message boards

boberts · #1 06-06-2006, 04:59 PM

can anyone help me. i want to put a message board on my website. a very simple one where people can leave comments that can be read by anyone looking at the website. where do i start?

racefan20 · #2 06-07-2006, 12:10 AM

If you have a VodaHost account, log into your Cpanel, look for the big blue smiley face labeled Fantastico. In there, you'll find options on the left to install either a phpBB or SMF forum. phpBB is a lightweight variation of the forum we're on now.

nish1959 · #3 08-18-2006, 04:50 AM

I have a question. Okay, I just installed the message board stuff from Fantastico thru my CP, but how do I activate it? I have no idea where to begin, all I know is that the installation was successful.
Clueless here.
Nish1959

racefan20 · #4 08-18-2006, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nish1959

I have a question. Okay, I just installed the message board stuff from Fantastico thru my CP, but how do I activate it? I have no idea where to begin, all I know is that the installation was successful.
Clueless here.
Nish1959

When you installed the forum, you were asked to name the directory in which you wanted it installed. Most people call it simply forum or forums, but whatever you called it, the path would be yoursite.com/name_of_directory.

If you don't remember what you named it, go back to Fantastico, click phpBB and then click the link labeled "visit site". Once you get there, add it to your favorites to make it easier in the future.

nish1959 · #5 08-19-2006, 02:07 AM

Thanks, Racefan. I'll try. I guess it doesn't work the way one would insert text or images?
PS: I'm in FL now, but have a home in Concord where I hope to eventually retire.

nish1959 · #6 08-19-2006, 03:40 AM

I clicked Visit Site, and my site comes up. I saved it to favorites, but I still have no idea how to access the php and add it to my page. Is it done the same way you'd add something on Website Builder or is it an entire different process?
Someone...anyone...please?
Thanks,
Nish

Vasili · #7 08-19-2006, 05:05 AM

No, Nish....a Forum is a pure php-presented webpage...there is no "page" for you to insert code or anything into, it "presents" itself according to code.

When you actually "arrive" at your BB, at the bottom of the board, you will see "Amin Panel" which is what you should then click on to go to your Admin Panel, where you can modify and manage your Forum from. You will first need to Logon to the Forum itself, and then Logon to the ADmin Panel.

Once there, you will now see the true Admin Panel (the Control Panel, if you wish) for the Forum. This is where you can set the aspects of "configuration" for how the board works, and the permissions/protocols for Users as well. There is a set of Tutorials on this, and I highly recommend you go through them prior to setting up your board, lest you mess it up requiring it to be reset....

nish1959 · #8 08-20-2006, 01:52 AM

Thanks Vasili. This should keep me busy for the evening. Let's see how far I get tonight.
Nish

nish1959 · #9 08-20-2006, 03:46 AM

Hi Vasili,
Here is what I did tonight - I logged into my Cpanel, clicked fantastico, went to phpbb2. Clicked on visit site.
That's as far as I got.
How do I "arrive" at my BB, as you say?
I am truly a novice and need a step by step instruction on how to "arrive" to my BB.
I guess I already went down the wrong path or totally missed some steps.
Thank you for your help.
Nish

nish1959 · #10 08-20-2006, 04:50 AM

Vasili,
This is an update. I logged into my account via phpbb and actually started a topic and posted some text as I created a forum. At this point I am confused as to how do I get the forum to appear on my website.
Thank you.

Vasili · #11 08-20-2006, 05:53 AM

CONGRATULATIONS!
I guess I can actually help someone after all!

You must link to it....as from a BV page, you would create a link (whatever style: text, icon, etc.) to the "index" of the board:
www. yourdomainname.com/whateveryoucalledyourforumdirectory

Remember, your Forum "index" page automatically presents....

PS: Where in Florida? I used to live in Tarpon Springs, and soon to return....

nish1959 · #12 08-20-2006, 03:43 PM

Thanks, Vasili. This may keep me busy. I'll check back at my next hurdle.
I live in Boynton Beach - north of Boca, south of West ****. It's nice, but getting expensive.

nish1959 · #13 08-20-2006, 05:06 PM

Vasili,
You say I must link to it. Where am I when I am trying to do this? I was in my cpanel of Phpbb and on general Configuration. Is there something I am to link to there?
(oh, are you gonna be sorry you got involved in this.
Thanks,
Nish

FPRob · #14 08-20-2006, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasili

I guess I can actually help someone after all!

It has been my observation that you are a very consistant source of help to the members here.

Code-Burnt-Gemini · #15 08-20-2006, 10:10 PM

I think I would have to agree with rob on that one.

Vasili · #16 08-21-2006, 07:52 PM

Nish,

If you have a BV "index" page, which is your Main/Home page, and you wish to provide a link from that (or any other) page for visitors to go to your Forum, you must provide a link. It can be a text link, an image that has been hyperlinked, or a button on a Menu - you must simply provide visitors with a mechanism for them to "get there."

Thus, you must enter specific info in the "hyperlink tool" in BV to make this possible, since your Forum resides in it's own directory (which your server sees as if it was a 'sub-domain' or 'directory'), and this requires a link that will look like this:
www. yourdomainname.com/whateveryoucalledyourforumdirectory

It has nothing to do with a function in your Forum Admin panel, or Forum itself - you simply need to direct traffic by providing the proper linking!
> Take a look at this concept like this for comparison: if you only had your Forum in your web hosting account, whenever someone would visit your website URL, the Forum Index would automatically present itself. Since php behaves automatically, that is why we "contain" it in a directory (folder) of it's own, so we can control the progress of visitors in our website.....whenever we steer visitors to this Forum Directory, we know the index will automatically present, which is what we want. And, since you can only password-protect a directory, this is also why we set up Forums in separate folders (directory).

This is why we use the term "front-end" for pages created in BV will eventually steer to this directory which contains or Forum. But - you must create links for that to happen!
Understand?

And, the link above is how you accomplish that....you can see your domain name, and the format to direct to the directory where your forum resides (protected or not...).
* Note that it shall be the name of your Forum DIRECTORY (folder), and not what you called your actual forum!

Vasili · #17 08-22-2006, 12:48 AM

Nish....let me know where you are now, and if you have moved past this issue?

nish1959 · #18 08-22-2006, 03:29 AM

Vasili, your new post may take me over the next hurdle. I worked very late today and may not get a chance to apply this until tomorrow. I think you just lit a light bulb in my brain.
Thanks,
Nish