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5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Start A Forums!

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Start A Forums!

Lets face it, everyone wants to be a part of something bigger then themselves, some people choose sports, others choose gangs but you are a part of a forums. The human mind is always looking to accomplish more, so why not try to start a online forums? I mean how hard could it really be. Here is 5 reasons why you shouldn't start a online forums.


#1 - Do you even have the funds?

To many times I see people run into a forums project with little to no funds. They will buy some cheap hosting and a domain and they think they can get everything else for free, sure this is true if you are a internet marketer, webmaster, designer and a overall internet super hero but usually we are not. Let's take some things into consideration.
  • Domain - 10-30 dollars

  • Hosting - 10 dollars per month

  • Decent Theme - 300 Dollars

  • SEO - 100 dollars

  • Advertising - 100 dollars



520 dollars to just get started. Now there is going to be other fees down the road such as DDoS protection, or maybe you need someone to do some modifications to a plugin. You need to think out everything.

#2 - Are you dedicated?

I hear so much that people are "dedicated" it sickens me. I was talking to someone last week and they told me they where 100% dedicated to there forums and that I should fuck off. I look at there forums this week and it has 80 posts and it looked like it hadn't been touched in a few days, most likely he came to the sad truth that he had no idea what he was doing, and gave up. There is a certain level of dedication needed.

#3 - Are you knowledgeable in the topic?
So a while back I was browsing a programming forums, I look at the C programming section and I guess the owner didn't know that C++ and C# are completely different things, even funnier he mixed up Javascript and Java and put them together, the main line is make sure you are knowledgeable in the topic of your forums.

#4 - Are experienced in administration?

Now sure, you could hire a management team to do everything for you, but what fun is that? This also ties back to the money situation. Do you have the administration skills, I am not talking about the one time you made a club penguin club in school, I am talking about having the skills to handle problems correctly and knowing how to deal with situations. The worst thing is when I see a admin give in and then there forums is trampled on by people who disrespect them.

#5 - Are really going to go through with this..?

I hope by this time, you realize how hard it is and how much work it takes to really build a forums. There are tons of people who try to make forums everyday and fail miserably, the worst part is those people cannot troubleshoot the reasons why they are failing and think its just because you had bad luck. Everything that happens to your website is because you allowed it to happen. Remember everything I said, when you go on your big adventure to attempt to create on of the hardest websites to manage on the net.

Good luck!
I agree with you in each and every other points except point #3.

Very knowledge info. however.
(Mar 28, 2013 04:05 PM)Exit Wrote:  I agree with you in each and every other points except point #3.

Very knowledge info. however.

Thanks, and you should have a extent of knowledge, you don't have to be a pro but it helps.
Such a HQ thread and many useful tips. Keep up the good work!
But... but... I want to make a forum and be 20x bigger than HF! I am negative in paypal but I have SPAM! let's get started!

Logic of 35% forum owners.
(Mar 28, 2013 04:14 PM)Rozyn Wrote:  But... but... I want to make a forum and be 20x bigger than HF! I am negative in paypal but I have SPAM! let's get started!

Logic of 35% forum owners.

Ha, you are correct there man. I see this a lot.
Read and learn guys, read and learn!
It really saddens me to see people rushing into stuff, I guess it's mainly just to learn how to run stuff initially, and acquire new skills and such.

I'm currently working on my own barebones PHP forum software, simply because the ones currently on offer don't have the simplicity and theming ease that I have in mind. (It will be open source once released! :D)

Thanks for the great post!
Minecraft IGN: i2 & island219 | Steam ID: island219 | PSN ID: island219 | Skype: island219.
I can agree with most of this the one thing that I do not agree with is the decent theme hitting 300 dollars I guess it could. 😧

https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=2212986 Look at the price 😧.

It was a good thread though taught me some stuff 🙂
(Mar 31, 2013 05:25 PM)we33456y5 Wrote:  I can agree with most of this the one thing that I do not agree with is the decent theme hitting 300 dollars I guess it could. 😧

https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=2212986 Look at the price 😧.

It was a good thread though taught me some stuff 🙂

No offense to calibur, but his work isn't exactly professional

Here are some of the known theme designers
http://themefreak.net/
http://www.audentio.com/
Your pricing is way off bro.
Domain: $1
hosting: 3.50 a month
theme: $20
SEO: good hosts bring 300 free credits
Advertising: hosts normally have $100 ad word credit for free
I've tried starting a forum and it did fail just saying don't start a forum....
(Mar 28, 2013 04:01 PM)Encodes Wrote:  #1 - Do you even have the funds?

To many times I see people run into a forums project with little to no funds. They will buy some cheap hosting and a domain and they think they can get everything else for free, sure this is true if you are a internet marketer, webmaster, designer and a overall internet super hero but usually we are not. Let's take some things into consideration.
  • Domain - 10-30 dollars

  • Hosting - 10 dollars per month

  • Decent Theme - 300 Dollars

  • SEO - 100 dollars

  • Advertising - 100 dollars



520 dollars to just get started. Now there is going to be other fees down the road such as DDoS protection, or maybe you need someone to do some modifications to a plugin. You need to think out everything.

I'm going to stop you here. First of all, money is not an issue. It should mainly be focused on the actual dedication first. If you're paying more than $14 for a domain - it's too much. Hosting is the main priority while your theme, SEO/advertising are a little different. Themes are important, if you design it yourself then you've made it really far already. You've put in mass amounts of dedication for that - Buying it means nothing. SEO means nothing. Same as advertising. You can spend all the money on it in the world but it wouldn't be successful because well, you never put the love into it. My suggestion is, take your own designs to it. Get help and build to love.

SEO and advertising are free. Don't pay for it straight away, find that niche and build up a community. $100 isn't much if every member donated $1 (I'm not saying they would/should but it's an example). Plus you get the experience and knowledge, now that isn't something you can buy yourself into.

Some of your points I do agree with, but you should focus on taking the time to build the forum mentally. Then physically.
(Mar 31, 2013 05:39 PM)Marijuana Crops Wrote:  Your pricing is way off bro.
Domain: $1
hosting: 3.50 a month
theme: $20
SEO: good hosts bring 300 free credits
Advertising: hosts normally have $100 ad word credit for free

Just leave.. Show me a professional studio that will do a theme for 20, a custom one.

SEO: If you mean adwords, adwords is not SEO you fucking retard.

Hosting: For some shitty hosting off of here sure, but if you want real hosting try 10 a month.

Domain: If you use a coupon, for the first year sure.
Sorry, but a theme doesn't costs 300$.


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