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I built a 30k+ member vbulletin community in the 2000s. I used sock puppets with different personalities and views that created threads, replied to each other

I built a 30k+ member vbulletin community in the 2000s. I used sock puppets with different personalities and views that created threads, replied to each other and encouraged real users to reply and made them feel welcome. I also moderated as myself and was welcoming to real new users, (and the puppets :) This did not last more than two months, as there were enough real users that the puppets were able to largely hibernate. But it did happen, and it worked. I never outed my puppets and they were not used longer than necessary. Puppets will not sustain a community, but they can help establish one.

srndh 6y ago
how is it doing now after 20 years? I feel the real challenge is once the community comes together, it invites or makes new comers feel comfortable. Also usually old members just move on for various reasons.
- bredren 6y ago
  It was a Dave Matthews Band fan community and I shut it down in 2015 due to server costs, (which the community mostly covered Via PayPal but I had to do fundraisers) looming security issues (drupal and vbulletin integrations that became hard to get security updates for and my own passing interest in the band. But not because there wasn’t community. I had a solid moderation and community admin staff and people writing content for the blog. To your point yes. Any community, band fans to burning man needs new blood constantly or it will die. People move on. There’s a lot of talk about this in the DOTA 2 community—-fear it will not stay at the top of esports if it doesn’t do more to make itself welcoming to noobs.
  - srndh 6y ago
    Why not start a subreddit on reddit and use the wiki for a blog? Just an idea, I have no experience running a subreddit. Plus I am sure a Dave Matthews Band fan community wouldn't offend anyone. So, reddit can foot the bill for your community. Just keep a backup incase of issue.
    - bredren 6y ago
      I made a Facebook page people used to connect afterward. I think these other sites are not the same as an integrated experience I had before. It was a “community driven online destination.” I do have a backup and I may make the forum available again, but I am not sure. It was a lot of content to go dark suddenly.
andreygrehov 6y ago
AFAIK, Reddit was created in a similar manner. According to Reddit cofounder Steve Huffman, in the early days the Reddit crew just faked it ‘til they made it – hundreds of fake profiles to boost popularity of the site.
- bredren 6y ago
  I have a very early account. I remember being chastised by another user for posting links to my own blog over weeks. That’s how few posts there were. I wonder if it was them trying to shape content.
GFischer 6y ago
That was actually the same thing Reddit did, IIRC. Have a bunch of different accounts and post interesting stuff. Nobody wants to join a barren community. That's also why clubs and other social gathering places entice people with free drinks, VIP passes and get some cliques to be in early, to generate movement.

srndh 6y ago

how is it doing now after 20 years? I feel the real challenge is once the community comes together, it invites or makes new comers feel comfortable. Also usually old members just move on for various reasons.

bredren 6y ago
It was a Dave Matthews Band fan community and I shut it down in 2015 due to server costs, (which the community mostly covered Via PayPal but I had to do fundraisers) looming security issues (drupal and vbulletin integrations that became hard to get security updates for and my own passing interest in the band. But not because there wasn’t community. I had a solid moderation and community admin staff and people writing content for the blog. To your point yes. Any community, band fans to burning man needs new blood constantly or it will die. People move on. There’s a lot of talk about this in the DOTA 2 community—-fear it will not stay at the top of esports if it doesn’t do more to make itself welcoming to noobs.
- srndh 6y ago
  Why not start a subreddit on reddit and use the wiki for a blog? Just an idea, I have no experience running a subreddit. Plus I am sure a Dave Matthews Band fan community wouldn't offend anyone. So, reddit can foot the bill for your community. Just keep a backup incase of issue.
  - bredren 6y ago
    I made a Facebook page people used to connect afterward. I think these other sites are not the same as an integrated experience I had before. It was a “community driven online destination.” I do have a backup and I may make the forum available again, but I am not sure. It was a lot of content to go dark suddenly.

andreygrehov 6y ago

AFAIK, Reddit was created in a similar manner. According to Reddit cofounder Steve Huffman, in the early days the Reddit crew just faked it ‘til they made it – hundreds of fake profiles to boost popularity of the site.

bredren 6y ago
I have a very early account. I remember being chastised by another user for posting links to my own blog over weeks. That’s how few posts there were. I wonder if it was them trying to shape content.

GFischer 6y ago

That was actually the same thing Reddit did, IIRC. Have a bunch of different accounts and post interesting stuff. Nobody wants to join a barren community. That's also why clubs and other social gathering places entice people with free drinks, VIP passes and get some cliques to be in early, to generate movement.