The following interview was conducted by @Shawn Gossman for @Cpvr which is the forum owner of Virtual Pet List Forum about their experience in forum management. I hope you enjoy this interview. I enjoyed doing it because CPVR is someone I have known in the forum world for many years. He's always been a forum owner that I've enjoyed interacting with because he is so friendly and outgoing.
1. Tell us about yourself. Who is CPVR? Take us into a glimpse of your life.
I’m a 35-year-old webmaster based in Texas, where I’ve lived for the past 20 years, originally from Massachusetts. I’m a father of one and an uncle to four nieces and four nephews. I started my journey as a webmaster at 14. I’m also the oldest sibling of seven, with three brothers and three sisters.
2. Tell us about your forum experience. Include any past forums and your current forum.
In 2016-2017, I ran an admin/webmaster forum called TheAdminEffect, which performed quite well, along with a general chat forum called OffTopicBB. I launched these two forums, inspired by VPL’s earlier success, and enjoyed the experience of managing them.
3. What got you into forums? What made you want to start a forum?
I first launched VPL when I was 16, starting on SMF, then moving to vBulletin and later XenForo. In 2006, I worked as a content manager for a pet game, responsible for adding new content, which inspired me to create my own forum. I loved leading behind the scenes, and those early experiences taught me a lot, shaping me into the admin I am today. I originally began as a moderator before advancing to content manager.
4. What do you know now about forums that you wish you knew when you first started?
I wish I’d known more about SEO, marketing, and forum-building when I first started at 16. Having those skills would have made the process much easier.
5. What advice would you give to someone starting a forum in 2024?
Go for it! There’s always room for another forum. Any progress is good progress—Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t get discouraged if your forum’s growth is slow. Be patient and keep working on it. Set small goals, as they’re much easier to tackle than big ones, and keep your eye on the prize.
6. How do you feel about the status of forums now? How do you feel about the future of forums?
Forums are picking up again, especially with Google now displaying forum topics in search results. By next year, I expect many forums will grow significantly. It’s a good sign, and I’m excited! I believe the future of forums is bright, and they’ll continue to be a unique part of the internet, offering a sense of community that sets them apart from social media.
7. Aside from your forum, what are some of your favorite forums to visit? Why do you enjoy them so much?
My favorite forums are AAF, Forum Promotion, and Administrata. I enjoy these because they provide high-quality discussions for administrators and forum owners. There’s really nothing else quite like them.
8. What’s your forum software of choice? Why is that?
XenForo is my top choice. It’s easy to set up and customize, with excellent SEO capabilities out of the box. Its add-ons make it simple to expand a forum into a CMS, which is great for adding resources, articles, or even a blog for members.
1. Tell us about yourself. Who is CPVR? Take us into a glimpse of your life.
I’m a 35-year-old webmaster based in Texas, where I’ve lived for the past 20 years, originally from Massachusetts. I’m a father of one and an uncle to four nieces and four nephews. I started my journey as a webmaster at 14. I’m also the oldest sibling of seven, with three brothers and three sisters.
2. Tell us about your forum experience. Include any past forums and your current forum.
In 2016-2017, I ran an admin/webmaster forum called TheAdminEffect, which performed quite well, along with a general chat forum called OffTopicBB. I launched these two forums, inspired by VPL’s earlier success, and enjoyed the experience of managing them.
3. What got you into forums? What made you want to start a forum?
I first launched VPL when I was 16, starting on SMF, then moving to vBulletin and later XenForo. In 2006, I worked as a content manager for a pet game, responsible for adding new content, which inspired me to create my own forum. I loved leading behind the scenes, and those early experiences taught me a lot, shaping me into the admin I am today. I originally began as a moderator before advancing to content manager.
4. What do you know now about forums that you wish you knew when you first started?
I wish I’d known more about SEO, marketing, and forum-building when I first started at 16. Having those skills would have made the process much easier.
5. What advice would you give to someone starting a forum in 2024?
Go for it! There’s always room for another forum. Any progress is good progress—Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t get discouraged if your forum’s growth is slow. Be patient and keep working on it. Set small goals, as they’re much easier to tackle than big ones, and keep your eye on the prize.
6. How do you feel about the status of forums now? How do you feel about the future of forums?
Forums are picking up again, especially with Google now displaying forum topics in search results. By next year, I expect many forums will grow significantly. It’s a good sign, and I’m excited! I believe the future of forums is bright, and they’ll continue to be a unique part of the internet, offering a sense of community that sets them apart from social media.
7. Aside from your forum, what are some of your favorite forums to visit? Why do you enjoy them so much?
My favorite forums are AAF, Forum Promotion, and Administrata. I enjoy these because they provide high-quality discussions for administrators and forum owners. There’s really nothing else quite like them.
8. What’s your forum software of choice? Why is that?
XenForo is my top choice. It’s easy to set up and customize, with excellent SEO capabilities out of the box. Its add-ons make it simple to expand a forum into a CMS, which is great for adding resources, articles, or even a blog for members.
