I don't own a forum, but in my experience in participation is, the looser the better, growth and participation wise. Many lurk for weeks/months before posting.

I got a community board running on a dutch site. We keep it very very loose ( sometimes a bit to loose ) but this does increase the number of people posting! though I never tried creating a webmaster forum ( i do want it very very bad ) but i'm to scared that no one will join, and that it will not be good enough to be online

I have a rugby forum, and we have a minimum number of forums within it.

welsh rugby
other nations
general stuff
pictures

We have word censors in operation to remove the most offensive words, but by and large we moderate with a quiet hand. We prefer to pm someone and ask them to alter their post if it is outside the guidelines. We do not tolerate spammers at all, they are removed and access turned off right out. But by and large we are loose. We will split a topic if it has drifted into a menaingfull tiopic in its own right. EG yesterday we were discussing a player and his new girlfriend (Charlotte church the singer) and someone posted an image. someone mad a comment and it became a caption contest, so we split it and moved itaway from the rugby and into the general.

I am with Paul here that the key to the success of a forum is for people to feel comfortable posting. If they see people getting smashed by Mods, or other members then they will never make a post.

I was wondering because my forums are a free for all, you can pretty much post anything but it's to be in a context that won't be offensive to the eyes of an 8 year old girl. I also have word censors in place that also covers 133753@k terminology as well.

I also won't tolerate members bashing each other, debate, or questioning mod/admin authority.

Aside from that, pretty much everything goes.

People like to know what is and isn't acceptable. Our other problem is that it is a rugby forum, and many of the members are posting under the influence of beer on a Saturday night after a game lol.

"I also won't tolerate members bashing each other, debate, or questioning mod/admin authority."

I'd take that out of your TOS/guidelines, to a certain extent.

Nothing like a good flame war on a msg board. And you wanna talk about traffic? Holy Cow!

On the odd occasion we have had a flame war, we have instantly gone in and turned access off to all the parties involved. Of course we turn them back on after we have emailed them and read them the riot act. We do it on a softly softly way though by explaining that fights should be conducted in private, and that if they do not want to use the PM facility we will be happy to turn it off for them etc.

As soon as they are detached from the fight they calm down. You can then turn on access and no one is any the wiser to what has been said in private.

Naw, I say let it all out in the open, for all to see.

Are you serious Paul? I am nt being sarcastic or condescending here I am asking an honest question. Don't you think it will scare newbies off?