Web Hosting Forum Setup help needed

[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

[adnan]

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.

[adnan]

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/d...html#post35902

[adnan]

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

[adnan]

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