Setting up a Forum

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Setting up a Forum

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All Forums >> Community >> Computer Software and Hardware issues >> Setting up a Forum

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golfer Posts: 1760 Joined: 1/5/2005 From: Bath, Wiltshire, UK Status: offline	Setting up a Forum - 6/2/2005 7:28:33 I have an idea for a forum. There is a clear target group and I have an outline plan for the initial launch and development. As it will be small to start with I am looking for some free or cheap software. My question is what software? I have looked around and am confused by all this technical stuff. So here I am. I have hosting facilities with Outfront but don't know yet if it could be put with Thomas. As some of you know I am not that bright with these computer things so please don't assume that I have knowledge. Any advice on this subject (both software, management etc) will be very helpful to me. _____________________________ Ian 'You'll miss me when I've gone'


jaybee Posts: 14157 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/2/2005 8:08:59 Thomas runs Linux so you could use phpBB2. As long as you don't want to do anything flashy with it it's fairly straightforward and you can use their standard theme as per this one http://www.phpbb.com/styles/demo.php The advantage is there are several of us on here who use it regularly and would be able to troubleshoot if you get completely stuck. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to golfer)


Mike54 Posts: 4782 Joined: 3/26/2001 From: Way Up Over Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/2/2005 8:09:13 Two that I've worked with that are very easy to set up and maintain are http://www.webwizguide.info/web_wiz_forums/default.asp http://forum.snitz.com/ However I'm not sure that Outfront Hosting supports ASP. _____________________________ Who was the first guy that looked at a cow and said, "I think that I'll drink whatever comes out of those things when I squeeze them"? New photogalleries, stop by sometime. (in reply to golfer)


jaybee Posts: 14157 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/2/2005 9:33:22 The other one you could look at is SMF. I'd be interested to know just how easy it is to use. It seems to be valid XHTML and CSS straight out of the box. It also claims to have an automatic mod installer. If they do as many security updates as phpBB then that's worth its weight in gold. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to Mike54)


mar0364 Posts: 3092 Joined: 4/5/2002 From: Florida, US Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/2/2005 10:49:53 quote: ORIGINAL: Mike54 Two that I've worked with that are very easy to set up and maintain are http://www.webwizguide.info/web_wiz_forums/default.asp I've also used the webwizguide. It worked for me also. (in reply to Mike54)


golfer Posts: 1760 Joined: 1/5/2005 From: Bath, Wiltshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 4:28:29 Thanks for all your input. I will have a look at everyone of the forums mentioned. I have an open mind as to which product to go with but I currently favour phpBB as jaybee has mentioned that Outfront can host it (must check with Thomas) and a number of forum people use it. (Need that extra bit of support you see). If you have any further advice or comment on running/controlling a forum please let me know. _____________________________ Ian 'You'll miss me when I've gone' (in reply to mar0364)


jaybee Posts: 14157 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 4:57:36 quote: If you have any further advice or comment on running/controlling a forum please let me know. Don't! _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to golfer)


golfer Posts: 1760 Joined: 1/5/2005 From: Bath, Wiltshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 5:13:52 quote: ORIGINAL: jaybee quote: If you have any further advice or comment on running/controlling a forum please let me know. Don't! Surely it can't be that bad. Is it?????????????????? _____________________________ Ian 'You'll miss me when I've gone' (in reply to jaybee)


jaybee Posts: 14157 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 6:04:28 No, not really. It will depend on how many visitors you get, whether you have active mods helping you out if it does get busy, how many idiots you get posting rubbish just for the fun of it and whether you have some sort of secure sign-up to stop the idiot in Russia who uses a robot to sign up to your forum in order to get links for his web sites. That last issue can be avoided if you use phpBB with its standard sub_silver theme as it has one of those images that pops up with a code that has to be typed in. DO NOT be tempted to allow people to post without registering. Be careful about choosing the option where you have to approve registrations as you may end up doing a lot of them, also watch out for the pillocks who can't type their email address correctly so their sign up details vanish and you then get mail complaining. It's a pig to keep playing around with email addresses. There is a hack to the board that I've implemented that makes them confirm their address. It's not too difficult to implement but it does mean you're playing around in php and you have to make a note of what you've changed so that you don't overwrite it all when security fixes come in. Which host are you using? If you have one that uses Fantastico and supplies phpbb as an option then there's usually an update button you can just hit. This is fine if you haven't customised anything. < Message edited by jaybee -- 6/3/2005 6:12:21 > _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to golfer)


golfer Posts: 1760 Joined: 1/5/2005 From: Bath, Wiltshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 6:43:21 Okay..... I think this starting small has just been extended to staying that way for a while longer in order to get a reasonable grounding. I have always envisaged using registration before posting. As far as hosting goes I currently use Outfront for my web sites. I have today written to Thomas regarding him hosting this forum. Prats, pillocks, spammers, wreckers and just plain nutters are a great concern to me but I will handle those when they show up. A lot more thinking for me to do. Thanks jaybee _____________________________ Ian 'You'll miss me when I've gone' (in reply to jaybee)


jaybee Posts: 14157 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Setting up a Forum - 6/3/2005 7:10:10 quote: I currently use Outfront for my web sites Oh duh, course you do. Brain in weekend mode. As far as the idiots go, it's better to be prepared for them. It never occurred to me when I set mine up that there would be any problems and it came as a nasty surprise when they started to appear. I seem to have blocked the Russian spammer now though as I haven't had anything from him for a while but there is a new idiot who goes under the name of mugu or something similar, who seems to like posting gibberish in guestbooks. It makes you wonder which genetic signature was missing when they were conceived. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to golfer)

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