Advice needed on setting up a forum

[MAllie]

I have a name I would like to set up as a forum and can't see dedicated thread for my question, so am putting it here:

I think I read on this forum before that lots of people recommend VBulletin for this. Does anyone have anything to say about WebsiteToolbox.com or any other?

Is it possible to hire someone to set up a VBulletin forum (the formatting and so on), the way you can hire someone to set up a website?

How much would this cost?

I've been a member of lots of forums and run some also, so I'm happy with my abilities there, once I have the set-up done and know my way around it.

[ecomindia]

Madame Monica,

The support is provided endlessly across the world for already established forum brands like vbulletin , but will suggest if you do not know / will not like to take risk of goofing up with installation / setup, catch the support team of the forum you arte buying.

It is most of the time an annual fees (AMC) and if you arwe willing to pay, why not!

1 time setup fees ranges from $25 - $75 and AMC might cost upto setup*3 (basic calculation done on basis of most famous products)

Also ,search in google using "vbulletin setup fees"

[MAllie]

Thanks so much for that, Dipendra. That is very helpful indeed.

[Dale Hubbard]

VBulletin is very much the best solution. It's easy to install, but not so easy to configure. It's really easy to 'skin' it too, and there are countless free skins out there, although I have always bought mine. Best thing to do is to practise with the config. If you license it for a year, that will give you a week or so to master it and 11 months of live use.

To make it effective for SEO, you also need VBSeo.

This forum uses both of these packages, but very heavily customised!

Good luck.

[MAllie]

Thanks, Dale. I think 'a week or so to master it' is optimistic talking of me, but even eight or nine months of live use would be good.

[CureCancer]

Hi,

For a fee, i can setup and optimize your vb for you. Im also selling my vb package. Let me know if you are interested

http://www.dnforum.com/f60/selling-l...ad-346392.html

[Dale Hubbard]

You'll be good to go in a fortnight. Throw me a PM if you're stuck.

And I won't charge

[MAllie]

Thanks for the responses, MIR and Dale. I've PMd you both.

[draggar]

If money is tight, SMF is good (for free) and has a lot of easily installed hacks and skins, but not as widely used as vBulliten or phpBB.

[CureCancer]

If money is tight, SMF is good (for free) and has a lot of easily installed hacks and skins, but not as widely used as vBulliten or phpBB.

i started a forum with smf, i don't recommend it - if your developing for long term - start right with vb and vbseo! the two ingredients for success!

[draggar]

I've run quite a few forums w/ SMF and I haven't had issues. The thing I liked is that there was hack to pull information though an RSS feed, which is what I needed (and how I found SMF).

If you have the $$, then yes, go vBulliten.

[Compassion]

can you please link us to the rss feed hack for smf?

thanks

[Dale Hubbard]

If money is tight, SMF is good (for free) and has a lot of easily installed hacks and skins, but not as widely used as vBulliten or phpBB.

As with all the vB wannabes, security sucks, especially with PHP back doors. You get what you pay for I guess.

[britishbulldog]

It's east to set one up but getting traction is the most difficult.......good luck !

[draggar]

can you please link us to the rss feed hack for smf?

thanks

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...q=0&oq=SMF+RSS