building a web community

Hi, I am really interested in moving on from my site http://www.dirtybbq.com which I developed just for experience and for the enjoyment of my friends at college. Now I want to develop a site, or web community really, that can appeal to a much broader range of people instead of just people who know me. I am amazed at some sites I see that are message boards/user profiles but have thousands of members who actively participate in discussions, arguments, photo sharing, advice etc. daily. How can I build a community like this? I can definitely add a ton of great functionality but I'm want a clearer idea of how to get people involved before I spend the time and energy to build it. I am not looking to make any money, just have a good time developing and attract a wide array of viewers/participants. I don't know where to go for advice on this. Any suggestions? Thanks.

hahaha sorry i dont know the answer but...i had fun checkin out your site!! hahaha good stuff!!

good lucky and ROCK ON!!!

There are a good many articles and sites out there dedicated to self-promotion on the web.. which is basically what you're getting into.
The problem is, I've learned.. there are things that they can suggest you do, etc (particularly establishing a presence on other communities).. but what deserves more attention are things to NOT do.
This is a huge topic, and one that a lot of hardwork and research is required on.

Sorry it's not much of an answer, but it's the truth as I see it. Success as far as creating a sizable web community is a tricky thing to obtain. But, a rewarding one if you can pull it off.

My main piece of advice is to never give up, and never show any signs of weakness.. never say something like "Why is nobody coming to my site?" or "What happened to all the posts." Do a search for similiar phrases, and you'll find that they kill a good many forums and communities that could've been successful, had they never admitted defeat, which is basically what these statements do.