How to start an internet forum website?

1.Choose the Webhosting

Internet forum websites attract spambots or bad bots. Those programs try to automatically posts ads on forums. Since internet forums count many pages, they receive a lot of incoming traffic. If you already have several websites, it is better to install a forum on a new web hosting account because a forum is a sensitive type of websites because of what people post and also because of the spambot attacks. 

I wrote an article about webhosting companies for internet forums

It would be also a mistake to install an internet forum on a dedicated server where there are already other websites. Since the internet forums attract website scanners. The spambots will stress your dedicated server and it may take it down. A Internet forum website requires a clever firewall. It is better to choose a managed web hosting plan rather than trying to protect the internet forum on your own.

• Click here to order a Vbulletin forum hosting at a2hosting
• Click here to order a Xenforo forum hosting at a2hosting
• Click here to order a myBB forum hosting at a2hosting
• Click here to order a phpBB forum hosting at a2hosting

2. Legal concerns

Depending on the country, there are different laws for user-generated content. It would be a huge mistake to host your internet forum in Germany. Germany is a country where webmasters can be fined millions of euros because of hate speech posts. When your internet forum counts thousands of posts, it is very difficult to moderate every post. On the other hand, except for posts promoting prostitution, webmasters of internet forums aren’t responsible for the content posted by members. Hosting an internet forum in the USA is the best option to stay away from legal proceedings and seizure of a website.

3. Choose an Internet forum software

You may want to choose a paid internet forum software or a free internet forum software. The paid internet forum applications are much better than the free internet forum softwares.  Find below useful articles about choosing an internet forum software.

Issues we face with phpBB
Choose a free or paid internet forum software

If you already have a community, I would encourage to buy a paid internet forum software because you will be able to install the internet forum and make it available to the public very quickly without modifying the code.

4. build it

Every internet forum software allow to add categories, subcategories. Then, you can also create groups and user permissions related to those groups.

5. Moderate it

Webmasters have to be ready to moderate posts on a daily basis. There are lots of spams and trolls on forums. Some users are auto-generated by bots.