liked" updates on the page and wrote short comments, but calling it a community would have been a stretch. In 2015, in an attempt to appeal to a more global audience I relaunched the forum as Outlaw Star Nexus.

    It's worked out, sort of. It's been a nice reunion with old members, and I've made friends with other fans of the show new to the forum. Having said that, ever since relaunching it I've known that Nexus will always be a house of cards, because that's the challenge forum owners often face nowadays if their forum's topic is a niche. The thing about owning a forum is that even a short "post drought" can completely topple it if you're not careful. To reduce that risk I joined The Forum Wheel. Honestly it's been a mixed bag. There have been some bad eggs as well as decent posters.

    So, with that wall of text out of the way (congrats if you read it), this is where you come in. Despite all that talk about the anime's fandom above, most of the posts are in general sections. You'll have a much easier time if you have an interest in entertainment, like anime, video games, or film and TV. On average I find fans of these topics much better to work with, but I understand that they might not be your cup of tea. As a word of advice though, I've learnt that the best paid forum posters are adaptable. They're willing to devote some time to research a topic and understand it.

    Just check out our discussions (there's a recent post box at the bottom) and if you like what you see, maybe I'll see you on the Nexus. Make sure you understand OSN's rules at TFW's forum page.
     
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  2. Happyflowerlady

    Happyflowerlady Well-Known Member Moderator

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    I totally enjoyed your story, @Mantis , and I did read the whole thing. I think that what you have described has happened to a lot of forums, and I have not even posted or joined a forum here for some time now because there just are no forums that I know enough about to be interested in or write a post in.
    Most of the forums that I enjoyed either died, or just left TFW (or both). I also belong to some Facebook groups, but I really like the format of a forum better because there are separate topics, and you can have actual conversations easier than on a FB group.
     
    Mantis likes this.
  3. Mantis

    Mantis Active Member

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    Thanks, I appreciate that. I also agree with your points. TFW could really do with more forums. I hope once Ken sorts out the financial situation he can market it better, because I've enjoyed TFW more than any competitors.
     
    Happyflowerlady likes this.

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