Forums - Best Ones To Use

[cat_lover_4113]

I have an idea for a forum, and having had not much dealings in customising forums and everything as an administrator (am a moderator on a House RPG forum but haven't really explored much), I was wondering if you could all tell me of forums that you know of, and the best kind to use in terms of setting one up and ease of use and everything. Even if you're not an admin/mod, opinions are good.


Top of my list of wants:
Own URL (internet address)
Add different sub-boards, like here how we have the top, writers, then management


On list but not as important, but would be liked to have
Customization of skins for different sub boards, like diff characters have different pics appear at top.


Anything else I should add to the lists also, please add to your posts.

[Sammi]

There's phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com/), which is free and is pretty much the standard forum base for people who want their own but don't want to code their own (NiH is vBulletin, which is very similar in structure to phpBB.)

[Hippie]

Didn't NiH used to be phpBB, though? *shrug*

I have no clue, because I've never had the urge to start a forum. I don't even *like* forums, other that NiH. But this place is just so awesome it has kept me here for a year.

[Lord of Fools]

Anything but proboards. Most, if not all, forums I've joined on proboards have not been stickers. I think it's mainly because they're cheap, so mod control isn't particularly high when it comes to the appearance and ease of use.

[Tundra]

I've got a proboards forum I co run, and from an admin point of view, it sucks. You can't split threads, that sort of thing.
NiH used to be a phpbb, yes. And before that it was on this site called "Freebb".

[cat_lover_4113]

What is better, vBulletin or phpbb?

And thank you all for participating.

[Tundra]

Well, I found phpbb easier to use in terms of the adminning section. BUT I've gotten used to it now, i just haven't figured out all the functions yet. vBulletin however, has a lot less bugs and less chances of viruses.

[cat_lover_4113]

Hmm, okay.

Is it okay if I ask you for help if I need it, (when I get mine up)?

[Tundra]

Depends with what. i'm not a total expert. :P That's why I have BBCentral.

[cat_lover_4113]

Lol well I'll need help to set it up at the start, cause help files can be helpful, but sometimes outside help is good. I'll tell you when though. I will start it probably sometime in the new year, maybe before.

Oh shit. I forgot price.

What, if it does, cost for vbulletin? I totally forgot about cost.

[cat_lover_4113]

I hope it doesn't cost anything for vbulletin. Does it?

[Tundra]

Yes it does.
And I don't know how to set it up, coding wise if that's what you mean.

[cat_lover_4113]

Oh damn. Damn damn damn.

I think the forum will have to wait a bit. Can you still download the package and stuff so you can start customising before paying?

[Tundra]

I... don't think so. Sorry.
And where will you be hosting this?

[cat_lover_4113]

Hosting? Oh no.

I bet out of the whole list of things I've only thought of a few, cause I have no idea for hosting.

Can't you get it hosted on VB's server though? I thought I saw something saying that when I was browsing the website.

Anything else I should be thinking about?

[Sammi]

That's why I suggested phpBB: it's free. With vBulletin, you have professionals working on a product and selling it, so you have (presumably) a bit better quality.

[Tundra]

You still need somewhere to host phpBB.

[Sammi]

That's easy. You need just a teeny bit of technical know-how (or else you need to not be afraid to learn.) Set up an Apache (http://httpd.apache.org/) server on a computer with a persistent connection to the Internet (the easiest way would be to use XAMPP (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html), which makes it a lot easier,) and use Free DNS (http://freedns.afraid.org/) to get a human-readable domain name.

Or you could pay for hosting (http://www.bluehost.com/). Less geeky, more expensive, easier.

[cat_lover_4113]

After reading this, the forum is definitely on hold until I get a job.

And I think when I do start it, it will be with vb. Easier to administrate, less hassles, and it will all be in one place, not forum with one lot and hoster with another.

Thank you all for your help.