geeky tutorials, tips, guides and reviews
Having played with the script for a few weeks, I can tell you that Vanilla offers a great and unique forum package for your website. A few weeks ago, I set it up for the forums I added to Firefox Facts and I really could not be happier with it. It seems to almost do everything that I need, plus it keeps things really straight to the point. Vanilla might be the best forum script for people who don’t want their forums to look like the next guy’s.
Building and hosting successful forums on your website can be a lot of hard work. Just like you would do if you were building a house, you have to build your forums with a good foundation. Here I have for you seven different successful forum rules you should keep in mind when you either set up a forum script, or look to redo some of your forums to make them easier for users to navigate through.
If you are looking for a powerful content management system with tons of bells and whistles, Drupal might be in your future. Equipped with tons of great features, it makes for the perfect way to get a CMS powered website up and running.
Popularity among the masses goes a long way these days to building a successful franchise. One my my favorite new gaming franchises to follow the past six months or so has been Fat Princess. This over the top capture the flag game with fat princess is tons of fun, and has an ever growing community.
Here are some of the best Fat Princess community sites out there today.
A fast and lightweight PHP-powered set of forums, PunBB is a script you may not have heard much about but I can promise it is well worth looking into. The goal of this script is to be faster, smaller and less graphically overpowering in comparison with other forum scripts out there. That alone makes it a good option if you are on a shared web hosting account.
The requirements to get PunBB are fairly light too:
To install, all you need to do is upload the script to the location you want it on your web hosting account, and then run the install.php from the forum’s root directory, then follow the on screen instructions.
One thing I don’t like is the fact that they have various versions of the script to download from the main page. You have PunBB 1.3 and PunBB 1.2. This is an annoyance for me with several scripts out there. Personally I like just having one download link with the latest version right there in front of my face.
PunBB is also extendable. After you install it, you can take your choice of which extensions you want. They can do anything from giving you a CAPTCHA to register and post to adding poll-like features.
Give PunBB a shot. Why? Well, as they put it because less is really more.
Bonus - be sure to check out our other free forum script reviews!
SMF, or otherwise known as Simple Machines Forum, is a free professional software package that will let you get yourself an online community setup in minutes. I had not heard much about this software till I started working for Lunarpages, since it is what they use to run their forums. Ever since though, I have been sold. It is a powerful, and customizable forum script.
This forum script uses PHP and MySQL to run the backend, so that means that any shared hosting account should be able to host it. Here are a few more features:
Via a request I got via e-mail I recently posted a tutorial for Lunarpages on how to install bbPress onto your run-of-the-mill Linux-based hosting account. I have to say, I had never used bbPress before till then, and I like it a lot.
For those of you who may not recognize the name, bbPress comes from the creators of WordPress. As they make note of via their web site, “bbPress is focused on web standards, ease of use, ease of integration, and speed. We’re focused on keeping things as small and light as possible while still allowing for great add on features through our extensive plugin system.” Think of it as WordPress for forums – but a little less popular than WordPress is today.
You have plugins and themes there too, so you can customize the forums as much or as little as you like. Personally, I kind of liked them how they were via the default install. I am sure though I’d want to add something eventually though, so nice to know the option is there.
If you want to try out the back end and front end demos, head over to OpenSourceCMS.com. They have a working demo of both up for you to tinker with and see if you like it or not. Those who have used WordPress before will be greated with a very familiar interface. You can download bbPress or get more information at bbPress.org.
Bonus - be sure to check out our other free forum script reviews!
Would you pay $50 a year to get the “privilege” to post on some forums?
I would like to say the folks at Web Hosting Talk are pretty darn bonkers, but they have people actually paying for it. I can’t blame them because if people were willing to give me money for the same thing – I might have to do it. Do Web hosting people really have that much money to burn? People there are other Web hosting forums out there! Need a list of them?
Go check out HostingHoopla.com!
Come on, give me some feedback – are people really that desperate for a t-shirt or are they just not aware that there are better hosting forums out there? Is Web Hosting Talk desperate for money?
I know they have been resold on a few occasions but they seem popular – why do they need to stick it to their members without giving much more of a perk than just a free t-shirt?
We all hate those annoying guys that sit in the back of the class and make visiting your Web host’s forums no fun at all. Well I have some tips and advice for anybody out there to get rid of these pesky posters once and for all.
Also, have you invested any time in using social bookmarking Web sites for free press? You should – and I’ll get you started right here on episode 91 of the Web Hosting Show.
Web Hosting Topics Covered on this Episode:
+ Hosting Hoopla is Back as a Link Directory
+ How to Deal with Annoying Forum Members
+ HostingForum.ca Gets My Pick of the Week
+ Social Bookmarking Can Lead to Lots of Free Press
+ GoDaddy Wants to Sponsor This Podcast? My Controversial Answer!
Well, never say never. I had a few free hours yesterday, and an idea in my head so I figured I might as well carry things out and see how they go. For those of you who thought that Hosting Hoopla was long and gone – think again. I have brought it back, but this time things are going to be a little different.
I want Hosting Hoopla to the like an appendix to the Web hosting industry. I don’t mean that organ that you don’t really mean, I mean an appendix like that thing you find in the back of the book. Instead of having dozens of hosting related Web sites bookmarked – just bookmark Hosting Hoopla and you will have them all in one place.
Drag and drop Hosting Hoopla into your favorites, and it will be the one bookmark you need to get you through your Web hosting related links. I like making things simpler for folks, and this one is brain dead easy. Of course, that is where you come into the picture. If you are going to be using it – I want to make sure you are getting the links that you need. If you have any suggestions to make, I have added a nice shinny button for you to click at the top of the Web page to submit your own favorite hosting links.
Over time the Web site might become more segregated, once the links list gets too big for one Web page to hold. I am ready to take any and all suggestions on this project though, because it is not only for me to use – it is for you to use as well. Tell me what you want to see here and I will do my best to get it added on.
Hosting Hoopla is back, and I have a feeling it will be better than ever as 2007 is right at our doorstep.
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Mitch Keeler is nothing more than your average Joe trying to leave his mark on the world though both his professional work and his online projects, articles, podcasts and more.
