Web Hosting Forum Setup help needed

[adnan71]

Hi all,

Anybody here have experience with web hosting.

I'm setting up a hosting forum.

I gotta real nice name for it.

Were gonna try to make it as professional as possible.

Something like webhostingtalk

I wanna start on this baby now.

Anybody willing to give me some insight would be highly appreciated.

thx

 

[Meti]

Hello adnan,

May I ask which kind of information you would like to gain? I'm quite experienced in the web hosting field, though I've never managed any webhost forum.

Meti

 

[Midlandi]

Same questions here.
I have a forum and two hosting companies so I should be able to help a little,depending what you want.

 

[adnan71]

I need somebody to help me set it up.

The right categories, forums, etc.

Don't need any programming, design, coding or scripting help at all.

Just the conceptual part, basically creating the right user experience.

I want something professional like webhostingtalk

What I was thinking is I'll make somebody a mod on it with rights to add forums and stuff.

Basically I'm looking for advice and help on the user level part, or sort of the business model part.

I got a really nice name for like a few month and want to put it to use.

 

[Midlandi]

What I would do if it was me is look into other Hosting Forums and see what Forum sections they have that attract the most and best posts.
Dont flood the site with masses of forums, start with what you think will fill up quickly and easily first,this way the forum looks active.You dont want loads of sections with zero posts.You can always add forums as the site grows and then move threads is you need to.

I can help a little but I must say my time is pretty limited lately.

 

[adnan71]

You dont want loads of sections with zero posts.

That's some good advice there.

When I started DJ, I flooded that thing with forums with 0 posts.

Also a lot of unneeded forums.

I can help a little but I must say my time is pretty limited lately.

Every contribution helps.

I'm working on 4 sites,

Basically pulling my hair out.

the name is

HostingGossip

what do u think

I got most of the variations & tlds including hyphenations

HostGossip
GossipHosting
WebHostingGossip
WebHostGossip

.......
........
........

It'll be ready within an the next 2 hours.

If u join, I'll set u up with forum admin rights and u can add them as u feel.

take care

 

[Midlandi]

Ok, let me know and ill help as and when i can.

 

[adnan71]

Great,

Quick question.

Is simple machines better then phpbb3?

What do u think is the best free forum out there

 

[Midlandi]

SMF I beleive is the best free script, its also easy to migrate to VB when you can afford it.

 

[adnan71]

Daag,

I just uploaded phpbb Olympus.

I guess I'll delete it and go with smf

 

[Meti]

I always use phpBB as my free forum solution, though I also like SMF. I like phpBB due to the vast range of modifications available, and themes.

Adnan, I will give you a tip. I would strongly advise you to narrow down the forums and try to limit it to max 10 forums. Try to use "wide categories". If your forum works out well, and you start to get some real activity over there. I would recommend adding a few categories, and move any threads that are no longer on the most appropiate area.

Remember, forums require a huge amount of work and time. As a previous forum owner, I am quite aware of the time that is required in order to administrate and moderate the forums. I wish you the best with your project, and will join if I manage to get some spare time

If you want to kickass start your forums, you may want to consider holding a few contests for web hosting companies' and their respective owners. I'll try and come up with some good ideas and will happily share them with you.

Meti

 

[adnan71]

I always use phpBB as my free forum solution, though I also like SMF. I like phpBB due to the vast range of modifications available, and themes.

Adnan, I will give you a tip. I would strongly advise you to narrow down the forums and try to limit it to max 10 forums. Try to use "wide categories". If your forum works out well, and you start to get some real activity over there. I would recommend adding a few categories, and move any threads that are no longer on the most appropiate area.

Remember, forums require a huge amount of work and time. As a previous forum owner, I am quite aware of the time that is required in order to administrate and moderate the forums. I wish you the best with your project, and will join if I manage to get some spare time

If you want to kickass start your forums, you may want to consider holding a few contests for web hosting companies' and their respective owners. I'll try and come up with some good ideas and will happily share them with you.

Meti

Thx Meti,

Any ideas help.

I got a family to support.

I installed phpbb3, wiped it out, installed SMF.

I think I'm going to wipe this out and end up re-installing phpbb3 cause it's more cleanly coded then SMF.

It looks very nice and has some good features but phpbb3 has a very robust feel to it.

So I think I'm going to revert back to phpbb3, right now before theres any activity on it.

take care

Edit,

I reverted back to phpbb

the forum is set up at Hosting Gossip: Web Hosting Forums & Discussions • Index page

It needs some more forums and categories in there.

 

[temi]

I have a felling you will not want to hear this advice or the advice will not stop you plan but my advice is don't start a new web hosting forum, there is and awful lot of them out there already, perhaps expand the hosting section of DJ.

Unless you are content with having many small forum then that is fine. I am of the believe that one huge forum (say like dj) will be more rewarding to you than many smaller forum that are going no where.

Unless your hosting forum is for Pakistan, if its going to be in English language and aim for the international market... chances of it becoming a leading hosting forum is very slim.
Hope you don't mind me being frank with you.

 

[adnan71]

I know temi.

But the name I got, HostingGossip I just have to try it.

Heck I must of registered all the variations and tlds on it.

And it's better then just paying renewals on 35 variations of the same domain just sitting there.

I mean it could fly and be the next web hosting talk, who knows.

And no matter what, it still adds popularity to the love of my life, linkspub

Plus, I could have some proprietary software listing hosting companies just like I have on DJ.

I already got this thing half way up.

And for diversity of course there's our brand new Pakistan Forums, hehhehehehe

But I really appreciate the honesty.

take care

 

[temi]

Good luck to you Adnan, I don't think advice like the one I gave you will make me stop a project if I set my mind to it already it either... just that I see a lot of forums that never get anywhere and the webmaster press the eject button after sinking a lot of money into it, I must have bought about 10 such sites in the last year or so including the one I am trying to give away free in this thread: http://forums.ukwebmasterworld.com/...n-name-forum-abcsoapsforum-com.html#post35902

 

[adnan71]

Well this is just like a 2 day deal here.

I was working on businesses.com.tw and something bit me.

I've got like 110 some odd domains and all I do on them is pay renewal fees.

So I said, I'm gonna take a couple of days and set up this HostingGossip & PakistanGossip

I got good hopes on PG.

Come day after tomorrow, I'm back to businesses.com.tw

 

[adnan71]

Ok, guys,

I put vbulletin in there and were going to move that thing full force ahead.

I'm gonna put in alot of my own Adnan's custom programming and make it nice and pretty.

If anybody experienced in web hosting and wants to help me out in setting up the right forums and coming up with a policy, plz reply here or message me.

You can visit the forums at Web Hosting Forums by Hosting Gossip - Powered by vBulletin

It'll take me a couple of days to set up some forums in there.

thx