You say that like "just trying it out" is costless. What would you propose be done if the experiment fails?
My point: message boards require a certain frequency of posters interacting with each other in order to be viable. The Server Chat section of these forums achieves that, barely. Server chat divided by 13 will not. If you want class forums to be a place to chat and interact with members of your class, I believe you have a very high likelihood of failure.
OTOH, if you want class forums as a repository of useful information, I'd submit that a wiki is a better tool.
Also, your poll is a good way to gauge initial interest in such forums, but a very poor way to gauge continued participation. Perhaps a better source of data would be comparison to other gaming websites that have tried it? I submit that the vast majority end up exactly as I am describing.
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