what would you do if you were the new owners of Oprano?

[vdc-Loki]

oh and I'd bring back "cross postings"

-Loki-

[Hell Puppy]

First thing I'd do is sit down and map out a plan....

Figure out exactly what you want this joint to be and how you're gonna get it there.

A few thoughts from the cheap seats:

--You're not gonna draw mainstream. Forget those thoughts. Even the mainstream webmasters who "get it" aren't gonna deal with the adult stigma. A mainstream forum would be best opened as a totally new clean venture, there's no advantage to lending the oprano name to it. I've discussed "porn taint" before. Things we as industry insiders accept and think nothing of shocks the outsiders. And this place has the porn taint.

--Whatever you do, remember a forum is a community. Joe is on target in that regard with the bar scenario. Make your patrons feel like they are at home and they belong and they'll come in forever. Start shaking them down, alienate them or just remove their sense of "belonging" and they'll leave.

--Oprano's core strength was always the history that is here. More-so than any board, there are/were people here who have been around all the way back to 97 and before. Most have made big money at some point, some even still have some of it. In all cases you cant bullshit them, and they love it when some newbie tries.

Forums draw people together of like mindsets. What separates this place? GFY has the volume, but there's a market for an older crowd who is interested in things other than what Juicy did this weekend, whose online and drunk or determining if "you'd hit it". There are other boards out there who have carved out a niche for themselves, Oprano needs to do the same.

Much of the old guard has been run off. I wouldn't look for them to come back. Those who are still doing major business are often too busy for boards or have diversified out of adult. There are those who are still "piddling" who hang around because they still have friends here. And there are some who are "active" in the business right now, but frankly those are rare on this board of late.

So if you want oprano to mean business again, what do you do to bring those who want to have adult discussions and do business together back or in some cases in for the first time. And if you do, will they be welcomed or pounced on and beat to a pulp until they leave?