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Hi...I'm new to the forum and interested in starting my own discussion board. I have no knowledge of programming whatsoever, and my computer knowledge is limited to Microsoft Office and surfing the 'Net. My goal is to build a community, and maybe even some ad revenue on the side. Can anyone tell me where some of the best places are for someone like me, who would prefer a place that takes care of alot of the nuts and bolts for me. This would also be a place that would let advertisers in down the road. Thanks in advance!

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Dani AI

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— good question. and have started the right conversation about software and hosting. For a non‑programmer there are two practical routes: a no‑tech hosted board that handles updates/backups for you, or a platform you can grow into later if you learn a little. Each has tradeoffs in control, cost, and monetization rules.

If you want zero maintenance, try a hosted forum provider such as ProBoards or Muut. They run the servers, handle spam and backups, and often have paid plans that permit advertising or custom domains. If you plan to scale or want full control down the road, consider a modern community engine with hosting options like Discourse or a hosted service from the same vendors.

Quick starter checklist to act on today:

  • Pick a narrow topic and create a short, descriptive forum structure (3–6 categories).
  • Seed the site with 8–12 high‑quality starter threads that answer common questions.
  • Pin a short welcome + rules post and an FAQ so new members know how to behave.
  • Set basic anti‑spam controls (email verification, rate limits) and invite 10–20 friendly people to start conversations.
  • Track engagement (daily active users, threads per day, retention) and iterate.

Plan monetization later: direct sponsorships, paid membership tiers, merchandise, or affiliates work better once you have steady activity. Check any hosted provider’s terms before promising advertisers. For community growth and moderation best practices, see community management resources like CMX Hub (https://cmxhub.com/) for proven advice on building retention and healthy moderation workflows.

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Member Avatar for Dani

It seems like to start your own forum / discussion board, you would first need to purchase some space on a web server. Visit our web hosting forum to get some ideas on where to purchase hosting. It will run you about $10 per month for a host with PHP and MySQL support. You will then need to set up your forums. I recommend, for starters, phpBB which is available for free at www.phpbb.com. I would not think about trying to sell advertising or make any money off of the site from the start. First build the site, and get a steady number of visitors per day. Then, you may wish to consider joining the Google AdSense program at www.google.com/adsense/ to make some money on the side.

Member Avatar for Mafia

Hey,

I Agree Start off with phpBB, I Started using that acouple of Years ago and self-taught myself and its hard at first but it has its pluses in the end, you will enjoy it. I would start off getting Hosting Company, Look around for the Best Prices and someone with good Costumer Support, With SQL, FTP, Etc, Etc. Then I would Register on www.phpbb.com and start to learn some stuff before you Download and start, Or read the manual.

Once you have started to learn it and you think you got the handle of it, start and try to make your site what you want it to become.

Thanks,
Kevin

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