June 2010

Why Buy a VPS or Dedicated Server

by James on June 18, 2010

When a forum gets too large it will soon become unusable and have a lot of lag to users who participate in the forum. With all the SQL query’s being made and the server processing your php files it will really slow the forum down. That’s why you should move to a dedicated server when the time is right. They are so much faster and reliable and will make your forum more user friendly.

What is a Dedicated Server

Wikipedia defines a dedicated server as:

A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc.

It’s basically like owning a computer over the internet which will keep all your website’s files.  Just like shared hosting but you own the full server and can have more control over the customizations.

Advantages of a Dedicated Server

  1. You don’t share the server.  This means if a virus is dropped into the server on somebody else’s website you are not effected.  It is much more secure to have a dedicated server as you don’t have to rely or worry about other web masters screwing up and leaving security holes.
  2. Much more computer resources.  Due to it not being shared and being a more powerful computer you will have more computer resources to use.  This means that your forum will be much more user friendly as it will run much faster and not throw errors as it is temporarily being strained.
  3. You are able to install your own software. You are able to install software that a shared hosting account would not allow you to do therefore allowing you to add extra functionality to your website.
  4. There are fully customizable. This means you are able to choose what you want on your server even down to the operating system.  Some people are more familiar with Linux to Windows therefore giving them a huge boost as you can choose your OS.

I recommend trying HostGator’s dedicated servers. They are absolutely reliably and the HostGator hosting have great customer support which is great incase you run into any problems regarding your server.

What’s Your Say?

Do you own a dedicated server? When do you recommend to move to a dedicated server? Any more advantages? Post them below I would love to hear them.

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5 More Must Have MyBB Plug-ins For A Support Forum

by James on June 11, 2010

As I set up the support forum for Successful Forum’s Free Forum Hosting I suddenly realised I that I needed different plug-ins compared to my old forums to satisfy my needs.  So I sat down and wrote down what I wanted  and what my forum needed and then came up with 5 must have plug-ins for your support forum.

MyBB Bug Tracker

As I knew I would encounter many bugs in the process of running a forum hosting company I knew I would need some sort of Bug Tracker. MyBB Bug tracker was my answer. This is a must for any support forum. If you have ever used vBulliten bug tracker you will be familiar with this plug-in as they are very similar. You can create new issues, assign them to developers, change priority, have discussions all on that issue. It’s a very advanced piece of code and very easy to install.

Google Analytics

Google analytic’s is a MUST for any serious website and a plug-in will allow you to add it to your MyBB forum. You don’t even need to enter the full code only your unique google analytics number. Then straight away you can start recording the visits, bounce rate and referring site from your Google analytics panel.

Thank You

I wanted to find a system that allowed users to thank each other for their helpful posts therefore creating a very productive and helpful community. This plug-in adds a small button to each post and allows users to thank each other if they find the posts helpful.  You would be amazed what kind of impact a plug-in like this would have, suddenly everyone wants to be the “top thanker” therefore it causes people to create more productive posts.

Board Messages

I thought it was important to display very important messages to the board members therefore I installed Board Messages. This allows you to create a small message above the forums which is wrapped in a yellow background therefore standing out. Very good for relaying important links and small messages.

Contact Form

Contact Form is a paid plug-in but definitely worth it if you are running a support forum. It’s available to download on MyBB Central. Contact Form changes the “mailto link” to a contact form with a variety of different options for subjects. This will make the forum more user friendly for your members and also help organise your inbox.

What’s Your Say?

So there you have it, 5 must have mybb plug-ins for your forum.  Do you run a support forum? What plug-ins do you use for the support forum?  Post a comment below I would love to hear from you.

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Starting Your Forum: Going Alone or Going With a Team

June 7, 2010

When starting an online community it’s often debatable whether you should go alone or go in with a team of staff ready to work.  So to help you make up your mind I am going to list advantages of both sides to whether it’s better to go alone or with a team. Starting a Forum [...]

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Interview with Mike Wilt – NinjaPost.com

June 4, 2010

Today I’m here with Mike Wilt who is one of the creators of NinjaPost.com. NinjaPost is a relatively new forum software to the forum industry world and I have to say I am really impressed with it. Today, I talk to Mike about the creation and features of Ninja Post. Glen:  Good stuff! So how [...]

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Increase Traffic to Your Forum – 5 More Ways

June 1, 2010

Increasing Traffic, one of that hardest tasks of a forum administrator. I know it was for me. So I have listed five more possible ways to increase traffic to your forum. Banner Advertisement Have you tried creating a banner for your board and paying for it to be displayed on somebody else website. This can [...]

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