My first thought when it was announce at the Dad Network was that it would just be seen as a MumsNetspin-off and it would lose some of its originality, though i am not sure that’s the right word. Think I was worried it would just be seen as “oh, someone from MumsNet just made a small Dads one” and I know a few others around me a the time thought the same. Even at that stage it was clear it was happening though so i just kinda shrugged and hoped I was going to be proved wrong. And I still do maintain that hope. And anyway, I work in marketing and I am still to be convinced that a name means very little when trying to build a community, it’s the people that count and that’s what we are here for. Plus Al and all have worked their backsides off for this and Dad Network (gulp) has made me 1000% a better Dad so anything I can do to help/support/not get in the way, I will try to do.
I agree on the sub forums thing but then I know it is also super easy to then have a million sub forums, with about three people posting in each one. So it is a difficult balancing act. I wonder if a General chat/nonsense area, a “your kids” area and then “yourself” area would do it. Terrible names obviously, but hopefully people get the general gist if what I am getting at? Maybe that is too general and there needs to be some middle ground.
I’ll stop waffling now.