Great article, Rosemary! I'd just add this: to 1. - No matter HOW you define success, your community must be visible in order to be successful. I've seen too many people hide their communities so that it takes a trail of breadcrumbs and a jungle machete to find it. to 2. - Completely agree that these are questions that are best answered before you start. We've seen a number of communities try to set up "premium features" on formerly-free features.

Excellent points and great thoughts to consider before starting an online community. An addition to 1: How do my forum users define success, and is this congruent with my definition? What is their baseline for success, and what factors will cause them to consider the community a failure?

I went to opposite approach. I purchased a UBB license from Infopop to give a few friends and I a new home and blindly jumped in with both feet. I can't thank you enough for giving a complimentary license to Leo Laporte. That was my intro to the world of Social Strata.

Thanks all for the excellent additions to the list! LOM great one! If you're going to throw a great party, you want to focus more on the comfort of your guests than yourself, right? Harold, we've always been big fans of Leo. It's cool to hear that something we did a long time ago has rippled through the years And we've definitely benefited from having you around too!