Have you ever lost interest in your forum?

[Bawse]

I had days where I didn't feel motivated to post, or come up with new content, but never fully lost interest.

Have any other forum owner lost interest in maintaining their forums?

 

[MrDawn]

I did for the reason when I didn't see it going any where. I'm a guy who likes to see results. If the results are not up to my standards, I pull the plug.

 

[Bawse]

I did for the reason when I didn't see it going any where. I'm a guy who likes to see results. If the results are not up to my standards, I pull the plug.

Forums take a lot of dedication to succeed. Results don't happen fast unless you offer cool promotions/giveaways.

 

[ElegantAura]

I briefly ran a forum, but eventually decided to close it down. it wasn't because I lost interest. It was simply a time when a lot was going on in my life.
That was in the past, but it's not something I'm interested in now

 

[Bawse]

I briefly ran a forum, but eventually decided to close it down. it wasn't because I lost interest. It was simply a time when a lot was going on in my life.
That was in the past, but it's not something I'm interested in now

I get it. I started other forums in the past too that I never let reach their full potential, because I changed my interest to other sites.

 

[PGen98]

Oh absolutely, I've been running forums for over 25 years, I've had a fair few instances where I lost interest in them, either momentarily or permanently, and had to shut them own. It's not a failure, burnout happens and we learn from each action we take. It's ok to lose interest, but if you have the chance to step away for a bit, let someone else run it, or even hand it off completely instead of closing it, then go that route, it saves the community for those who enjoy it.

 

[MrDawn]

Forums take a lot of dedication to succeed. Results don't happen fast unless you offer cool promotions/giveaways.

I like your optimism. I've been on forums since the late 2000's and I've seen a lot of them come and go, especially on forum promotion sites. Every now and then you get someone who knows what people like and how they like it and those owners are very successful. But yea, I wish all forum owners success.

 

[Cpvr]

I had days where I didn't feel motivated to post, or come up with new content, but never fully lost interest.

Have any other forum owner lost interest in maintaining their forums?

I’ve never lost interest, but I’ve had days where I can’t come up with any new ideas nor new content because I’m having an off day. As I’m lacking the inspiration and motivation to do anything. It happens and there isn’t anything wrong with that.

We all go through it as forum owners but the willingness and drive to push forward is whats a huge difference. Rome wasn’t built in one day and a forum won’t be built in one day. It’s okay to take days off.

It’s okay to shut down a forum if you lose interest as well. There’s absolutely nothin wrong with that!

 

[Nebulous]

I have. I have also experienced burnout. Breaks help, I once took a 6 year break (from 2016-2022) not only from this forum but from all forums in general. I also had some stuff going on in my personal life that forced me to step away back in 2016. I probably could have came back sooner than 2022 but I suppose I got so used to not going on forums that it never occurred to me to come back. The reason I did come back is because I stumbled upon a backup to this forum when I found a random flash drive in a box in my closet.

Nowadays I wouldn't consider closing this place, I recently just paid up all the hosting and domains for the next couple years, I wont have to worry about paying any renewal feels until mid 2026.

I am thankful for our amazing @Admins and @Moderators we have here, I can step away for a while when IRL life gets busy or if I am just in a non-forum-browsing type of mood. They are the best!

 

[PixelPioneer]

I’ve always felt a deep connection to my forum. It’s a space that reflects my interests and values, and I’ve invested a lot of time in nurturing it. Like many of you, I’ve had moments of doubt and periods where my motivation waned. It’s natural for our interests to ebb and flow over time. What keeps me coming back is the community and seeing regular members engage, share, and support each other gives me a sense of purpose.

I believe in taking breaks when needed and coming back with fresh ideas. It’s all about balance and remembering why the forum was created in the first place.

@Nebulous, your story is truly inspiring! It’s a testament to the idea that sometimes stepping away can reignite the spark. Your proactive approach to securing the forum’s future is commendable. Kudos to you and the team for creating a space that can withstand the ebb and flow of life’s demands. 👏