How To Create A Good Forum Step by step instructions

[WeaponX 0]

Oh geez. I've been planning on making a Forum website, with interactive Avatars and things of the such. I know it will be really complicated but I do not plan on giving up.
I'm assuming if I do get a code I will have to override a lot of it and customize some other things.

If you have any type of suggestions, please do tell me.

Welcome to Xisto Misty

If this is your first time working with a forum, I recommend starting off with a free one (or maybe even staying with it...read on...).

As pointed out earlier, SMF (Simple Machines Forum) is free to use and is very secure. I have been using this forum on my website for years now and never had any major problems with it. Setting it up is pretty easy compared to the other forums. Some say it's confusing, but as with all other forums, I'm sure it will be a little "difficult" to navigate if it's your first time.

There is no code you need to overwrite unless you are planning on using the mods/hacks for the forums. If you plan on using SMF, installing those mods should be quick and easy to do as they have something called a Package Manager where you can install things with a few clicks.

Give it a try yourself. You can get SMF at:

http://www.simplemachines.org/

[BetBoy 0]

Thx Guys, I have found this topic very useful I am about to establish a forum and all what I have found here learnt me how to do it:D

[threesix 0]

this was really usefull for helping me decide which forum software to use etc. i was really confused i have registered my domain name and i hope to get my forums up sometime tonight. thanks for this guide i already knew most of it but you added some good points. this forum needs more people like you to post very nice guides such as this since this guide was so great i am inspired to maybe write a few guides of my own i mean this guide was beyond perfect and i'm sure alot of other people agree its good for newbies and the old folks if they don't know which forum software to choose.

[mortalmatt 0]

I agree, the tutorial is a little long, but it is worth the read -- thanks I would like to ask if anyone could direct me on some other forum options though. Is there a forum closely related to IPB that is open source or free?I need one that it is secure, stable, and free!

[M H 0]

but now with the phpbb3

PHPBB is the best forum software

[Adam Roethburg 0]

This is great idea, keep up the good work!

[Yiah 0]

Thanks for this tutorial, surely will help lots of people! (including me )

If you haven't got much time, and want to see what the new phpbb3 can offer, just try it out on this host : free forum

Hope you will enjoy it, and thanks again!

[HungryJoe 0]

A million thanks to the OP for his remarkably clear tutorial. I'm not even a newbie when it comes to forums - I'm a prebie, with wet dreams of the day when I'll grow to be a newbie - so I have a totally uninformed question about databases. Does the database come as part of the various forum softwares or do you need to choose and set up your database separately?

Edited October 13, 2007 by HungryJoe (see edit history)

[Chesso 0]

HungryJoe:To answer your question, you webhost needs to have the database software accessible for you, and under free types of webhosting accounts, the amount of databases you can have at any one time is limited.AstaHost here does have mySQL and PHP, so you should have no trouble at all setting up forum software such as phpBB etc.Good luck.

[Sten 0]

although id suggest AEF (http://www.anelectron.com/)i also like myBB and phpbb3 is pretty cool.im gonna start on a forum for my site once ive actually finished my site, lol, it wouldnt take that long to get the forum up, just making a design. making a whole new theme for a forum from scratch seems pretty hard. mybb says its easy but then again they all do.

[LOL1405241550 0]

thanks for all man.... i want to create a forum for my web... and this can help me so muchthank u very much xDD

[iGuest 3]

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