Help! How Do I Start A Simple Machine Forum?

HELLO,
     I need help on how to start a start a simple machineforum, please i need help on the step by step things i need to do, up to administering the site, thank you very much!!

First thing you do is buy your own website from your web hosting site then you install SMF theme/mod from http://www.simplemachines.org into your website via upload under File Manager of Cpanel.

Remember you are FULLY RESPONSIBLE to renew your domain name/web hosting every year and you are the SMF ADMINISTRATOR (in charge of) running your own forum yourself---that means you moderate, delete, move, add, or modify at your own spare time everyday 24 hours in 7 days everyday. Plus you promote your advertisement about your forum to be spread the news to your friends, family, schools, colleges, etc.

Check out existing Nairaland threads at below:

Forum Help Needed
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-154748.0.html

How Do I Create A Forum On My Website?
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-10776.0.html

Website: Where Do I Get Forum Like Nairaland?
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-153738.0.html

Or contact the real Nigerian SMF consultant to help you installing your SMF on your website at The WALL.

@ uspry
   thanks

Hi,

It seems that a bit advanced if not I'll say that you worry yourself on what don't really matter.

Yes! You heard me clearly you worry on setting up a forum where you could just buy a domain name and hosting for your need and simply log into the cpanel of your hosting there you will find fantastico,open itand install SMF jeje.

As far I'm concerned your headache should be pomotion and marketing and not setting up.

Thanks

You can use free host that has PHP/MySQL support with the capability to upgrade next package to be sufficient running your forum expanding no problem.

For forum administrator, to learn basic PHP and HTML to know how to modify the coding without mess up the real SMF PHP coding. Make yourself habit to back up SMF files before installing new SMF mods.  Always back up first!!!

Good idea to make two SMF themes: one for real one (your theme where real members access) and the other experimential forum site (default theme where you can test them additional new mods or editting PHP codes). Back up both!

If you do not understand what I talk about, please consult with real Nigerian SMF consultant (The Wall) I already provide the link above.

@sayhi2ay

No, I am so sorry that you will not contact me at all. What is information security class all about? Does it relate to SMF?

If it is not related to SMF, then please create your own topic on the subject "Information Security Class" whether should I help you out or not. The more someone might be benefit learning about your information security class on NL.

Thank you!

@sayhi2ay

I myself am not C++ programmer! Sorry! Use google.com you can find mamy results what you look for. Enter the blank search box field: "OS security algorithm using C++" or "browser security algorithm using C++" without quotation.

Go NL Programming section you will find lot of C++ programmers there.

Good luck sayhi2ay!

@uspry
   please whats he difference between version SMF 1.0.12 and SMF 1.15,      i dont want all my home page to be just all boards i want to put featured topics as well is this possible with 1.15 version ,

@uspry
    thanks a million times, am not so keen the bandwidth 'consuming' mods, think i can leave that out, though i honestly wont mind the paypal donation mod     and to think you are a genius, thanks a lot, i will try and learn more of 1.web design 2 MYSQL 3.PhP  did i leave anything out??  thanks

  thanks a lot, do you know of a reliable host?(pls tell me why you think they are reliable) Please what do i need to know to master web design and admin generally any special packages/?/

Thanks a lot

@ quickygal
   here is the matter for you, just look thru, i have lot to learn my self

@quickgal wrote:

Who is hosting nairaland?

Oluwaseun Osewa aka Seun, the forum administrator, hosts this site, nairaland.com. Seun is registered this web hosting provider, Lewis Media Inc. at his own expense since he founded this site on 2005.

I do not know which hosting package he bought, why don't you ask him for more info or see next paragraph mentioned about provider link?

This hosting provider is founded in Canada since 2001. If you are interested in more info about Lewis Media Inc. The link is found at the bottom of this page where the copyright is located. Be sure you have either credit card/debit card or PayPal or Google Checkout account to charge the fee if you are really serious registering on this provider.

what is the maximum web/hosting space for forum discussion/social networking site?

The average maximum web/hosting space is between 500MB to 10GB depend on hosting price varied what you can afford to pay monthly as well as yearly renewal too to keep site running as long as you pay every month on time all the time. But IT IS A MUST for MySQL database space should be at least 100MB sufficient. If you don't pay hosting/domain name due, your site will be suspected on limited length until you made in full in order to re-activate your site normally.

Every hosting providers are different prices, different features to offer, and different web control panel management system (CMS) such as cPanel, H-sphere, Plesk, Total Control, and many more. . .

My hosting provider with H-sphere CMS is in USA (remember,i don't live in Nigeria) since 2000 with my automated credit-card payment deducted monthly. That is what i can afford myself paying all the time.

Good luck!

@uspry1
    Thanks a thousand times, you are not a mentor though, you are far more than that, well i must confess i have alot to learn, i need a proper host for the sites i want to luanch, check out www.lawnigeria.356host.com   just to have an idea of what is coming up. i must add THAT IS JUST A DEMO, just a 2 hours hurry/haste skeletal work to show you,

  Thanks a lot, i would prefer a yearly paymeny plan, and i hope it will be easy to pay from Nigeria, i am really interested to start hosting right away, but then you said, anything good takes time, What and what skills would you advice me to focus on, as per the hosting so that
 1. Security
 2.storage so i wont lose data or just wake up one day and the forum is gone
3precautions to take as per back up and general maitainance and running, any pitfall for a beginer?

Actually, the latest version of SMF is 2.0 beta 4 but since it is still in beta, it is not advisable for production purposes. If you really want to get the most out of SMF, then you should know a bit of PHP. You can customise your forum's look and feel to your taste. You can visit  my site to have an idea of what I am talking about. I also incorporated osDate into it for the personals section.

As for hosting, there are lots of of providers out there with different packages. I use HostMonster and so far, they are still o.k.