What does a good forum need

If someone asked you on is the most important thing a forum needs to be good what would it be and why?

What a forum needs:

Nice skin and design, so it doesn't put you off
Active members
Nice and friendly community

Forgot what else, but quite a lot.

The main thing is to be able to stand on your own and provide a great active place the is inviting to new members.

It doesn't really need to be big, just active, growing, with welcoming designs and staff.

For me the important thing in a forum is the participation of all the members of the forum and not allowing spammed post.

Content. Even if a forum had the worst style ever I would join if it had nice content. Of course, a nice style is a bonus, but forums are for content not looks.

I agree. It does help though, most members only join if the forum looks appealing.

Looks and content would be the most important along with an admin that is willing to help out and be active.

Looks, Content, Active Members, Nice Admin and Mod

without this, your forum won't success

but my country most happening forum just using IPB default skins,

they dont care the look they just want user only, yet they still have god damm alot of user online everday

For me personally, apart from all the other things people listed above, a good forum also needs an active and non-abusive staff.

Nice eyecandy and good staff.

First impressions always count. Which is why I'm trying to switch to MyBB.

Daisy try this out: http://www.mybb.com/downloads/merge-system

Its a Merge System for MyBB. I'm not sure how it works.

content, theme, banner, enough posts on opening to have something to discuss about

A friendly, welcoming community is what I usually look for. If I don't feel wanted, I'm not going to stick around.

Garyn Fett wrote:

• Dedicated, mature Admin.
  
• Dedicated, mature Staff.
  
• Good design/skin.
  
• Good community
  
• Great content
  
• Updates.

I totally agree with all this in play your forum will be great

Ive just put a friendship forum together and im wondering what sort of topics i should have as the the more i look at my forum it seems to be missing some thing,I dont want to be like all the other forums out there i would like to stand out if i can

Out of everything the 2 main factors in my opinion is having understandable/respectable, active staff members and to have a clean and easy on the eyes forum skin/style.