It does work. Staff Time Needed. Moderating an online community is a perfect project for a senior associate with a little technology understanding. They will need to log on daily and scan all posted messages to be sure the postings are appropriate. They will need to answer every question posed and respond to any message that gives incorrect information or needs clarification.
Any topic related to the subject of the forum is fair game.
Posts by competitors are fair game, too. Moderators should ideally have a sense of humor and be willing to communicate informally with whoever shows up on the forum. It's a serious and long-term commitment. It takes about an hour each day on an active board to answer messages and participate in discussions. There may be times when it will take significantly more.