Social Network Features In Forum Software

[ZiNgA BuRgA]

(05-17-2012 12:54 AM)brad-t Wrote:  But the software has to be useable for admins who are targeting those audiences. I agree that official plugins are awesome, but it seems dev teams don't like to spend any time on them ...

A 3rd party plugin that works well is fine too IMO.

(05-17-2012 06:26 AM)RateU Wrote:  So it means that it should be as an optional. In your opinion or experience, do you think that it will increase your forum activity? I mean a real forum activity, like replying/creating threads?

Variations can be large, but honestly, for most forums out there, it's probably more of a placebo benefit.  If you've got a forum with no good content, you're going to get poor contribution regardless of social features or not.  If it's got good content, you'll get activity, again, regardless of of social features.  As most forums fail, these features perhaps just simply let the forum live for a bit longer, but it won't stop them from dying.

Stuff like social groups, profile comments etc probably don't have too many downsides to them, apart from being bloat if not being used.
As leefish perhaps alluded to, practically no-one uses ICQ any more, yet it's a living relic in MyBB.  The way it's done makes it very inflexible to add new services and remove old ones.  Which is why I say no to 3rd party integration.  Spend effort improving stuff like custom profile fields, and admins can add/remove stuff like ICQ, MSN themselves and don't waste time actually integrating them.  Can always have something to make it easier for noobs to have it by default or something.

Ideally everything has its own on/off type switch, but I think having too many isn't exactly good design either.  Something like MyBB just sorely lacks in modularity.