Admins: What are your experiences with TCB?

It's just my opinion, here, feel free to discuss with other people around.

- What mistakes did you do?
Imo, main one is we extrapolated the rate of incomers over the 1st month.
We ended up with a server that was way too costly, and had to migrate twice.

- What problems did you encounter and how did you solve them?
Too long to reply in a few sentences Better if you come with more specific issues.
PS : but we solve most issues by debating in thematic team(s) and/or in general assemblies.

- How many people should be involved in the "core team"? What skills are needed?
Hard one, depends on what your "core team" has to do.
Here, we have several "core" teams made of network users :
- like 5 technicians (linuxians) + 3 network managers (phpfo
- 5 or about moderators accessing sensible functions (requires patience)
- 10-15 watchers making sure voted charter is respected (lotsa attention)
= makes like 30ish people in all with (skills).
That doesn't count the various thematic work teams that existed and/or still exist.

- How did you do the "marketing"?
It's been done mainly by newsletters/web, but also by paper & other networks.

- Would you do it again?
Definitely, even if having more active (!) participants would make automanagement way more fluent.

- Are users satisfied or do they all stay at/go back to Facebook in the end?
Depends on people ; globally people that come here go on both and find infos here they wouldn't get in FB.
Some got back to FB because the moderation doesn't exist there, while we don't allow extreme-right crap around.
You also have a minority that only use TCB as they have all they need here, and they appreciate that spirit.

Hope that replies to your concerns