Starting a Forum..

[alexander]

So how would I put a message board onto the website?

[Tobeman]

You upload the message board files via FTP transfer. From there you change the permissions for the files. You then run a webpage based setup while you've uploaded it and it leads you through

[DavidM]

If you want to run your own forum, you're going to need to use SQL.

If you're just going to link to another forum, you don't need to buy any webspace.

I used 123-reg.co.uk for domain names and 3dpixelnet for web hosting.

They do fairly reasonable domain names as well.... but if you get it elsewhere, they are helpful with the details.

[DavidM]

Last time I set up a phpbb site - it took about 30 mins... I think 20 of that was uploading the files...

[alexander]

You upload the message board files via FTP transfer. From there you change the permissions for the files. You then run a webpage based setup while you've uploaded it and it leads you through

Hi, where would I get the download for the message board to upload it to the website?

What is an FTP transfer? Do I need something else on my computer?


Permission to what files?

Where would I get a webpage setup from? Would I need Dreamweaver?


Sorry about the stupid questions but I don't really have an idea of what is going on here...

[Lee H]

You upload the message board files via FTP transfer. From there you change the permissions for the files. You then run a webpage based setup while you've uploaded it and it leads you through

Indeed - I used to use phpbb with a few modifications on my old clans website years ago and was given the role of web-gimp and database fixer when something went wrong

phpbb was a doddle to setup - even the database gets created for you when you imported 1 file into the database using a frontend like mysqladmin all the relevent fields and values we're loaded and all you had to do was login as admin, change the password and voila - 1 forum up and running.

[DavidM]

Hi, where would I get the download for the message board to upload it to the website?

http://www.phpbb.com/

[DavidM]

What is an FTP transfer? Do I need something else on my computer?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ftp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FTP_clients

Permission to what files?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permission

[Moby-Dick]

which board type do you want to use ?

a free one or one that you have to pay for ?

[Moby-Dick]

It is going to seem like a pretty steep learning curve. ( I remeber installing a cgi based board ages ago and it took me a while to get it running right )

[alexander]

Hi, Moby, I would like a free one. Can anyone suggest one?

[DavidM]

Bravenet is the easiest - so long as you don't mind lots of spam and pop-up adverts

But i'm sure there are much better ones....

[Tobeman]

I'd recommend making friends with someone that currently pays for hosting, get them to give you a subdomain, hosting and a SQL db and have a play - atleast then if you break it its nothing major and you won't be paying for it This way you'll get experience without having to pay anything. Thats the way I did it anyway!

[alexander]

Non of my friends would have a clue about doing anything on the computer, let alone having a website!!

[Tobeman]

Mine wasn't a real friend - was one I'd known online for a while

[alexander]

I do actually have access to another persons webspace on B-one.net, but how would I lease it out to my own website?