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what do you need to do to set up a forum like this?

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by swollenpickles, Sep 14, 2006.

  1. #1
    what do you need to do to set up a forum like this one? I'm interested in starting one up (not related to this sort of stuff, so no direct competition to digital point), but am unsure whats involved or where to start. I like it to sit on my page somewhere: www.swollenpickles.com
    the site is put together with wordpress. I'm learning the basics of programming, but please be kind, I'm still a noob!:eek:
     
    swollenpickles, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  2. phoenixcarpet

    phoenixcarpet Peon

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    #2
    That is a blog template. Just search start a blog and you will find the info you want.
     
    phoenixcarpet, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  3. jawinn

    jawinn Active Member

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    #3
    The best advice I can give you is to just spend the $130 for a vB license and start playing around with it. You'll really want to familiarize yourself with how the back end control panel works before you start inviting people to your new forum. A basic understanding of HTML, PHP, and MySql would also be helpful. Lastly really hit the vB sites. There is a ton of good stuff here (DP), but also check out vbulletin.com and vbulletin.org. Hope this helps.
     
    jawinn, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  4. swollenpickles

    swollenpickles Active Member

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    #4
    So you need to pay for a vB license? Is this software that I would need to run from my PC or something I would have the hosting company run on their server?
     
    swollenpickles, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  5. jawinn

    jawinn Active Member

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    #5
    1. Yes. Included in that is free updates and tech support. Their support is through their forums and very good. They are very efficiant in answering your questions. After the first year you have to pay a $30 annual fee to keep getting updates and access to the support forums.

    2. You will probably want to find a hosting company to run it. They will have to have Linux based servers that have PHP loaded and access to MySQL databases.

    The setup of the vB software is pretty easy. When I did it I knew nothing about forums, MySQL or PHP (I learned all that stuff later). Once you FTP the vB files up to your server (exact same process as posting HTML files for a web page); you have to create a MySQLdatabase. This is pretty straight forward with any host and the ones with phone support can even walk you through it. You then have to configure one file in the vB software and start the installation. If you did the previous steps correctly the install is nothing more than you hitting the "next" button about 15 times. Then you're done.
     
    jawinn, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  6. Kellerkind

    Kellerkind Active Member

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    #6
    if you dont want to pay try simple machines forums or phpbb
     
    Kellerkind, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  7. abcdefGARY

    abcdefGARY Well-Known Member

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    #7
    I didn't want to invest any money in forums because I have no clue whether if it is going to be a success or not, so I chose Simple Machines.

    www.simplemachines.org
     
    abcdefGARY, Sep 14, 2006 IP
  8. The_FoX

    The_FoX Peon

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    #8
    you wil have to buy a copy of vbulletin. thats all.

    for the free versions go for phpbb which is right in ur fantastico thingy!
     
    The_FoX, Sep 15, 2006 IP
  9. jawinn

    jawinn Active Member

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    #9
    I'll make one more point regarding paying for vB. If you look through this forum (DP) you will see it LOADED with people who wished they had started with vB instead of going with a free BB software or service. I'm not trying to knock anyone who is using a free service; but if you think you are serious about a forum you may just want to take the $130 plunge up front. It's a pain to move everything over from a free board to vB once you have a bunch of members.
     
    jawinn, Sep 15, 2006 IP
  10. frankcow

    frankcow Well-Known Member

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    #10
    now, more than just the software, you most of all need users

    if you don't already have a steady return visitor/user base, it'll be tough!
     
    frankcow, Sep 15, 2006 IP
  11. swollenpickles

    swollenpickles Active Member

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    #11
    Thats what puts me off the paying to set one up idea. it would be primarily used by myself and mates, ideally id like to set up some revenue sharing thing so they may benefit as well. it's not really an idea to make money (more just for our personal amusement).
     
    swollenpickles, Sep 15, 2006 IP
  12. frankcow

    frankcow Well-Known Member

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    #12
    Then you should perhaps start with phpBB, you can always upgrade to vB later
     
    frankcow, Sep 15, 2006 IP
    swollenpickles likes this.
  13. dojo

    dojo Peon

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    #13
    I have 9 forums now and 1 VB ONLY. And that's just for my webmaster forums. Otherwise I have 2 free ipbs (1.2 version) and 6 phpBB. I don't like VB, I don't like the price and I don't like anything about it. Just needed to install it because other webmasters were too snobbish to join my forums (even if I had one of the best looking phpBBs ever with all the features they would need).

    phpBB is free and customizable. If you know what you are doing, then you'll be amazed to see how many things you can accomplish with it. Just installing a paid script WON'T make your forums: unique theme modding and hack installion will. Too many people think that just by shedding 160 USD on VB is enough to make a forum a hit. And many of them come after few months in webmaster sites to sell their license and try to get some of the money.

    I'd advice you to play a bit with some scripts and see which you like. I have 4 years of experince on phpBB and I can do a lot of things. I don't like SMF, but do check it out. It's not a bad script at all.

    No matter what you chose: learn to work the theme and install the hacks. I have VB and installed other features, since the "nice" awarded script still misses some features I find important and features I had on my modded phpBB. Don't stop at the script. if you have the money and are sure you'll be able to manage, then get VB. don't get me wrong, the script is OK, but you need to understand that the script is just 1 step to make a forum. I own, as I said, 9 forums. The scripts are 2 % of it. The rest is: hard work on modding the scripts and themes and thousands of work hours into creating content, promoting and creating even more content ;)
     
    dojo, Sep 17, 2006 IP
  14. abdussamad

    abdussamad Active Member

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    #14
    My advice to you would be to start with mybb. Its free and has a lot of features. Others say that it is similar to vbulletin but free. Anyway you can check it out at mybboard.com. As for lack of visitors just do a search for "forum promotion" and you'll find a number of helpful tips. Sitepoint has a forum about it.
     
    abdussamad, Sep 17, 2006 IP
  15. damnidunno

    damnidunno Well-Known Member

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    #15
    don't buy a VB license. Go with Invision Power board. 2.1.7 is incredible and you can get so many modifications and skins for it. For free.
     
    damnidunno, Sep 17, 2006 IP
  16. swollenpickles

    swollenpickles Active Member

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    #16
    I've been looking into a few of the options around, and phpBB is starting to look like the preferred option at this stage. I have 2 questions though:
    1. In the installation it says you need a MySQL dbase. I have one set up when I installed wordpress, do I use the same dbase for the forum or do I need to have another set up?

    2. I like the idea of revenue sharing, especially for something like a forum (mine will most likely get frequented by friends/family etc so it'd be good if they could get a little out of it if they wanted). Can that be set up under a phpBB forum? and if so, anyone know of instructions etc?
     
    swollenpickles, Sep 17, 2006 IP
  17. dojo

    dojo Peon

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    #17
    1. You could use the same DB with other table extension. It would be better to have another one installed though ..

    2. Revenue sharing is cool, but I doubt too many peolpe will actually be interested in this. I had an active webmaster community and no one would care about this. I am active in some big revenue sharing forums and never cared to put my code and get those cents (don't expect to have huge revenues). I would stay out ot this .. although it's a nice promotion trick.

    Yes. You can have this on PhpBB. SHould you need help, let me know and I'll give you some more advice
     
    dojo, Sep 18, 2006 IP