Setting up a message board (mini basic forum)

[Oddsocks]

Last year i set up a facebook page for our swindle to use to arrange games, post results, sell stuff on etc, but as our club is own by crown golf, they thought this was unprofessional and requested it be removed, i think this was due to members discussing some negatives on there.

I was a bit peeved that they requested it, as the only members of the group were our swindle members, but also understood that facebook was/is a very public source of information and any negatives being discussed by us as the membership could be negative to the club.

So option 2 is setting up a small message board / mini forum that requires members to be pre approved, so that discussions are not open, that way it is not negative to the club, and the members can still discuss stuff openly, as well as the things we used to use facebook for.

has anyone done such things, and more importantly know rough costings for doing so. Im sure i've seen some free forums before, and your own forum is just an extension of theirs, for example www.freeforums.co.uk/golfmonthly

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[brendy]

Speak to Basher OS, he has setup a very successful little forum for Yorkshire golfers.

 

[Oddsocks]

cheers brendy, i'll drop him a pm

 

[Phil2511]

I have one mate. For a very small site cost would be about $60-70 per year USD. That's with the company I have used for 4.5years. Very reliable and easy to deal with. Then I use a software called e107 which is free and has multiple addons and themes also for free. Underground Mastino is my site and it's hosted with 123Ehost

If you need a hand setting it up give me a shout. Can have most of it done in half an hour or so.

 

[Oddsocks]

interesting phil, can we lock the forum so it cannot be viewed by joe public.?

 

[Phil2511]

Yes mate. Can keep the entire site member only so you don't even see the home page just a login page with 2 boxes. Username and password. Or you can have it so it looks like a website but you can set each area public or member only etc. I have mine fully open but can adjust each part to registered members only within a few seconds.

 

[Oddsocks]

cheers mate, ill look into it now, are they charging big bucks for hosting?> i know my current hosting for my work site is £120 a year all in, but thats for SSL secure hosting.

 

[Phil2511]

$50 a year for hosting which is approx £32.50. Plus a domain name which can vary from $10-$20 depending. So about £40-£45 a year Total. That will be ample for you. My own cost is almost £200 but my site is very large in comparison to what you plan.

 

[JustOne]

http://www.proboards.com they are free there.

 

[Oddsocks]

cheers phil, will have a dig about... and justone.... thanks aswell..

 

[Lump]

The proboards ones are very good to say they are free. The one Basher (Gaz) setup is very easy to navigate and from what he's told us was setup in an evening.

The Link to 'our' Humble little forum is in my sig.

 

[AmandaJR]

Can't you just set your fb page to me group members only and therefore not visible to anyone else?

 

[Oddsocks]

Amanda. that would have been far to simple to suggest... i did that and crown golfs response was that they didnt want sub groups associated with each course, which i can understand to a degree.

thanks for all the responses

 

[full_throttle]

i have used myfreeforum.org although i'm not sure if it can be set up for member only viewing. easy to use and friendlier on the eye than proboards imo

 

[philly169]

phpBB forums are free, i've used them in the past and had no problems with them.. I'm sure theres some settings that allow you to lock it right down.

http://www.phpbb.com/

 

[Basher]

I can recommend Proboards. Good support available from them. Any glitches are sorted very quickly.
Oh aye, it's completely free as well!:clap:
I've sent you a pm with a few details mate. Hope it helps and good luck with your mini forum.

 

[Basher]

Speak to Basher OS, he has setup a very successful little forum for Yorkshire golfers.

Do you mean http://yorkshiregolf.proboards.com Brendy?

Thanks for the blatant plug mate. :whoo::clap::ears:

 

[brendy]

Do you mean http://yorkshiregolf.proboards.com Brendy?

Thanks for the blatant plug mate. :whoo::clap::ears:

Do you know I do think it was http://yorkshiregolf.proboards.com matey.