#phpbb forum software

[thejaymo]

🟧 Forums Do Need Some Love

@photomatt marking the occasion of WordPress’ 21st birthday posted some thoughts.  There’s been many milestones and highlights along the way, and many more to come. I’ve been thinking a lot about elements that made WordPress successful in its early years that we should keep in mind as we build this year and beyond.

Here’s 11 opinions:

[being-kindrad]

Interest in a dedicated feminist online forum community?

What are women's thoughts here on an online feminist community, a forum (like phpBB for example), for discussions? Would enough women would be interested in this? Forum software has decreased in popularity, but is still used for niche subjects/communities. (Some real life examples: https://www.reef2reef.com/ and https://www.gardenstew.com/) I'm mildly interested in trying to set up forum software as a technical learning experience, but only if there would actually be interest in using it (because it would cost me money to buy a domain name and web hosting).

It seems like there are so little dedicated spaces for feminist women on the internet. Most feminist communities seem to be libfem, and/or plainly taken over by men (if they purport TWAW, then they definitely are taken over by men). Tumblr has a radfem community, but it's still part of a larger social media system which involves many TRAs (some of which harass radfems), and men, porn bots, etc. Ovarit is useful for consciousness raising, but it seems to me like the Overton window has been shifting towards more conservative takes than feminist ones, especially in how there appears to be more anti-trans takes on there than actual gender critical feminist ones, which kind of makes me bored of it. And so again, radfems are then stuck in a larger community, this one of conservative/non-feminist women, who are there because they dislike trans people and appear to have found a space where they can safely make fun of them and not actually to discuss gender critical content (the recent realization that I even need to be defending common feminist stances like women's right to abortion on Ovarit has been demoralizing). I basically want to make a place where feminist women can just take a break and not have to constantly be building up from ground zero, defending against TRA insults, arguing against conservative/right-wing rhetoric, and instead maybe discussing feminist topics or just chilling in some hobby forum sections or something, idk.

I was initially going to call it a "radfem community" but I see no reason for the community to not include women who identify more with other branches of feminism like gender critical feminism, black feminism, lesbian feminism, eco feminism, socialist feminism, intersectional feminism (I mean the original definition of intersectional, not "tumblrized intersectionality"), etc.

I think there would need to be some "gatekeeping" involved so that it doesn't end up filling up with neoliberal feminists ["choice feminism"] or "prolife feminists" [an oxymoron], so that would need to be figured out. This community would not be meant to be a place for feminists to have to hand-hold people and slowly explain over and over how gender is sexist, or how porn is misogyny, or how abortion is a part of women's healthcare and bodily autonomy. This place would be meant to be a solace from that. Imagine trying to participate in a Calculus class where people who haven't even taken algebra are constantly joining the class and asking "why the fuck are there letters with numbers in math now?!" The class would barely, if at all, progress. Likewise, this community would be for feminist women to have an agreed upon basis for basic feminist stances, and move forward with deeper analysis. There are plenty of other online communities for women who are new to (non-lib)feminism to learn about how "but I like wearing makeup, it's art" isn't a feminist stance. We don't need to keep spending finite energy hashing this out, we need to be able to move forward.

My basic thoughts so far:

It would be women-only. (But there would be no vetting that would involve requiring to share personal information, it would just be an honor system.)

I think there must be some basic feminist stances that members need to agree on, otherwise the community might as well just be a part of any mainstream social media platform. I would assume a decent starting point would be: gender critical, pro-choice, anti-prostitution, anti-pornography, anti-surrogacy, anti-beauty culture?

Some category ideas I have so far: feminism (with maybe different sections for the branches of feminism, and sections for discussing feminist books/websites/documentaries); politics (with sections for discussing or sharing news about feminist political topics like reproductive rights [for abortion, birth control, bodily autonomy], gender critical, surrogacy, prostitution, etc.; spirituality (for those who are into Wicca, or other spiritual beliefs); casual (for general chat, hobbies, music, arts, etc.)

So yeah, what are women's thoughts on here about this?

Would this type of community interest you?

What would you want to see in it?

What would you not want to see in it?

Has this been done before and I am just oblivious? (I tried searching for "feminist forum," but nothing relevant seem to come up.)

Am I naive and this is not going to work?

Please let me know! I welcome any opinions. Thank you. 💜

[the-vampire-fish-queen]

The UK needs some help with there own Online Safety Act (UK KOSA) that going to end up shutting down both small and big sites starting in March 2025.

