Blog or Forum? Please adivse

[Skeeter]

I am thinking about developing a name I have. GripeAboutIt.com I want to make a site where people can "gripe" about issues that bother them. I am indecisive as to use a forum or Wordpress site.

I worry that the content may not be suitable for a forum as visitors may not want to join a forum to gripe about something. I also worry that getting a forum going takes a lot of time. People show up and see only 10 or posts and leave. That is why I am considering Wordpress because the membership isn't as big a part of the overall content.

Downside I see to Wordpress, or other blog site, is management of users and content if it does take off. I believe a forum would be easier to manage if there were a lot of members.

What else am I failing to conside?. Any ideas?

 

[mhdoc]

Before you put a lot of work into the site I would suggest asking yourself if you really want to expose yourself to that much negativity day after day. In addition to the trolls and spammers all forums/blogs attract you are deliberately targeting complainers.

Techdirt is a good website, with a lot of good information about copyright issues, but I find myself avoiding it because it is so negative.

I prefer to interact with happy, cheerful, upward and onward types

 

[rodriguez]

I think a wordpress would be better. Allowing the users to post whatever they want just seems like a bad idea. I think allow them to comment on what you post would be better. Have a "submit your gripe" button and then you can choose which gripes would be the best for the day. They you can post multiple gripes each day and allow people a chance to add comments and chime in. My 2 cents.

 

[shockie]

why not launch both? the blog will be needed to start off so that there is content (from yourself), and the forum will be used if/when the blog triggers enough visitors. i think that having a forum alone may not even get your idea off to a start.

 

[notlikeyou]

why not launch both? the blog will be needed to start off so that there is content (from yourself), and the forum will be used if/when the blog triggers enough visitors. i think that having a forum alone may not even get your idea off to a start.

great advice shockie

 

[Sudbury Guy]

Before you put a lot of work into the site I would suggest asking yourself if you really want to expose yourself to that much negativity day after day. In addition to the trolls and spammers all forums/blogs attract you are deliberately targeting complainers.

Seconded. I'd wait until you get something going marketing, content or reader wise before throwing up the forum though

 

[Ross]

A pligg script might work out better than both of those. Might have to mod it a bit but it will allow a constant flow and people can rate other peoples "gripes". Otherwise wordpress would give a better presentation if you had to choose a forum or wordpress.

 

[Skeeter]

why not launch both? the blog will be needed to start off so that there is content (from yourself), and the forum will be used if/when the blog triggers enough visitors. i think that having a forum alone may not even get your idea off to a start.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Right now I am experiementing with both as some of you suggested. I installed WP as the main site and SMF as a sub domain. Rather than open up the WP site for replies and content, I setup a Featured Gripes board in SMF. Basically the Featured Gripes board is reply only so I will control which topics get posted there. I built a custom script that syncs all topics and replies from the Featured Gripes board as articles in WP. It also syncs the users.

I am still working on the script to direct visitors to the forum when they try to comment on articles.

After reading some of you suggestions I took the spam idea to heart and WP just doesn't seem to have a lot of spam protection which is why all user registrations and commenting will be handled by SMF.

It's been fun to play with. Some of my friends already got on there and started "griping" about crap.

Thanks again for the replies.

Before you put a lot of work into the site I would suggest asking yourself if you really want to expose yourself to that much negativity day after day. In addition to the trolls and spammers all forums/blogs attract you are deliberately targeting complainers.

Techdirt is a good website, with a lot of good information about copyright issues, but I find myself avoiding it because it is so negative.

I prefer to interact with happy, cheerful, upward and onward types

I thought about this, and your comment is very valid, however, being a pretty cynical person myself I don't count and things being peachy all the time. I have prepared myself for the negativity that this particular idea will undoubtedly attract. Thanks for the honest reply. Much appreciated.

 

[dWhite]

You should definitely do both. Just make sure you don't neglect one or the other, which is what I did.

I've now got both a blog and forum running of the same niche, and I work them together.

 

[adaliabarclay]

You should definitely do both. Just make sure you don't neglect one or the other, which is what I did.

I've now got both a blog and forum running of the same niche, and I work them together.

Yup thats better idea , but i'm very very Against To The forum i think having site with wordpress is better idea more then having forum ... because forums want really extra time from the owner but blogs don't want much time , you can keep up to date your blog after every 2 or 3 days but if you have forum you have to spend lot of time daily on forum to check for spammers and trolls but if you have enough extra time then both are fine

 

[bamaboy]

I would say FORUM, all you need is much efforts and big cash in initial stages.

After that you just have to take a big rest, watching the money roll.
If good promotion is done, your forum will get good members and good traffic.

go for it.

Good luck