Managing an online community forum

Message boards don't just become thriving online communities, once they are launched.  Once you have people participating in your community, you will need to encourage them. Part of community-building is rewarding and highlighting frequent participators. Keep track of your star users and write to them off the mesage boards. Also, have periodic events and activities to create a sense of place, with the passing of time and highlight landmarks that pertain to your community.  You need to create a community within your community, as this helps give your members a sense of ownership. After you have created this core-group of users, they will help you build and sustain your larger community.