It's already starting a online cycling community web forum with over 60K users shutting down because of the UK Online Safety Act (UK KOSA).

Link to more info here

"Reading https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/time-for-tech-firms-to-act-uk-online-safety-regulation-comes-into-force/ and we're done... we fall firmly into scope, and I have no way to dodge it. The act is too broad, and it doesn't matter that there's never been an instance of any of the proclaimed things that this act protects adults, children and vulnerable people from... the very broad language and the fact that I'm based in the UK means we're covered.

The act simply does not care that this site and platform is run by an individual, and that I do so philanthropically without any profit motive (typically losing money), nor that the site exists to reduce social loneliness, reduce suicide rates, help build meaningful communities that enrich life.

The act only cares that is it "linked to the UK" (by me being involved as a UK native and resident, by you being a UK based user), and that users can talk to other users... that's it, that's the scope.

I can't afford what is likely tens of thousand to go through all the legal hoops here over a prolonged period of time, the site itself barely gets a few hundred in donations each month and costs a little more to run... this is not a venture that can afford compliance costs... and if we did, what remains is a disproportionately high personal liability for me, and one that could easily be weaponised by disgruntled people who are banned for their egregious behaviour (in the years running fora I've been signed up to porn sites, stalked IRL and online, subject to death threats, had fake copyright takedown notices, an attempt to delete the domain name with ICANN... all from those whom I've moderated to protect community members)... I do not see an alternative to shuttering it.

The conclusion I have to make is that we're done... Microcosm, LFGSS, the many other communities running on this platform... the risk to me personally is too high, and so I will need to shutter them all.

What and When

So here's the statement...

On Sunday 16th March 2025 (the last day prior to the Act taking effect) I will delete the virtual servers hosting LFGSS and other communities, and effectively immediately end the approximately 300 small communities that I run, and the few large communities such as LFGSS.

It's been a good run, I've administered internet forums since 1996 having first written my own in Perl to help fans of music bands to connect with each other, and I then contributed to PHP forum software like vBulletin, Vanilla, and phpBB, before finally writing a platform in Go that made it cost efficient enough to bring interest based communities to so many others, and expand the social good that comes from people being connected to people.

Approximately 28 years and 9 months of providing almost 500 forums in total to what is likely a half a million people in that time frame... the impact that these forums have had on the lives of so many cannot be understated.

The peak of the forums has been the last 5 years, we've plateaued around 275k monthly users across the almost 300 websites on multiple instances of the platform that is Microcosm, though LFGSS as a single community probably peaked in the 2013-2018 time period when it alone was hitting numbers in excess of 50k monthly users.

The forums have delivered marriages, births, support for those who have passed (cancer being the biggest reason), people reunited with stolen bikes, travel support, work support, so much joy and happiness and memorable experiences... but it's also been directly cited by many as being the reason that they are here today, the reason they didn't commit suicide or self-harm. It's help people get through awful relationship breakups, and helped people overcome incredible challenges with their health.

It's devastating to just... turn it off... but this is what the Act forces a sole individual running so many social websites for a public good to do.

I don't know where to recommend... I know lots of people have moved small groups to places like Signal and WhatsApp, and that some people are on the fediverse, and some are in other websites and groups.

There is no central place that could take us all and preserve the very special thing we had... so it's done.

This is a really special place... the people are special... I guess the next 3 months will be a time of sharing what it meant, and of groups figuring out where they want to go next.

Love you all forever, it's been amazing to be a part of it all, I never thought I'd touch the lives of so many people by running websites, and in turn to give so much reason to my own life. In the end, the person I save most was likely myself.

Dee"

This is very bad and the compliance requirements will affect alot of websites based in the UK and Ofcom seems very out of its depth.

The whole thing is an unworkable mess and will collapse under its own weight. There also alot of privacy and legal issues with it.

This may also affect Tumblr and force the site to leave the UK.

Please spread awareness!

[ailurinae]

It isn't really "a weird forum system", for one thing most forums autosubscribe you to threads you post in, and for two, it is the forum software Discourse, and it is probably the most common forum software out there now, at least for new or updated forums (there are a lot of phpbb and such that were setup ages ago and never significantly changed).

Please consider telling Mozilla to dump the idea of putting AI in Firefox

They're asking for feedback on this. Please give it to them.

