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Newbie needs ADVICE!!!

Hi everyone! I work for a public university and need to create a new forum. Never done this before and was hoping you experts out there could give me some advice. We have our own website, servers, etc... so that isn't an issue. Our online community will include university employees that use our data warehouse. The only 2 requirements I have are the ability to link to our current authentication system (so users can log-in to post messages) and the ability to include attachments in messages (such as sample reports and SQL code). The community will consist of business professionals, so I want to build a professional and user-friendly forum. Been reading a lot about VBulletin on this site. Do you think VB would work? Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate it!!!

Hafner99
Newbie Poster
1 post since Apr 2005
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
 

Might wanna repost in programming...

Techie08
Junior Poster in Training
66 posts since Dec 2008
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
 
Might wanna repost in programming...


Perhaps not, four years later...

Ezzaral
Posting Genius
Moderator
15,985 posts since May 2007
Reputation Points: 3,250
Solved Threads: 847
 

get a Vbulletin forum script and install it..
http://www.vbulletin.com/index.php

its easy to run it....

gdi
Junior Poster
143 posts since Mar 2008
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 3
 

You could use PHPBB - http://www.phpbb.com/

I've only used PHPBB once - when I was in Year 8 (six years ago now - sheeesh lol) and it was very beneficial :)

Hope this helps,
David

david_a_smith
Newbie Poster
11 posts since Oct 2008
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 2
 
Might wanna repost in programming...


I didnt see the date, it showed up as unresolved. I don't know anything about the technicality of things so i wanted to make sure you had your question addressed somewhere that it could be helpful.

Techie08
Junior Poster in Training
66 posts since Dec 2008
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
 

If you have your own website and server, then why don't you use the fantastico option to create your own forum. It is much easier, just few clicks.

Robdale
Practically a Master Poster
631 posts since Jan 2009
Reputation Points: 61
Solved Threads: 5
 

It is a good choice but what is the topic in your forum?I mean,what topic do you exactly plan?

carlyse_09
Light Poster
30 posts since Sep 2008
Reputation Points: 6
Solved Threads: 0
 

What language do you intend to use. If your servers have php then phpbb is free for you to use and quite customisable but it has it's own auth system as does vbulletin. I'm not sure how easy it is to re-configure these to use your existing system. I know you can install php on windows servers as well using xampp. But if you are using Windows servers then your best bet may be to use something like sharepoint or possibly look at dotnetnuke. I think sharepoint works off AD and I'm not sure if you can get dotnetnuke to do the same.

Also when you say you have your own servers do you mean with a hosting company or are they physically your own servers within the University?

TommyBs
Junior Poster in Training
61 posts since Mar 2008
Reputation Points: 11
Solved Threads: 11
 

Nice idea to start a forum. You can set it on your server.

Flower
Junior Poster
190 posts since Mar 2006
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 3
 

I would suggest to start with free forum software such as PHPBB, once you get some 500+ memebrs and regular posts every day you can move to vBulletin.

bobchrist
Posting Pro in Training
456 posts since Jan 2007
Reputation Points: 17
Solved Threads: 10
 

This article has been dead for over three months

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