This is all in the hope that they users will decide to register and see what's behind the doors.

Having people register before they get to see your forum is sometimes a good technique, sure.

But the problem is, when people actually get through to see there's nothing there, they feel like they've wasted their time and they're off before you can even say hello them.

So, leaving it open to them isn't exactly the best solution either. It's like the whole empty restaurant thing. Would you prefer to go in the busy restaurant, or the restaurant which has nobody in? Which restaurant is better just on this first impression?

One suggestion I'd agree with making is decreasing the amount of forum in to say one or two, keeping it compact so it seems more than it is in terms of posts. Having many empty forums is like having a big house with a load of empty bedrooms. Stick everyone in one bedroom and it seems like a busy house!

The general rule is, don't always look at the short term benefits, always take into consideration the long term effects.

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