This is a long post so I'm going to break it up over a few posts to make it more readable.
Historically when there's been very little happening around here you've had the tendency to take matters into your own hands to ensure there were far more things happening than there ever should be.
That's true. And I've found that by doing so, I've yet to be given moderator status in view of my contributions and ability to create activity so now I'm trying a different tactic.
You know, from time to time, UncleBob has complained about the time he's had to spend doing some moderation clean-up. I'm not going to poo-poo that statement but just remind us all of that famous statement that time is money. While he may not get paid for his time, he does have the benefit of being a moderator which does have its positives with its negatives and so one could say there is a bit of compensation there.
However, for the average forum user, they do not get any of those responsibilities or rewards. Their reward is being able to find like-minded people who they share some of the same interests with and can converse with on these subjects. There is some camaraderie and bonds they can make. While this can be nice for awhile, even that plus can wear off. People they bond with my fade away and disappear from the forums. New voices may arise that they disagree with. They may get upset or frustrated with other user's viewpoints. They may even begin to dislike the initial Nintendo product that brought them to this sight in the first place. If that happens, they may move on to a new site and start the process over there. If enough people do that, then the forums will die off. With people leaving to other sites, it could affect the fan base of the NWR site as a whole serving to reduce its output and affect its long-term future. Although one can reach people through other media like Youtube, Twitter and Podcasts, I do think the forums here still provide the best feedback the producers of content for this site can get and make the best gathering place. Do you really want to swap 3DS codes on the YouTube comments page?
How do you retain forum users then? The way I see it is in the very basic requirement for any site. Content. Now content can mean different things. It can mean the videos and podcasts and news articles we see posted all the time. But those can be limited by the purpose of the site which is to focus on Nintendo news. That's why I believe the community forums are some of the most important to this site because it allows for content beyond this site's purpose. The ability to talk about tech, movies, music, TV, cooking. That can all be found in General Chat.
Although some people want to turn up their nose at the thought of Nintendo using meme jokes in their localization of games, plenty of people like them as shown by Lucario using his thread to post many images of them. People like to laugh and just have some silly fun and that's what makes the Funhouse great. It can be a chance to break a few forum rules (within reason, I'm told) and just post nonsense (or complain some more). Even in there, serious discussion and debate can arise but when it can catch fire with some wild silliness, it is one of my favorite places on the internet.
Plus, one can even play games in it. The Mafia forum highlights the game aspect of content although myself and others have thrown out some other game ideas in the Funhouse from time to time. People come here to this site because of their gaming hobby so it just makes sense people here may be interested in playing games while visiting as well. And I think time has shown that having this broader type of content has served these forums well and has kept many users coming back here over the years because of it.