ETA: they're going to ask you to open an account to leave your feedback. If you do, and leave the feedback, their weird forum system will unfortunately then start emailing you links to new replies in the discussion. The way to get rid of these is to go to "settings" in your account, click on the "preferences" tab, and uncheck the box that says "Subscribe you to a thread you join."

(eyeroll) This is an idiotic way to have things set up, but it is what it is. Sorry, folks. :/

[nova-ayashi]

Queue Inception bwam sound. If you’ve been following my little journey in hollowing out a piece of the internet that isn’t annoying, dominated by corporations, and their engagement tricks, you’ve likely seen me popping up this website, erecting a phpBB forum, and you’ve probably also noticed that people all over the place are making GeoCities-ish type websites for fun! Well, the revival of the old-net goes even deeper than that.

Ever since Meta turned on Facebook, things have gotten worse, and worse. MySpace got sold off and changed into something completely different (a janky website for bands???). AOL Instant Messenger went offline, for good. Twitter plopped into the ether, Tumblr became a replacement for LiveJournal, and then for a decade everyone only visited four websites.

That was … until people got tired of the algorithms, and the disingenuous content of people and corps who use social media to pump stats and shun actual social interaction.

Out came Mastodon on the ActivityPub network, and, although ActivityPub existed for a long time before Mastodon’s rise, I feel like this is exactly where people started rebuilding, for real.

You see, the internet is a lot like space. You can build a wall. You can put up a ton of interstellar checkpoints that flash a million ads in your face as you navigate around each system. But, as soon as people realize that space is not a two dimensional plane, and that they can just, fly in a different direction, things start to change.

AOL Instant Messenger, reborn!

Exactly a year ago today, the Retro AIM Server repo appeared on Github. A project that effectively open sourced the AOL Instant Messenger servers. In that, you, or anyone, can just host a server that people can use the actual old software to connect to.

But you don’t need to do all of that.

All you need to do is use the links in the repo to download AIM to your system of choice. I’m on Linux, so I had to use Wine to open it. No biggie.

Then, you need a server, right?

I gotchu.

All you’ve got to do is go here, and create an account. Then, in the AIM section, create your username and password.

You’re done!

Open the original AIM client, follow the instructions from the repo that tell you where to put your connection info, and sign on!

You’re back, or, if you were born in the 2000s, you’re here for the first time!

The only issue, is this is not something that’s on a billion person network. So … having buddies will not be something you … have, right away. But, that’s okay, because you can have me as your first buddy. My AIM name is Atomleiche.

Just click the “+/- setup” button on the bottom right, then click “add buddy” and type in my username. Then confirm it. If I’m online, you’ll hear the sound of a door opening, and then you can just double-click me and send a message!

It’s that simple!

And this is how it worked back on the old-net. You added buddies, and then when they came online, it was time chat. Or not! Some people would just add me back in the day to expand their list, I think. Who knows. But I had a whole lot of buddies, who I’m sure have completely different lives now. Maybe none of them think about this stuff anymore. Maybe they do!

I don’t know.

But, I feel like this is still only the beginning.

Source: Original Post

Posted via Python, written by @daemon_nova

[fromdevcom]

