A question for the webmaster/forum owner

[Joe of Loath]

Hello there!

I'm looking to set up a forum with some internet friends, and I'm just doing some research before we shell out for hosting.

Only two main questions really, how much storage does this forum use on the server, and how much do you pay per month to keep it running? (Also, does it run on a dedicated server or a VPS?)

Thanks!
Joe

[KAGU143]

I will have to ask Kæth if he knows where to look to find out exactly how much bandwidth we use. I was able to see that our database is about 21 Mg, but I don't think that is what you need to know.
As for the cost to keep it operating .... I know that we only pay once a year and that it is somewhere around $120.00, (?) give or take, including the site name and everything. I will know more details in another month or so.

[Dargon]

While I am not involved in the actual physical operation of this site, have done a small amount of work on web sites.

If it is just a small forum for you and some friends, as you make it sound, there are a number of free services that make it rather painless. http://www.invisionfree.com/ has pretty good forum hosting. Mind you, they are ad supported, but for the past few years up to current, the ads consist of nothing more than a banner image ad, no flash, no pop-ups, none of that.

If you don't want that, most small forums run just fine on VPS, and most forum software is free, and often has tech support with hosting companies. Many small package hosts run around $50-$100 per year for their tiny packages (often with fairly low storage and bandwidth limits (mind you, typical forums don't use much of either)). It goes up from there. Only very large forums (we're talking several thousand active users (AVEN moved to a dedicated server around three years ago if memory serves)) need dedicated servers.

If you are going the paid route, I have personally used Electric Kitten in the past, and their customer service is amazing. Their plans cost a bit more than most, but the service was worth the difference in my opinion. For a forum, if you can do most the grunt work yourself, a cheaper host should do you just fine. I do recommend you avoid Bluehost. They have this nasty habit of updating their ToS and notifying no one, then shutting your site down and being real bitches about sending you a backup.

[Joe of Loath]

Thanks for the info.

We're looking at $110 a year for a VPS. I can set up all the software on the VPS myself. As long as it runs a version of Linux I understand, anyway... It's going to be a community that'll hopefully expand to become reasonably large. (We're the transyadas of AVEN, and we're quite handy with the 'snowball' effect, heh).

The hosting company I'm looking at currently is called 'citynethost.com', they seem OK for the price we want to pay.

[ghosts]

I have my own forum that's pretty small (it's for a local community, & has about 300 registered members), & I just host through godaddy - it cost me about $80 to renew this year (not including domain names).

Not sure what you're looking at for forum software, but I've been using MyBB, which I recommend. Plus, no advertising!

[KAGU143]

This one also uses GoDaddy and we haven't had any problems at all with them.

I will give another thumbs-down to Bluehost. We Hates them. Yessssssss we do.

[Joe of Loath]

We got a bargain VPS with Citynet hosting (In Egypt, lol), $50 a year or something like that. 1024mb of RAM, 50gb of HDD space and 1TB of bandwidth.

I prefer being able to SSH into a proper Linux shell, rather than just pressing buttons on a web interface, but that's just me.

[Jicragg]

You're badgering everybody about this, Joseph. <.<

[Joe of Loath]

Yes, because I didn't want us to spend too much money

I thought you would be glad to get rid of us.

[KAGU143]

Erm ... but who would ever want to get rid of the transyadas?

You guys would be welcomed here, ya know. If you wanted to be here, that is. 'Just sayin' ....

(This is where we put the Eh? in Positive, after all!)

[Joe of Loath]

Nah, we're trying to start our own community for queer aces/ace queers all over the place :p We'd fill up your database space in days, and drown out your interesting discussions with pictures of cake.

[Dargon]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a transyada?

And considering the common definition of "queer" is simply anything outside of cisgendered heterosexuality, isn't being A queer by definition?

[Joe of Loath]

http://yada.wikia.com/wiki/Transyada http://www.asexuality.org/en/index.php? ... transyada/

Yes, pretty much.

[Dargon]

So it sounds like any transgendered person who's "mental gender" does not fit nicely into male or female.

Still only makes sense on the surface level with me, but I suppose all gender discussion is doomed to remain on that level with me.

[Joe of Loath]

That's about it, yes

[Jicragg]

I still don't understand why you don't all go to whatisgender.net The majority of members there aren't a binary gender and they've been wondering how to get more traffic. Surely you going there would make sense. Just saying.

[Joe of Loath]

Too formal.

Besides, we'd swamp them. We've had 900 posts in 24 hours.

[Jicragg]

Yep. I'm seriously glad we got rid of you. -_-

[Joe of Loath]

We've already got almost as many posts as Apositive... Sure you don't miss us?

[KAGU143]

(Wonders ... How did I miss this updated post?)

What's your website's address, Joe?

Oh, and we go for quality here, not quantity, with a mature, dignified approach to civilized conversation!

*blows a big wet raspberry*

[Jicragg]

(Wonders ... How did I miss this updated post?)

What's your website's address, Joe?

Oh, and we go for quality here, not quantity, with a mature, dignified approach to civilized conversation!

*blows a big wet raspberry*

I'm not sure you really want to find that forum then.

I can't help but notice they have similar conversations that are taking place in AVEN JFF. Seems, they don't want to talk to regulars anymore.

[Joe of Loath]

OK, you got us on that one :p

We're keeping the address kind of quiet until we have a full contingent of mods and admins, as currently it's just me performing the janitorial duties :p

[Jicragg]

OK, you got us on that one :p

We're keeping the address kind of quiet until we have a full contingent of mods and admins, as currently it's just me performing the janitorial duties :p

Yes because when you search 'transyada' on google it so doesn't hook you up with said forum...

[KAGU143]

A semi-secret forum branching away from AVEN and recruting its members by invitation only ...
I have heard of something like this in the past.

[Joe of Loath]

Jic, we don't expect the whole of AVEN to do that in the few weeks there were between starting the forum and opening it up...

We're invitation only until we have mods. Which according to my calendar will be... Tuesday.

We shall have a grand opening party.

[Jicragg]

I'm just saying. If people want to find it it's pretty easy. All I'm saying.