Hi Linda, You have definatly posted some great points. And I agree with you. There are just so many hours in the day one can spend reading and replying to forums. Personally I review invites for interesting topics and those that I feel that I may be able to add something constructive to, if not I pass it. So what can I add here? In regards to getting responses to your forums keep in my mind that all the members or majority of members receieve dozens if not hundreds of email offers ie new programs, traffic exchanges, etc in their personal email boxes alone each and every day. Most are overwhelmed if not confused by all of it. Did you think they want to read another one just because it's in a forum? What they want is help and directions on figuring out what they already have, not more stuff to confuse them. So the key to a responsive forum is qualty and helpful content. Like the saying goes Help enough people Get What They Want, and then they'll help you get what you want. Meaning you have TO GIVE in order to receive. 85% of the forums that come thru my box all have the same underlying theme, Give me, give me, give me and sign up for my program. It gets old real quick. So my advise is concentrate on HELPING Others First before asking for something in return. Also it will help to develope a reputation of helping others by offering constructive advice at other folks forums prior to trying your own. When you can do this, others will seek you out to hear what you have to say. It is as simply as adhereing to the Golden rule of "Doing and treating others as you yourself wish to be treated" May success be yours,

I see "being polite" is a significant priority in AdlandPro, however, elsewhere one hardly seen it as a priority. I can't read minds and smilies are not reliable to reveal what's in the posters' mind. The few times I've posted to my forums, I've reluctantly used the "Send to all members", and have wondered if it goes to only the members of that forum or to the whole membership of AdlandPro? There must be a certain level of satisfaction in seeing one's expression of "thanks but no thanks" or whatever in a forum. A sincere response from polite people is encouragement to any effort spent on writing an idea I'm serious about, like asking how your car started this morning in, i.e -20*F? If I get no response, I assume such members don't want to provoke me into a conversation that might show their ignorance. I'm honored by those few here that risk being polite and know that I would not make them feel incompetent by asking the right questions even if they had no intention of taking the topic any further to place an order or request a catalog.

I have to agree with you Linda. With over 100 emails and invites a day I must pick and choose. Somedays it seems like I live with my laptop. (I'm at work right now) shhhhh... David I have been to many of your forums and never posted. I normally won't post when all I can say is I agree, thanks for the invite. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with your forum. It just means I didn't have anything to contribute. Peter, your post is right on the mark. I agree 100%. The other day I received an invite from someone who had joined ALP 3 days before. That person already had 174 friends and his invitation was an add for his biz-op. Maybe we can talk to Bogdan and make this forum required reading for new members! :-)

This is a reassuring post for me. I've been real busy lately implementing some new proceedures and plans and haven't devoted enough time to my adlandpro friends. I've felt particularly guilty about not answering posts but your thoughts put things in context. Having read the post and given some consideration to my time management (never great)I've decided that I will devote a set period in the week to specifically answer posts. I also believe that we should try and be selective with our friends, looking for people with similar interests and pursuits (Internet marketing is an amazingly broad area of interst and frankly I'm tired of getting invites to posts that are advertising doublers, cyclers, HYiP programs etc) The value of adland pro is making worthwhile connections, learning from people with something of value to offer and hopefully offering some value in return. That is how long term business relationships are built.

Hi Linda Just wanted to pop back in for a moment to make this statement. Judge not the initial success of your forum by 'reply posts' but by the amount of VIEWS. If I have several hundred views then I am being read and that is the initial key. Then examine your content and check if it is write in away that invite comment. Often our we are so through what more can be added? Time to rest