Well if it is dead then it's done it's not going to start up again.... Unless maybe you just take all the forum code and make a new website the site would be started up again, change it a bit, restart, and then it would not be time to call it quits.
I have ran competitions giving away good prices, paid forum poster, I try every day to make each topic active, start many topics, I created 3 accounts myself answering my own crap, its running in the back ground all, add many new BBcodes, ebook download section. Last month I got 300k hits on my main site not sure how many goto my forum, I see people online but never join, I understand most come to read the ones that do join I think mainly because of the ebook section, cause you need to be registered but they never post no even a friggen thankyou, I know the books are being downloaded. I believe my niche is very popular everyday I come across new ones 100x bigger than mine. I truly feel i'm beating a dead horse.
Try to require registration for some things...like search. Then add post count requirements for other things like PMs or maybe a certain site section. You should analyze your site traffic more than you do. You should know what they are clicking and why. Use Google Analytics to really get deep into the stats and analyze them.
Thanks RM , i'm still learning everything I only became interested in the internet 6-7 months ago before that i only used it for work why am I telling you this, simple;analytics have me confused for reason that I don't understand, how? When I check my Awstat it gives me completely different figures to analytics, analytics tells me I should just kill myself...well not really but kill the site............... Both Awstats and Analytics only show who clicking what on my main site it does not show anything for the forum, therefore all I can do is judge by people coming and posting. OK so i need to educate myself on the whole darn webmaster thing, that's one of the reasons i joined this place and blah blah blah now I sound like a little biatch. I think we all like our forums to succeed even if you are an expert, I'm sure you will reach a point where you will call it quits on a forum that just isn't working, the only thing i'm thankful for I didn't waste my money on buying VBulletin..............
Do you have analytics code on your forums? 6-7 months isn't a long time imho for you to have learned enough to quit. Maybe try a 2nd project. Realistically the day to day work sometimes isn't as hard as the patience of waiting months for a site to take off. And of course there are no guarantees. That's why I always have a handful of projects going. I nearly always have at least one or two that takes off. Expand your horizons maybe. Experiment with new ideas, genres, and domains.
Yeah I guess your right,I do have another site but its static only needs to be updated once a month, it's not in my sig but you may check it out if you wish, it's my club you'll find the pool effect interesting www.oxygenhealthclub.com ........haha sounds like i'n plugging my club, well unless you live in China. I shall venture for a bit longer, porn seems to be popular I can always add some more, that would be unique Bodybuilding & Bitches....................