Private forums provide a space for groups to talk about a specific topic or interest in more depth and with less public involvement than in the open forums. They are a great way to dig deeply into a specific form of analysis, strategy, or just to build a group of friends.
Anyone may request a private forum for a group of people, but there's a few quid-pro-quos so to speak.
In general - start a thread in this forum, get 10 people to agree that they will take part in the forum, request the forum, and keep it active so it doesn't get closed.
This helps to keep the forums relatively clutter free and keeps the groups much more relevant and useful.
More specifically:
Forming a Private Forum
It is recommended that you have some users ready to join your private forum before you request your private forum. By doing this it shows you have interest already generated in your group.
To generate the interest in your group, you may post in the Members Private Forums forum about your group. In the thread you should clearly detail why you are forming the private forum, what your forum is about, and what it offers uniquely in comparison to other private forums.
In the thread, it is recommended you include the following:
The name of the private forum
A brief description of the forum
A roster displaying the group administrators of the forum as well as its other members
Any special rules you expect users to follow in the forum
Once the private forum is created, note in your thread that it is now active
You are not required to update the thread once the forum is created
Requesting the Private Forum
Private Forums must have a minimum of 10 members (including the leader) ready to join before the forum is created.
Private Forums may have at maximum 3 group administrators that are able to add/remove members for the forum as well as modify members’ posts in the forum.
When requesting a Private Forum, please email the following to [email protected]
The name of the private forum
The forum description to be displayed below the forum name on the Board Index
The purpose of the private forum (ie – what will be discussed)
Any special rules you expect users to follow in the forum
A roster displaying the group administrators of the forum as well as its other members (please specify which members are to be the group administrators)
Rules for Private Forums
In general, main forum rules still apply (some forums may also have additional rules)
Trade2Win.com administrators and staff do not get involved in private forum moderation. The administrator of your private forum will have sufficient tools to handle most disputes
If a dispute spills into the main forum, it will be deferred to the administrator of the private forum
If the dispute is not handled by the private group administrator and continues in public, it will be treated as trolling per the forum rules
Private group administrators also have a few rules to follow
Adding members to the forum without their consent may result in loss of administrative privileges.
Group administrators may not set their users’ default group to that of the private forum.
Abandoned Private Forums
Private forums are considered to be abandoned if there are no posts in that forum for at least 30 days and may be closed or removed
Site administrators will give the private forum warning prior to deleting the forum
A forum is also considered abandoned if the roster drops below 10 members, however if your roster drops this low you will be given considerable time to increase your member base again
If the leader of the forum abandons the forum, a formal vote within the private forum to elect a new leader is the best way to revive the forum
If the forum ends up being a lost cause and you have exhausted all your other resources in attempt to recreate activity within the private forum, email [email protected] and the forum will be removed after careful consideration of its activity
