how hard/easy is it to create and manage a forum?

[ultimate99]

I haven't created a forum before, but I'm wondering how hard is it to create one and manage it? What about moderating it and keeping out malware and spy bots?

 

on a side note, what is the optimum solution to have users post their opinions and others can comment.....would it be a blog or a forum?

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

A Simple Machines Forum is quite easy to set up

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Machines_Forum

 

Below is a complete list of Forum Software

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Internet_forum_software

[wakjak]

creating a forum from scratch? Chances are you'll never build an efficient one on your own. They're usually build by teams of people over multiple years... hell even the people at IPB who made these forums, have royally screwed up this more recent version.

 

Best thing to do is to either find a free use forum, or use one from a company like IPB which i'm assuming comes with costs.

[Royalty]

It's not hard at all. The hardest thing about a forum is getting people to use it.

[Draconian Guppy]

14 minutes ago, Royalty said:

It's not hard at all. The hardest thing about a forum is getting people to use it.

+1 there are thousands of online forums with 10+ active users.

[DevTech]

On 4/18/2016 at 11:12 AM, Gary7 said:

A Simple Machines Forum is quite easy to set up

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Machines_Forum

 

Below is a complete list of Forum Software

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Internet_forum_software

That list is woefully incomplete. Most lists on Wikipedia converge to reasonable coverage over time but that one is "lost in space."

 

Discourse is an attempt by the founder of StackExchange to modernize forums in general. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_%28software%29

 

As people have noted here the effort of managing a forum is only worthwhile if people use it. Studying articles on how to build virtual communities might help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_community

 

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

4 minutes ago, DevTech said:

That list is woefully incomplete. Most lists on Wikipedia converge to reasonable coverage over time but that one is "lost in space."

 

Discourse is an attempt by the founder of StackExchange to modernize forums in general. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_%28software%29

 

As people have noted here the effort of managing a forum is only worthwhile if people use it. Studying articles on how to build virtual communities might help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_community

 

Do not complain to me, Why don't you edit that list and update it then. I found it using Google to help the OP and the advice I gave him is OK. Simple Machines is so easy even a caveman can mange it. I do not appreciate your bringing me down for trying to help/

[DevTech]

14 minutes ago, Gary7 said:

Do not complain to me, Why don't you edit that list and update it then. I found it using Google to help the OP and the advice I gave him is OK. Simple Machines is so easy even a caveman can mange it. I do not appreciate your bringing me down for trying to help/

I wasn't complaining to you or anyone.

 

It seemed efficient to quote your post to point out that the Wikipedia page was horribly incomplete just as a stement of fact, nothing else.

 

I have updated many Wikipedia pages but can't take on everything!

 

So your post was just fine and an informative reply to the OP