Looking for a good web forum hosting option...

[ausser]

Hi,

Any recommendations for webhosting forums?
ie. like Korgforums here, except without the need to download large files.

Initially, I'm looking at a small per month fee - just to test the forum before upgrading the package should the bandwidth require it.

I found these guys:

http://www.capitalconsultation.com/WebH ... kages.aspx

Now, the software I would want to use would be like Korg Forums:

http://www.phpbb.com/

So, for 2.49 per month - could I run a forum similar to the style of this forum?
How does it work - ie setting up the software - do the hosting company do that?

Any pointers appriciated.

Peace
Ausser

[X-Trade]

Not sure about web hosting. I go for an all-out package where I pay £60 a year for supposedly 'unlimited' bandwidth, storage, e-mail accounts, etc. Very good tech support, uptime, etc too, with http://www.streamline.net


However, for web forum software, I really reccommend Simple Machine Forums (SMF). I like phpBB but SMF seems more modern and flexible all around, designed to integrate with your entire site if you want, with lots of extensions available, etc. Generally if there was something I didn't like about phpBB, I found it wasn't a problem in SMF.


The software itself is like setting up a web/php based CMS or anything else. Your server has to be PHP enabled, and you will have problems if there aren't certain permissions, etc. For all web hosting, Linux servers rather than windows servers are the way to go. Permissions are better and file names are case sensitive (not sure if that's a positive thing? anyway, most stuff will run better on a linux server for whatever reason).
Generally what you do is copy the files to a public (web-side) directory on the server and then run the setup.php or whatever which will populate the database, ask you questions for how you want it set up, etc.
Which reminds me, you'll also need to make sure you get a mySQL database with your webhosting. It is a fairly basic system, but some of the cheap or free services might not offer it without charging more. mySQL server software is actually commonly free (although you won't be able to put it on the server yourself, as it is actual service software, not just a bunch of web scripts), so I wouldn't use a service if they want extra money for a simple mySQL DB.

[Timo]

Proboards run a free (advert subsidised) forum service. The ad banner is fairly unintrusive, but you can elect to remove it for small cost.

You can always set up a free one to see what you'd get. You have massive control over the looks of the site.

www.Proboards.com

The Audiotalk forum (the unofficial off topic forum for Sound on Sound) is proboards based:

http://audiotalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general

Not sure if you can use your own domain name without proboards being the first TLD (top level domain, like "YourForumName.proboards.com") though. You may be able to, I'm not sure.

[ausser]

Yeah, X-Trade
I was looking at the new Korg Fans networking site, and it had me wondering
There's some nice options on there - twitter, shoutbox etc...
Very nice indeed,
It might suit for later on if things develope, with interconnectivity across messaging conventions...
I'm presuming thats the SMF system running the Korg Fans site.

However, I am going to give phpBB a go first maybe, as it seems more archival in style to me - like the way KorgForums is - for old schoolers

Hey Timo, I'm gonna try those out!

A Big Thanks for the info guys.

Peace
Ausser.

[X-Trade]

No, SMF has nothing to do with Korgfans, which is run on a social networking platform called Ning. It is a bit more like Facebook. It is very useful though.

SMF is a lot like phpBB, but as I said, improved in a lot of areas.

for example, simple machines run their community forum using their own software (naturally):
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

A few other examples just found off Google:
http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php
http://xtechforum.com/

I used to moderate on a coding forum running SMF, but I can't even remember what it was called now. It is just generally more flexible, a lot of people are using it now, after phpBB started to be updated less frequently.