Question What's the easiest way to set up a forum (ish) thing in 2023?

[teuchter]

I'm considering setting up some kind of discussion platform, for some work-related stuff. The basic requirements:

• would not be public. So, visible only to those subscribed to it.
• I'd like it to be threaded in a similar way to how it is here. One linear discussion per topic, not forking off into loads of confusing sub-discussions that seems to happen on some platforms.
• easy to post and view images, as well as text
• low admin burden for me (or anyone else helping with admin). I don't think the nature of it would mean that there'd be a lot of moderating; it ought to be fairly well behaved
• I'd want to heavily discourage lurking. That is, the deal would be that you can be a member as long as you actually contribute yourself rather than just freeloading off advice from others. I don't know if there are setups that already have a way of doing this. May be a rather obscure requirement.

I know that the kids these days use stuff like discord, which is something I've never really explored. Should I be looking at that kind of thing? Any other suggestions?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I'm considering setting up some kind of discussion platform, for some work-related stuff. The basic requirements:

• would not be public. So, visible only to those subscribed to it.
• I'd like it to be threaded in a similar way to how it is here. One linear discussion per topic, not forking off into loads of confusing sub-discussions that seems to happen on some platforms.
• easy to post and view images, as well as text
• low admin burden for me (or anyone else helping with admin). I don't think the nature of it would mean that there'd be a lot of moderating; it ought to be fairly well behaved
• I'd want to heavily discourage lurking. That is, the deal would be that you can be a member as long as you actually contribute yourself rather than just freeloading off advice from others. I don't know if there are setups that already have a way of doing this. May be a rather obscure requirement.

I know that the kids these days use stuff like discord, which is something I've never really explored. Should I be looking at that kind of thing? Any other suggestions?

If it's work and you've got 365 licenses could you use Yammer?

 

[a_chap]

...could you use Yammer?

Now renamed as [checks notes] Viva Enrage

 

[teuchter]

If it's work and you've got 365 licenses

no, don't have anything like that.

 

[CNT36]

I'm considering setting up some kind of discussion platform, for some work-related stuff. The basic requirements:

• would not be public. So, visible only to those subscribed to it.
• I'd like it to be threaded in a similar way to how it is here. One linear discussion per topic, not forking off into loads of confusing sub-discussions that seems to happen on some platforms.
• easy to post and view images, as well as text
• low admin burden for me (or anyone else helping with admin). I don't think the nature of it would mean that there'd be a lot of moderating; it ought to be fairly well behaved
• I'd want to heavily discourage lurking. That is, the deal would be that you can be a member as long as you actually contribute yourself rather than just freeloading off advice from others. I don't know if there are setups that already have a way of doing this. May be a rather obscure requirement.

I know that the kids these days use stuff like discord, which is something I've never really explored. Should I be looking at that kind of thing? Any other suggestions?

We use an app called Spond mainly for organising events. It has posts on it that are similar to what you describe though you can reply to other people's replies separately like on Facebook. There is likely a similar app on the play store offering what you want.

 

[skyscraper101]

Make sure to do a beans or cheese first poll and report back.

 

[Leafster]

I'm on a Tennis forum which is hosted by ProBoards. https://www.proboards.com/

It's clunky as hell and looks like crap but there's a free version and I think you can limit access to only those who have a password.

 

[souljacker]

Start a subreddit.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Slack. Or pro boards.

 

[AverageJoe]

Slack or Enigma.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

If you have Web hosting there are a bunch of forums you can plug in.

Years back I even wrote one myself. It stopped working after PHP 5.

 

[Pickman's model]

Slack. Or pro boards.

If there's one thing teuchter is, it's slack

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I like Discord which comes with video calls and screen sharing which I’m not sure Slack does (not used it in a while) and pro boards definitely doesn’t do.

 

[RoyReed]

I've used Slack and hated it.

When we were collaborating on our Ghost Signs book, my co-author set up an account with Jira which was incredibly easy and intuitive to work with, which might work if what you're doing is project based.

 

[WouldBe]

Bathroom-doorlock75.com?

 

[Elpenor]

Sorry to hear you’re leaving us

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Bathroom-doorlock75.com?

even better

 

[teuchter]

This really wouldn't need to be able to do anything fancy at all. Just threaded discussion topics with the ability to post images. Minimum amount of admin/setting up would be a priority.

It would be a sort of spin-off of an existing Facebook group. Facebook is not really good because, well, it's facebook. But also too much extraeneous clutter, not good for uploading images, means people have to be linked to personal profiles, and I don't like the forked discussion threads and un-searchability of everything.

Don't think I need to explain why facebook is rubbish. But of course what it does have in its favour is that it's pretty easy just to set up a group.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

srsly tho, don't use Slack. It.Is.Fucking.Awful.

I'm sure all the Tech Bros will be along soon to disagree, but frankly, they're wrong and can all go fuck'emselves with their Lenovo Legion's.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

This really wouldn't need to be able to do anything fancy at all. Just threaded discussion topics with the ability to post images. Minimum amount of admin/setting up would be a priority.

It would be a sort of spin-off of an existing Facebook group. Facebook is not really good because, well, it's facebook. But also too much extraeneous clutter, not good for uploading images, means people have to be linked to personal profiles, and I don't like the forked discussion threads and un-searchability of everything.

Don't think I need to explain why facebook is rubbish. But of course what it does have in its favour is that it's pretty easy just to set up a group.

If you want something like these boards, for free, then it's proboards.

ProBoards

ProBoards is the largest host of free forums on the Internet. We provide the best forums and customer service to help your online community thrive.

www.proboards.com

 

[teuchter]

I think slack is for team collaboration type stuff right? That's not what this is. Just good old non real-time online discussion.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The difficulty you'll have is getting any cunt to leave facebook.

 

[teuchter]

If you want something like these boards, for free, then it's proboards.

ProBoards

ProBoards is the largest host of free forums on the Internet. We provide the best forums and customer service to help your online community thrive.

www.proboards.com

Cheers.

What about discord, have you used it much?

 

[Throbbing Angel]

What does NextDoor use?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Cheers.

What about discord, have you used it much?

Yeah all the time. Mostly one on one via private messages. I haven't set up a server which would be the multi-user equivalent.

 

[editor]

The difficulty you'll have is getting any cunt to leave facebook.

Indeed. There's a good reason why a huge amount of forums gave up the ghost years ago. I never recommend anyone to start up a forum now as it'll almost end up in tumbleweed (unless they're famous, have a product everyone wants to know about or have some incredible niche topic that happens to be ideally suited to forums).

 

[teuchter]

I also use a few io.groups, basically where old yahoo groups migrated. That potentially could work ok, except it's not really optimised for posting images.

 

[editor]

Yeah all the time. Mostly one on one via private messages. I haven't set up a server which would be the multi-user equivalent.

When Dulwich Hamlet tried to move away from this forum to an 'official' discord one, lots of fans (including myself) hated the interface. It failed miserably as everyone preferred to stay here.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I also use a few io.groups, basically where old yahoo groups migrated. That potentially could work ok, except it's not really optimised for posting images.

Proboards won't be the best either. Editor obviously shells out for image hosting, the free ones you'd have to point to an existing URL or host the image by other means.

 

[teuchter]

Yeah all the time. Mostly one on one via private messages. I haven't set up a server which would be the multi-user equivalent.

There are a couple of youtube channels I follow where I know they also have a discord server(?) where keen followers discuss engineering design type stuff, which is a bit like what I'm after here and I assume works for posting things like images and technical drawings, but I've never actually tried using discord. Of course instead of just lazily half asking about it here I could go and try joining one but hardly even know where to start.