Loads of categories or minimal categories on a forum?

[Shortie]

I have been a member of many forums over the years and I have seen forums with many different categories and others who have few categories and the option to discuss many different topics in one forum on its own.

I always used to have separate sections for different topics when I had my forum but as I have used more forums and also learned a lot through my working on forums, I find now it is sometimes better to have minimal categories.

Do you prefer to have or see a minimal amount of categories on a forum or do you not mind how many categories there are?

 

[Beetlejuice]

I would say we have a bit of both. I could add more sections if I wanted to but I don't want to make the forum list too long.

 

[Lord Roco]

I prefer to have short categories for two reasons:

1. It would be very hard to make sections for each and every thing and the categories becomes too large and too exhausting to manage.

2. For a member, he would have to use more 'intellectual horse power' to determine where each topic goes. Thats not the philosophy of forums which are made to encourgae respectable discussions.

3. Long forum lists and the need to find icons for each of these categories adds more work into forum administration.

 

[bestwriter]

Where I have been on a Site since 2009 there are no categories at all and the Site is thriving. One just needs to tag their threads.

 

[King Belieal]

I would like forums that have a lot of categories. That ensures that the forum has traction for a wide variety of people and interests. I have interests in various endeavours and having a forum with many categories would easily hook me to that forum.

 

[Cpvr]

I think as a forum grows and expands, more categories are necessary along with sub forums.

I’ve always been a fan of gradually rolling them out once a forum grows larger.