How can i get members to post in the right subforums without causing resentment?

[Victoria62]

I truly believe that communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship, but so many couples struggle with it. I'm always looking for practical relationship communication tips that people can actually implement.

Some of the most effective communication tips I've found include using "I" statements instead of "you" statements when discussing problems, learning your partner's communication style (some people need time to process before talking), and setting aside dedicated time to talk without distractions.

What are your best relationship communication tips? I'm particularly interested in advice for difficult conversations and conflict resolution.

[Victoria34]

I’ve been running a small hobby forum for a few years, and lately I’m struggling with how to handle members who consistently post in the wrong subforums despite clear rules. Moving their threads feels like I’m policing them, but leaving them misplaced makes the whole place feel messy and hard to navigate. I’m not sure if I should just keep quietly moderating or if there’s a better way to encourage better posting habits without causing resentment.

[Nicholas.A]

Yeah I know that feeling. I started quietly moving a lot of threads myself for a couple weeks, just to see what happens. The forum didn’t explode, but a few members noticed and asked why I touched their stuff. I felt bad about policing, but the navigation did feel clearer after a run of moves.

[AbigailYJ]

I tried tagging reminders in the titles and a pinned note in the rules. It helped a bit, and I got fewer misposted threads, but it’s not perfect.

[MilaIS]

I keep wondering if the issue is how we name the sections. Some posts look like they could fit several places, so people pick what seems closest. Maybe we need more cross posts or looser categories.

[Andrew70]

One concrete thing I did was set up a small auto-move rule for obvious misposts and left a friendly comment explaining where it went. It trimmed the obvious stuff but some folks took it personally and pushed back.

[Jerry.W]

Sometimes I feel like I’m policing for the sake of order rather than helping the community. There was a stretch where I moved a handful of threads and then a bunch of others popped up in the same wrong spot anyway. I dropped a few moves and watched what happened next.

[AdamAM]

Do you think this is really about forum etiquette or is there a bigger UX mismatch that pushes people to post in the wrong place in the first place?