One of the oldest forms of internet communication, message boards and forums are just as popular today as they have ever been. As of 2016, there were an estimated 110,000 separate forum and message board providers across the world, ranging from social media style sites like Reddit to free bulletin software built on phpBB. Market Share Of Various Popular Forum Platforms Studies show that premium (paid-for) forum software still takes the lead when it comes to setting up a discussion website. In fact, leading premium provider vBulletin takes an estimated 50% of the total market. This service is essentially a template site with fully customizable bulletin board platforms, available for developers to manipulate and innovate as desired.   [Credit: BuiltWith.com via Quora] However, there has been a marked growth in the amount of open source software which enables discussion board creation, and many developers are creating their own message boards for commercial, social and personal use. We take a look at the top free platforms on the market today, tried and tested by industry experts. Five Of The Best Free Forum Platforms phpBB Experts agree that you will struggle to beat phpBB for functionality and ease of use. This simple PHP bulletin board application is perfect for fan discussions, photo threads, advice pages and general messaging between users. It has millions of global users and is fully compatible with PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, as well as being open to editing through the General Public Licence There are lots of opportunities to play with it and customize it, with no need for seeking permission first.  Threads can be split and messages can be archived for posterity, and the site maintains a template database with modifications and styles that are open for users to play around with. bbPress Forums WordPress has been the leading platform for blogging for many years. There are millions of sites across the Web which use the publishing software for their business sites, blogs and even e-commerce - and now the team is adding forum sites to its range of products. bbPress Forums is a WordPress-style bulletin board creation tool, which has the smooth and seamless transitions and roomy capacity that keeps the site fast and user-friendly.  Just like with the blogs, bbPress begins as a free service and has the option of a Premium or Business upgrade, with additional custom features and templates for subscribers. It is also one of the most secure free programs, with additional safety features to prevent hacking. YetAnotherForum Don’t let the name fool you - YetAnotherForum is anything but, with its quirky and innovative approach to forum development. The managed open source platform is designed specifically with ASP.NET in mind and is compatible with the fourth C# generation and above.  It is licensed free to developers and open for reworkings of the system’s code, and it builds bright, bold message boards that are simple and easy for users and admins alike. One of the big selling points is YetAnotherForum’s reliability: the service has operated for nine years without problems and still undergoes regular testing.  Over those nine years, progress has been slow but the last twelve months have seen promising developments and the program is seeing a surge in downloads and orders. Phorum Sometimes the old ones really are the best. Phorum has been around since the 1990s and it played a big role in the rise of forum sites. The free-to-use platform is based around PHP and MySQL development, and it is still one of the best pieces of software for forum creation that you can use free today.  One of the key selling points is how flexible it is - you can host one huge message thread with thousands of users, or adopt it across hundreds of different forums for a help site, social network or discussion group. Phorum has also upped its game lately with the introduction of a new template - the XHTML 1.0 Transitional Emerald design. 

This is available instead of the basic template and has far more features and options, but it still offers a blank slate for the developer in terms of design and function. Discourse If you need a platform that scales up as your service grows and is easy to develop and change as you do, Discourse is a great choice. There are three tiers of membership available - free, paid and premium - and all options are pretty budget-friendly.  Discourse is designed for creating discussion boards, and it is fully compatible with mobiles and tablets as well as PCs and laptops. It can handle busy conversations and it makes them easy to read back, with options to split threads and move conversations as needed.  The open source code is readily available for programmers to play with, and the system is easy to hand over to your designer or tech team if you have something specific in mind. User-created templates and styles are available, and there is a built-in filter system with can save on moderator costs and keep your forum a safe space for visitors to chat. Ten More Top Free Forum And Bulletin Board Programs Haven’t found what you need among our top picks above? Not all programs suit everyone - but there are hundreds of options on the market, so keep searching for your perfect platform. Find the right match for your forum vision, and get creating thanks to these amazing open source programs. Here are some more of the best forum development programs for 2017: Vanilla Forums Simple Machines MiniBB Forums MyBB DeluxeBB PunBB FluxBB UseBB Zetaboards Plush Forums The Best Of Premium Forum Software - At A Discount! If the free tools do not meet your needs or you want the added support and security of a premium service, there are plenty of platforms to choose from - including vBulletin, Burning Board, XenForo and IP.Board. Paid-for tools often require a subscription, so take advantage of the deals available online at OZCodes.com.au. Voucher codes can give big savings on the cost of software subscriptions through leading providers.

[petalhost]

Petalhost – The Best PHPBB Web Hosting Provider in India

Are you searching for the most reliable and affordable PHPBB web hosting provider in India? Look no further! Petalhost offers premium PHPBB hosting services that ensure your online forum operates seamlessly, securely, and with top-notch performance. Whether you’re starting a small community forum or managing a large discussion board, Petalhost provides the perfect hosting environment to meet your needs.

Why Choose Petalhost for PHPBB Hosting?

At Petalhost, we understand the unique requirements of PHPBB users. Our hosting solutions are optimized to deliver maximum performance and security for your forum. Here’s why Petalhost stands out as the best PHPBB web hosting provider in India:

1. Optimized Performance for PHPBB: Petalhost’s servers are configured to handle PHPBB installations efficiently. This means faster load times, smooth navigation, and an overall improved user experience for your forum members.

2. One-Click PHPBB Installation: No technical skills? No problem! With Petalhost, installing PHPBB is as easy as a single click. Our user-friendly control panel allows you to set up your forum quickly and hassle-free.

3. Unmatched Uptime Guarantee: Your forum’s availability is crucial to its success. Petalhost offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, ensuring that your PHPBB site is always accessible to users.

