Managing Online Forums by Patrick O’Keefe: A Review

On the surface, at least for me, managing on an online forum or community seemed like a piece of cake.  I mean, if it’s a community of like-minded people that share the same interests then it should be able to run itself, right?

Wrong.

In the back of my mind I think I knew there was a method behind running an online forum so when Patrick (aka @iFroggy) offered to send me a review copy of his new book, Managing Online Forums, I didn’t think twice before accepting that offer.

Managing Online Forums is great for anyone that is tasked or would like to be tasked with managing any kind of online community.  Whether it’s a membership forum, a mom’s group, or a company’s community around a brand, this book is one that can and will be referenced on a regular basis.

This book will appeal to complete novices and experts alike.  The book is written so that someone just starting an online forum can move through the book step-by-step to set-up, design, and get a forum running in no time.  Someone who has an existing forum will appreciate the chapters on keeping your members active, monetization, and dealing with trolls.

“Managing Online Forums” is the kind of book you’ll keep handy after you read it to refer back to again and again.  My favorite chapters were the ones about setting guidelines and rules.  Obviously, freedom of speech is important but so is the safety and morale of your members.  Patrick is very good at addressing your questions just as they surface when reading through the book.  The information and knowledge is organized in such a way that the reader will continuously build on what they’ve already done.  Patrick’s advice is practical and easy-to-understand.

There are lots of books about online forum and community management out there, but Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards is so comprehensive, I’d venture to say it’s probably the only one you’ll ever need.

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