My direct experience is with setting up a closed forum for a large (3,000+) community. The communioty were building contractors and we envisaged the site being used to help them sort out subcontracts. find staff, and other business benefits as well as just discussing issues of the day.Result: nothing, nada, zilch. The forum wasn’t used – at all – for two years until it was closed.
What was missing?
IMNSHO what was missing was a core of enthusiasts who drive the forum on a day to day basis, raising issues and resonding to posts. Nobody wants to be the first poster. We have been discussing a forum for a medical charity last week. Again multiple real benefits of such a tool. However my advice was not to think about it unless the client was willing to put in the time to raise awarenes and most of all – keep it busy.
Bob Browning's blog 
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