4. Free SSL and Enhanced Security: Security is a top priority for any online forum. Petalhost provides free SSL certificates to protect your site’s data and ensure secure communications between your forum and its users. Additionally, we implement advanced firewalls and DDoS protection to keep your PHPBB forum safe from threats.

5. Scalable and Affordable Plans: Whether you are running a small forum or a large community, Petalhost offers scalable plans that grow with your needs. Our hosting plans are designed to be affordable, making us the best choice for cost-effective PHPBB web hosting provider in India.

6. 24/7 Expert Support: Facing technical issues? Our expert support team is available 24/7 to assist you with any hosting or PHPBB-related queries. We ensure that your forum stays up and running smoothly without any interruptions.

Key Features of Petalhost’s PHPBB Hosting

One-Click Installations — Quickly set up your PHPBB forum without any hassle.

Free SSL Certificates — Secure your site with free SSL.

Daily Backups — Your data is backed up daily, ensuring you never lose important information.

High-Speed SSD Storage — Faster site loading times with high-speed SSD storage.

99.9% Uptime — Reliable hosting that guarantees high availability.

cPanel Access — Easy management of your site with intuitive cPanel access.

DDoS Protection — Advanced security to safeguard your forum from attacks.

Why PHPBB?

PHPBB is one of the most popular and versatile open-source forum software solutions available today. It offers a user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and a vast array of plugins and themes. With PHPBB, you can create a professional, engaging forum for any niche, making it a go-to choice for community builders worldwide.

How Petalhost Enhances PHPBB Experience

Petalhost’s hosting environment is specifically tailored to enhance the performance of PHPBB forums. Our servers are optimized to handle large volumes of traffic, ensuring that your community members enjoy a seamless browsing experience. By choosing Petalhost as your PHPBB web hosting provider in India, you guarantee that your forum operates efficiently, even during peak traffic times.

Affordable Pricing Plans

Petalhost offers a range of affordable hosting plans that cater to forums of all sizes. From beginners launching their first forum to experienced webmasters managing large communities, Petalhost has a plan to suit every budget.

Get Started Today!

Ready to take your forum to the next level? Choose Petalhost — the most reliable and affordable PHPBB web hosting provider in India. With our expert support, optimized performance, and unbeatable pricing, your PHPBB forum will thrive. Don’t wait — start your PHPBB journey with Petalhost today and experience the difference!

For more details on our PHPBB hosting plans, visit Petalhost’s website and find the perfect plan that fits your needs.

[empress-runner]

As someone who has run forums in the past one of the biggest worries was that all the common forum software like phpbb were constantly subjected to security exploits. This was a huge problem because

1. If your forum template was close enough to the original one bots would just find your site through that or

2. If you changed it enough to be unrecognizable updates to phpbb were a nightmare

A lot of folks are responding to the whole Reddit situation by calling for the return of decentralised forums, and I think it's important to remember that, contrary to certain popular narratives, the reason early 2000s forum culture has fallen by the wayside is not because people are Just Lazy. Certainly, ease of use is part of it, but a much larger part of it is how vulnerable self-hosted forums are.

Basically, the problem is that even the largest and most carefully managed self-hosted forums can be rendered unusable more or less indefinitely by a single sufficiently determined hostile actor. This can take the form of both attacks on the forum's social infrastructure (i.e., via sock-puppet accounts, botting, organised "raids", etc.) and attacks on its technical infrastructure (i.e., via hacking, DDoS, etc.). In either case, a self-hosted forum has effectively no defence, and the majority of decentralised forum communities survive only by virtue of their relative obscurity; once a self-hosted forum manages to attract the attention of That One Guy who's willing to devote his life to shitting the place up over some microscopic slight, it's effectively game over.

Right now, there are essentially only two mitigation strategies:

Gathering huge numbers of communities under a single, massively centralised technical infrastructure that's simply too large and robust for any one hostile actor to bring down; and

Hardening the community's social infrastructure either by going private and invite only (i.e., the Discord approach), or by making use of a vast centralised pool of volunteer labour to aggressively enforce community standards (i.e., the Reddit approach).

To be clear, these are not intractable problems; other solutions may well exist. However, any proposed plan for bringing decentralised public forums back needs to address them; if you're going in operating under the assumption that forums have become marginalised simply because corporations are evil and people are lazy, you're just setting yourself up to learn the hard way why self-hosted forums no longer seem to be capable of growing beyond a certain point.

