Ahhh, message boards. Lord knows I love them. I bet you love them too. Bulletin boards were part of the Internet before just about anything else. Before browsers, before chatrooms, and most definitely before blogs. Despite all the innovations since, forum-type discussions are still one of the most prevalent activities on the web. The ability to converse safely and easily with someone across the globe from the comfort of your chair is a damned good thing. Even better is finding an online group that shares your interests.
As an adult webmaster you are undoubtedly aware of the importance of message boards to our industry. Yes, we meet in person, have conventions, make phone calls, send email and conduct real-time chat through IM software. We publish trade magazines and host resource sites with links, articles and tutorials for adult webmasters.
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"The members of our profession use all the communication/advertising tools available today. Yet, I believe that without adult webmaster message boards, we would be lost. Boards bring us together." |
The members of our profession use all the communication/advertising tools available today. Yet, I believe that without adult webmaster message boards, we would be lost. Boards bring us together. They keep us posted on technological innovations and industry-related news. Boards enable us to expose cheaters and frauds. Boards give us a venue to express ourselves and promote our interests. The web designer can hawks his mad skillz. The sex-happy couple can find a content broker willing to market their dirty home movies. The programmer who got laid off from his/her corporate job will find themselves suddenly very busy with requests to code for paysites.
Some of us have been members of adult webmaster message boards for a decade or more. We don't post because it's trendy. We post because we want to.
As said above, there are several ways to communicate over the web. While all of them are technically, just applications that enable users to interact via text, the experiences of each are unique. Real-time chat is swell for one-on-one conversations. Blogs are awesome for traffic generation and the user-commenting feature is reminiscent of a message board discussion. If you prefer to blog or host a Java chat on your site, feel free. However, if you have decided that your site needs a message board, then you need a message board script:
VBulletin began in 2000 when a couple of programmers decided to write UBB for PHP. Now on version 3.6.8, VBulletin is without a doubt, the premier message board software. Jelsoft has done nothing but improve on their good thing and hopefully that improvement will continue since Internet Brands bought the company this past July. As customizable as it gets, you will have complete control over every detail with VBulletin. You can lease the software for an annual rate of $85 or buy it outright for $160. Both the lease and own versions feature update and support access. You can also visit VBulletin.org, a message board loaded with hacks, tips and articles, written by members of this free-to-join community.
What's not to love about Open source software? It's free and you can customize the heck out of it because you get to access the source code. Also started in 2000, PHPBB is now on version 3. The best thing about PHPBB is that it's compatible with more databases that any of the others, paid or free. There are support forums, wikis and Flash tutorials galore to help you get up and running. Updates come regularly for supported versions and as already mentioned, you can develop your own scripts without fear of violating proprietary software rules.
Do you want super simple? Do you want WYSIWYG? Do you want all of the benefits without the hassle of administrating a database on your server? Do you want a free trial? Be warned, WOWBBS will host your message board for you but they do not allow porn on their servers. If you want to run a pornographic message board, you'll want to buy or lease the offsite version of this software. At $99, the price is nice to the pocketbook.
A good place to research message board software is Wikipedia. They have a wonderful page, comparing the many PHP-based scripts.
If you're a programmer, you can go to town and code your own forum script. If you have the money, you can pay someone to write you an exclusive script. The choice is yours. Whatever you do, remember that running a message board takes work. If you want any sort of decent community, you're going to have to have moderators who will monitor for spammers, ban haters, settle arguments among members and nudge the conversations forward.
Bulletin Boards were around even before the DOD split DARPANET in two. The modern message board works over the World Wide Web and has been doing so since the UBB flat boards of the mid 90's.
Message boards offer something that no video chat, broadband connection or fancy IM can. They offer a solid community venue with archives and pics. Put a message board on your site, whether for member support or member interaction. The message board has withstood the test of time on a fast-evolving web. Get a script and get to work!
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