Forums - The basics?

[twistedkeys]

There's some really dumb forums out there (not this one obviously!! ) And I want to compete with them (None that are tech related!!! ).

I have a few questions, but first a quick background.

I'm a young adult, my father is a professional web designer and owns his own company that I sometimes help with.

I have experience in WP, and some HTML. I would probably consider myself a novice web designer (more of a building if you will).

I'll be getting an associates in network admin next year, along with getting general education in tech development. After that I'm going to go back and get a bachelors or masters in software engineering.

As for the questions:

1. What is this type of forum called? Who creates it? What's it designed with?

2. My father says there is a HUGE spam factor when dealing with these types of forums. Is this true? How bad is it? Is there an easy fix?

3. How much revenue does a forum generate per user?

4. Are they a big time consumer to maintain? Or is it a wind 'er up let 'er fly type thing?

Anyone have any experience with them? I wanna know!

Cheers!

[MarkR]

I'll give this a bash, answers in bold:

Originally Posted by twistedkeys

There's some really dumb forums out there (not this one obviously!! ) And I want to compete with them (None that are tech related!!! ).

I have a few questions, but first a quick background.

I'm a young adult, my father is a professional web designer and owns his own company that I sometimes help with.

I have experience in WP, and some HTML. I would probably consider myself a novice web designer (more of a building if you will).

I'll be getting an associates in network admin next year, along with getting general education in tech development. After that I'm going to go back and get a bachelors or masters in software engineering.

As for the questions:

1. What is this type of forum called? Who creates it? What's it designed with?

There is loads of forums that are premade which you should look at, look at phpBB for one solution. If you mean what is it coded in? either PHP/ASP and MYSQL/MSSQL, along with HTML/CSS/JS. I'd use an off the shelf one, custom solutions are prone to hacks unless you know your stuff.

2. My father says there is a HUGE spam factor when dealing with these types of forums. Is this true? How bad is it? Is there an easy fix?

Yep, I know a guy who let his get out of hand and he was seeing over 1000 spam messages a day. Ways to prevent it are vetting users when they sign up, making them enter a CAPTCHA when they sign up, and then for their first few posts and deleting spam as fast as you can. Let it linger and there will be plenty more where that came from.

3. How much revenue does a forum generate per user?

Not to sound obnoxious, but how long is a piece of string! It all depends how much time your users spend there, how many you have and how good you are at monetising it. Adverts are usually the easiest/fastest way.

4. Are they a big time consumer to maintain? Or is it a wind 'er up let 'er fly type thing?

Kinda same as the last question. Getting users to use it initially is the hard part, you need to put a lot of effort into growing a community. After that though people will moderate it for free usually so help is at hand.

Anyone have any experience with them? I wanna know!

Cheers!

[twistedkeys]

Originally Posted by MarkR

I'll give this a bash, answers in bold:

Thanks for the reply Mark! That helps heaps!

I also forgot one last question if anyone has the time to answer it:

What about WP and forums? I know they have their plugins, but those just aren't very user friendly and are obviously in their early stages of life.

Is it possible to use this theme, phpBB (if you will) on WP? Or am I getting ahead of myself?