[artisans-digital]

How to Create a Community Forum on Your Website?

Creating a community forum on your website can be an excellent way to engage with your audience, foster discussions, and build a loyal user base. A forum allows users to share ideas, ask questions, and connect with others who share similar interests. For businesses, a community forum can also provide valuable insights and feedback from customers. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a community forum on your website.

Why Create a Community Forum?

Before diving into the technical aspects, it’s essential to understand the benefits of having a community forum on your website:

1. Enhances User Engagement

A community forum provides a platform for users to engage with each other and with your brand. This interaction can increase user retention and loyalty.

2. Builds a Sense of Community

Forums create a sense of belonging among users, as they can connect with like-minded individuals. This sense of community can be a significant factor in keeping users coming back to your website.

3. Provides Valuable Feedback

Forums can serve as a valuable source of feedback. Users often discuss their experiences, suggest improvements, and share their thoughts on your products or services.

4. Boosts SEO

User-generated content in forums can improve your website’s search engine ranking. Search engines value fresh and relevant content, and active forum discussions can contribute to this.

5. Reduces Support Costs

A forum can serve as a self-help resource where users can find answers to their questions from other community members. This can reduce the load on your customer support team.

Steps to Create a Community Forum

Creating a community forum involves several steps, from planning and selecting the right platform to setting up and managing the forum. Here’s a detailed guide:

1. Define Your Goals

Before creating a forum, clearly define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your community forum? Your goals will determine the forum’s structure and features. Common goals include:

- Increasing user engagement - Providing customer support - Gathering feedback - Building a community around a shared interest

2. Choose the Right Forum Platform

Several forum platforms are available, each with its own features and benefits. Consider factors like ease of use, customization options, and integration capabilities when choosing a platform. Some popular forum platforms include:

- phpBB: A free, open-source forum software that is highly customizable. - Discourse: A modern forum solution that offers real-time notifications and mobile support. - vBulletin: A premium forum software known for its robust features and scalability. - bbPress: A WordPress plugin that integrates seamlessly with WordPress sites.

3. Set Up Your Forum

Once you’ve chosen a platform, it’s time to set up your forum. This typically involves:

a. Installing the Forum Software

Follow the installation instructions provided by your chosen platform. For self-hosted solutions like phpBB and Discourse, you’ll need a web hosting service and a domain name.

b. Configuring Settings

Configure the basic settings of your forum, such as:

- Forum name and description - Registration and login options - User permissions and roles - Notification and email settings

c. Customizing the Design

Customize the forum’s design to match your website’s branding. Most platforms offer themes and templates that you can modify. Ensure the forum is easy to navigate and visually appealing.

4. Create Forum Categories and Topics

Organize your forum into categories and topics to make it easy for users to find and participate in discussions. For example, if you’re creating a forum for a tech community, you might have categories like “General Discussion,” “Product Support,” “Feedback and Suggestions,” and “Off-Topic.”

5. Set Up Moderation and Rules

To maintain a healthy and productive community, set up moderation policies and rules. Clearly define what is and isn’t allowed on your forum. Assign moderators who can enforce these rules and manage discussions.

6. Promote Your Forum

Once your forum is set up, promote it to your audience. Use your website, social media channels, email newsletters, and other marketing channels to inform your users about the new forum. Encourage them to register, participate in discussions, and invite others.

7. Engage with Your Community

To keep your forum active, engage with your community regularly. Start discussions, respond to posts, and show appreciation for valuable contributions. Your active participation will encourage others to get involved.

8. Monitor and Improve

Continuously monitor your forum’s activity and gather feedback from users. Use this information to make improvements and keep the forum running smoothly. Regularly update the forum software to benefit from new features and security updates.

Conclusion

Creating a community forum on your website can significantly enhance user engagement, build a loyal community, and provide valuable insights. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up a successful forum that fosters meaningful discussions and contributes to your website’s overall success. Whether you’re a business looking to connect with customers or a community leader aiming to bring people together, a well-managed forum can be a powerful tool.

Web Design Company Qatar

[being-kindrad]

Online feminist community forum progress, help pick a forum technology (and community name?)

Hi all! Thanks to everyone who gave input on my idea of making a feminist forum community.

I have been looking into various forum software and there is a bit of fork in the road. I'm trying to figure out which software to use. I am currently trying to decide between SMF (Simple Machines Forum) or Discourse.

