how do you make a popular forum?

how do you make a popular forum?

With a whole bunch of people?

perhaps read some of wellread posts for pointers.  obviously you can't hope to achieve such excellence right off, but it is like studying master's games.  you pick up a few things and strive for greatness. 

I depends what you mean by popular. If you mean popular as a forum with good content and a lot of posts? Or just a lot of posts? If the latter, post threads like this: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/i-challenge-natalia-pogonina-to-a-chess-to-the-death?lc=1#last_comment

Though I don't recommend it.

Or, you can create your own forum on the internet. I have a couple, on the joys of correct spelling! Here's some links:

It might be easier to list the points to avoid:

1) any mention of chess.

Find a concept, and then an interesting way to discuss that concept. 

Yeah chess seems to be a restricted street with forums and it has it's road blocks, consisting of the U-Turns, the One Ways, and the Do Not Enters.   There is only so much to say about the game, but a great game nonetheless.  

Well, if you discuss chess, I am certain there are still plenty of good ideas to discuss.  But you want to discuss it in such a way that it is not boring.  Put your passion into your words, and others will take notice. 

You mean passion like this?

It traditional to have lions in forums - not lynxs.

Indubitably the most foolproof method is to wait for something to change on the site - and then slag off chess.com. It never fails.

It is traditional to have trolls in forums, not lions and not lynx.

Ask a question about something a lot of people will have an opinion on and/or give an obscure or even unpopular opinion of your own on the same subject.

If you want it to last a long time be a little vague with the facts you present and only make a few posts a day.  As to the posts you should respond to, at one end you should outright ignore the people who take the time to write on topic with useful information and at the other end it's almost always useful to respond to sarcastic or unhelpful comments.

If the popular opinion of the topic shifts toward the educated and well written post, it's useful to at that point acknowledge it but when you mention it, misinterpret it.  A subject change will be necessary soon.  Be subtle, act genuinely ignorant.

Lastly it's all about attitude.  Your character (the personality you assume) isn't putting on a show, they're just a genuinely ignorant enthusiastic fellow.  But the puppet master (troll), you, are putting on a show.  Play your part well and your topic (audience) will last a while.

Ha, very good advice and for a troll example: Squint your face and say "What you talking about Willis? 

I'm honored.

oinquarki what happened to your points, they're down.

This is not true. A thread about chess can be wildly popular as soon as it is hijacked.

work on your title, for example using the word 'cheat' in it, that will get alot of attention also it can get lock quickly. 

What? I didn't notice.