LATER NOTICE: this thread may be no longer relevant. I have received only 1 potential offer----and it seems this idea was too complicated. I have decided to start a new thread asking to share hosting services ONLY.

If you want to operate your own forum---and if it is either non-commercial or low-key in any commercial aspect---I would like to hand you the keys to my vBulletin forum & website.

You see, I own a vBulletin but all I really need is some 100% reliable place to host my own "holistic health" forum. So you could be the PRIMARY forum operator---and I could be a sub-forum within YOUR forum---and I will pay the bills.

Well, currently my hosting bill is $70/month and someone would like to pay half of that, I would be happy. But also I am open to consider to let someone take over my vB totally FREE if your forum idea is non-competing and compataible and if you are ready and able to do all the vBulletin software maintenance.

For example if you are a hosting reseller and you want a forum---you could even be the host.

When my ezine gets started it will bring in a lot of members. They will know about you and the members you bring in also will know about my ezine. So the idea is a symbiotic relationship: half the cost and twice the assets.

If you are interested please hit the "reply" button and tell me something about yourself and your existing or future forum plans.

Sweet deal.. Too bad i already own VB

Originally posted by is0lized
Sweet deal.. Too bad i already own VB Not a problem! I can just shut down my forum, and you can sell your vB license and use my vB license at your current location---or any location. I.e., technically you don't need to change anything you are doing now---just add my forums to separate categories within your existing vB forum.

something is fishy here...


can you explain more...

theqase: you are a idiot, he is trying to save on his hosting so he is giving his forum software for youself and then you create a subforum for him, and you host his site and he pays 50% of hosting cost

an idiot i may be, i just would like to know more...

like how much bandwidth are you looking at... because surely you can find hosting for cheaper than that.. especially if your forum isnt that popular (possibly why he wants to share?)

i mean he wants to pay half.. .thats 35 bucks.. you can get a big plan for even that

christophe2,
I am interested. How may I contact you (other than email or PM)? How much bandwidth per month are you looking to consume?

Originally posted by theqase
something is fishy here... can you explain more... Look it's just that:

1. vB is the only bulletin board with search engine indexing capability soon to be standard built-in. It's the best.

2. It costs about $100/monthly just for a website powerful enough to run vB properly with several hundred members. That is $1,200 per year. It would be nice to cut this cost in half.

3. If you are trying to make money with webhosting design, or if the web is primarly a hobby for you---how do you get a lot of members interested in your forum? By having a few other forums there.

4. So here I am paying $60/month for my website, just to keep my vBulletin online while I start up my ezine gradually in my spare time over the next year. Meanwhile I know how to customize the vB to anything desired, but doing weekly backups, SQL-dumps for periodic upgrades, etc., etc., just is not my cup of tea.

I am a web-nerd by necessity not by nature---and my health ezine will appeal to thousands of other non-web-centered folks. Meanwhile, if you ARE a web-nerd selling hosting plans or design or something---you probably are wondering, how do you "break out" to the wider world looking for your services? So the short-term benefits is: cut monthly costs in half, reduce the work load. And the long-term benefit is a thriving mini-community of diverse interests in symbiotic relationship.

5. But yes, it would require a good bit of discussion. Basically I think we both need assurance that if "it doesn't work out"---one of us will have no problem to download their whole database and move elsewhere. Also I intend to mail my health ezine to every member once a week---that will be their "cost" of joining my free health forum. And if the associate also wants to send emails to the members, we will need to agree on that, etc.

ok, i was just wondering.. sorry for any trouble, besides, you already have an offer

Originally posted by PebbyCat
he is trying to save on his hosting so he is giving his forum software for youself and then you create a subforum for him, and you host his site and he pays 50% of hosting cost Yes, I think you've got it right! Thanks for helping to make my meaning clear, PebbyCat.Originally posted by mlee support How may I contact you (other than email or PM)? How much bandwidth per month are you looking to consume? Well I can not think of a better way to communicate in the beginning than emails... just hit my "E-mail" button below...

As for bandwidth--I had my vB installed by a professional who advised me about bandwidth. I have a reseller account at OLM.net. This is because they are one of the oldest and most reputable places at a reasonable cost. And this account is "virtually dedicated" and can be upgraded instantly to just about infinity. Yes you can get cheaper hosts and you are welcome to do so. But according to a thread here some time ago---someone asking for "cheapest dedicated server"---the best reply was I think rack.com or something like that for $100/monthly. Now OLM.net is $120/monthly, has first class support and you just know they are not going anywhere, they are totally solid. But as I say if you disagree you can move to another host.

I will take anything until I have 500 active members. Then if you know anything about bulletin boards, you know a dedicated host is "required" at that point--- (a) if you do not want a reputation for a terribly slow site and (b) if you do not want anybody to be able to hack into your system. (If it is not dedicated server, they can do this by opening up another account on the same server and hacking horizontally.)

Originally posted by theqase
ok, i was just wondering.. sorry for any trouble, besides, you already have an offer Your first instinct was rather accurate theqase in that this is NOT a simple matter. There will have to be a sort of "meeting of minds" and a lot of flexibility on both sides for this to work. Therefore I do not particularly expect that the first good offer---or even any of the offers---are going to work out.

So if ANYONE is interest---please don't be put off because "I already have an offer..." For one thing, maybe it will work out that 3 or 4 of us can all use the same vBulletin instead of just 2----or then again, maybe only one will still be interested after they know all the little details---maybe we won't be able to agree on something----etc.

So please keep responding, anyone who is interested...

I'll host your forum for FREE. WHEN you like the service, you pay $20 / month. I'll maintain (software/hardware), but not administer your board. I have a dedeicated server with 0 (zero) accounts on it ready and waiting.

I have worked for, developed and coded a few BB systems in my time. vB is good, but very bloated. It's powerful, but demanding. It doesn't matter what solution you use to start out with, as you grow, your software either grows with you or you out-grow your software.

PM or email me if interested.

since when does one has to pay for a forum?????

Since UBB and VB