SMF - A more "old school" style of forum software. It might be simpler to set up. It has pagination. It uses PHP. Demo it here on their official SMF forum: https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

Discourse - A more "modern" style of forum software. It is might be a bit more complicated to set up. It does not have pagination. It uses Ruby/ROR. Demo it here on their official Discourse forum: https://meta.discourse.org

For those interested in this feminist forum community, try browsing both the SMF and Discourse forums to see which one you like more. There are two other (well, there are more than that) alternatives which are similar to each: phpBB is similar to SMF, and Flarum is similar to Discourse.

Help name the community?

I don't know what to name this feminist community idea! I'm not sure if it'd be good to have "feminist" in the name, or if it'd be better to call it something more subtle? Let me know if you have any name ideas.

Thanks everyone! 💜

[earhartsease]

it's so weird because forum backends like phpBB are still right there to be used, if people would pull their fingers out and write better anti spam plugins for them - like the same forum software we were merrily using 14 years ago is available to us so easily still

I have a lot of gripes with the admin culture of discord users but easily the worst thing is the proliferation of channels. You do not need that many channels. You are 100 people. Entire IRC networks have fewer channels than this. Show some restraint.

[nova-ayashi]

Earlier last night, I wrote about how I don’t know, or don’t think that discussion forums can be saved. And, I thought about it for a while. How do I know something can’t be saved, if I haven’t tried to fix the problem myself? So, I launched my own old-school PHPBB forum!

Basically, at MKULTRA Board, I copy/pasted a huge part of the old anime forum I used to be part of back in 1999-2001 (somewhere in that era), and then added my own things.

I did this, because I’ve missed it greatly. So much so, that, years back, I contacted the original owner and asked if he’d be willing to part with the database and software, so that it could be resurrected. Unfortunately, if I recall, he wasn’t too interested in doing that, or felt like it would be too much of a hassle, or cost too greatly.

I don’t know about that. I’m running the new forum on a 16 dollar VPS, and it’s pretty smooth!

Now, obviously, if, for some reason, it attracts thousands of people, then yes, it would require much more in hosting.

But, here’s something. Will you register and begin the discussion?

Source: Original Post

Posted via Python, written by @daemon_nova

[3liza]

What software so you use to run your forum and how do you host it? I'm a Forum Enthusiast and want to set up my own but I don't want to get ripped off on hosting costs or give money to a company like Amazon if I can help it

(almost) the entire internet is hosted on Amazon Web Services so i dont think you can avoid it at this point unless you wanted to get spicy by fully hosting the forum on a server in your house, which would rock but be (very?) difficult.

i use phpBB, it still works and is still updated regularly. it's old and byzantine but thats how things are when you're doing this stuff yourself. you WILL figure it out just by spending a few nights clicking around and reading documentation. it IS hard and confusing at first but then you just kind of get it and it's fine. you will need to invest some time and focus but you dont have to do it all at once. it helped me a lot to have a friend who assists me in running and installing and maintenance because if one of us is busy or tired the other one can do some stuff or vice versa. even if two people dont know shit going in, the workload will be lower than you tryingt o do everything yourself.

a lot of hosts have native phpbb support, like they can do the install for you automatically. cost of hosting and domain really varies so shop around, i wont recommend my host because they kind of suck but i dont have any better suggestions either. hosts also run deals a lot

[petalhost]

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[elparra]

Regarding to the Disscord thing, it's true, but it's also true that services like Tapatalk and ForoActivo still allows you to create forums for free (the later even lets you to choose which software to use, phpBB and Invision included), which would be seen from the outside.

Of course, I will always suggest to use community-driven open source software and pay for hosting, instead of using free third party services and let them own your community's information. BUT! since people are already doing that with Automattic and Discord Inc., I guess it's important to say you can do that with forums too.

It occurs to me, looking through a bunch of DNI lists and carrds (although it has surely been observed before by others), is that what the people who make these want is not unreasonable per se. Rather, what they are asking for is unreasonable, because what they want is to not be using social media. They want to be using forums, or group chats, or instant messenger, or blogs; they want online communication spaces that are moderated, that are topic-specific, that are limited to existing/vetted members. And these this desire is not unreasonable, but it does not match modern social media.

And because so many of the people who make these seem so very young, I wonder how many of them even realize that spaces that do what they want can (and used to, and still somewhat do) exist, realize that social media can't do what they want it to, but that social media is not the only way for the internet to be.