Creating a forum

[Paul Clarke]

Hi Guys,

New to this forum so please excuse any mistakes...

I am currently working on a new website for a hospice foundation charity in Ireland and I want to include a forum as part of the site. I have come accross some "Free" forum scripts after searching the web but they all come with popups, inappropriate advertising, etc.

The Dynamic Drive forum is particularly good but I suspect way above my head. I used to work as a computer programmer but unfortunately I wasn't Y2K compliant and have just recently taken up computers again. (Things have changed a bit in the last few years!)

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance...

Paul

[djr33]

I used to work as a computer programmer but unfortunately I wasn't Y2K compliant and have just recently taken up computers again.

Well, I'm not sure what scripts you were looking at, but there are several very good forums available for free. This software, vbulletin, is around $200, or more, I believe, though. For free, phpBB, myBB, and SMF (simple machines forum) are all options worth looking at. (Google will bring them up fast.)

You could write your own, and there have been a few discussion here about that, but I really don't think there's any point-- the free options will work fine and be MUCH less work, obviously.

[Paul Clarke]

Thanks for your time and reply Daniel. I'm checking these sites now. On further research, I think you have given me good advice.

Thanks again....

Paul

[sawz]

i'd like to throw in my support for SMF, i think you'll like it.

[Twey]

I vote SMF too. It's what I use for all quick forums. DD's forum runs on vBulletin, a proprietary system available only for pay.

[tech_support]

But customising SMF is horrible. I like MyBB. It's fairly easy to customise and play around with.

[djr33]

By itself, I'd say SMF. If you plan to customize, probably myBB. (And I don't really like phpBB).

[Twey]

Yes, nobody really likes phpBB

[Paul Clarke]

I would like to thank all of you guys who took the time and trouble to help me out. Not being familiar with using forums, I was pleasantly surprised to find out how many selfless people are about.

I have taken your advice and I am going down the route you suggested. No doubt I'll be picking your brains as the site develops. The crew from the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation ask me to pass on their thanks as well.

Thanks again....

Paul

[Paul Clarke]

... ooops, I forgot to mention that I got some replies showing just speakers with no text. They are not clickable. I suspect the are wav files. How do I listen to them? I am using VISTA.

Thanking you in advance....

Paul