How to Build a Forum Website with Phorum

If you want to create a website for a group of people to discuss, a forum, such as Phorum.org, is a good choice. This system allows you to create a free forum website. A basic understanding of PHP is all you need to get started. The basic version works well, but it may not look visually appealing unless you modify the code.

Phorum Has Been Around for a Long Time

Phorum started in 1998. It was made for a website called dealnews.com. Brian Moon began to add a forum for users. Over time, Phorum had problems with hacking. So, Brian Moon and Maurice Makaay made Phorum. Maurice joined in 1999. He was a developer who sought a more efficient system. He kept working on it until 2005. Another key person is Thomas Seifert, who joined in 2001. He helped make Phorum even better.

Easy to Set Up

Setting up Phorum is easy and takes only five steps:

1. Download the software from Phorum.org.
2. Unzip it into a folder on your website.
3. Make a database and a user with full access.
4. Edit the config.php.sample file and save it as config.php.
5. Open the /admin.php page on your domain to complete the setup.

It’s quick, simple, and easy, making it ideal for those who want to set up their forum quickly.

Help If You Get Stuck

If you experience any problems during setup, direct to the Phorum documentation. You can also ask for help in their support forum. Most queries can be responded to by reading the docs. If you have a PHP4 question, please note that PHP5 is now considered the superior version. Phorum has a great community that will help with any problems.

Why Use Phorum?

Phorum is an excellent platform for building a forum, particularly for adult websites. A forum allows users to share content and engage in discussions with one another. It’s a valuable addition to an existing site, such as a video site, where people can discuss videos and connect with others who share similar interests. Adding a forum can improve the user experience.

Fast and Customizable

Phorum works well, even with lots of forums. You can run 4,000 forums without it slowing down. Phorum is also customizable. You can change the design and features. You can make it look the way you want. Phorum is free, and it’s open-source, which means you can change it as much as you need.

Needs More Updates

The only downside is that Phorum hasn’t had updates in a while. The last release was Phorum 5.2, which was in 2006. The website lacks new information, and some links are not functioning. It’s a little disappointing, but the software still works great.

Big Websites Use Phorum

Although it hasn’t been updated in a while, many large websites still use Phorum. Websites such as MySQL.com, Lycos Europe, and even the official website of the President of Mexico have utilized Phorum. Although reliable, the system remains an unviable system for creating forums.