My forums.

[RubicsCube]

I want to make a forum, much like this one, except only-English. Now, do you think I should learn HTML, JavaScript and CSS or just use one of those templates that have the forum pretty much already made?

[anon]

do you think I should learn HTML, JavaScript and CSS

You'd also need to learn some language like PHP, ASP or Perl to interact with a database and generate pages dynamically.

Coding a good forum script will take some effort. Unless you were already planning on learning programming and would like to use this as a way to exercise your skills, I'd just use an already existing one like vBulletin, SMF, phpBB, etc.

[RubicsCube]

I'd just use an already existing one like vBulletin, SMF, phpBB, etc.

I'm not sure what to use, could you give me a recommendation?

[Mihai]

I'm not sure what to use, could you give me a recommendation?

If you do not know any programming at all you will have to learn a lot before actually making a forum. You can go by without learning all that but then, if you will have forum bugs, and you will, you will not be able to fix them, not knowing how it works.

As anon said, start with those already existing scrips for forums, and also check out google for some video tutorials on how to install those scripts and edit them.

[The Shutter]

Use Vbulletin easy to modify & install , as for the programming languages coding a full forum is something a professional would do , you need to learn markup , scripting , programming languages along with database to be able to code a forum like vbulletin .

[RubicsCube]

vBulletin is quite expensive, I was thinking of using forumotion, and paying to get a proper domain name after I see the site getting somewhere and growing. Though I feel forumotion isn't as great as vBulletin, but it's much cheaper. What'd you think?

[SealLion]

Hi: I was just browsing warez.bb and I came across a program offered for downloading. It's called 'CoffeeCup Web Forum Builder". Currently, the official site's address is

Web Form Builder | CoffeeCup Software

Here is a small blurb from their website:

Web forms are an essential part of the Internet. But if you want to build one from scratch, you need to know HTML, CSS, PHP, OMG, and databases galore. Web Form Builder lets you piece together the perfect web form in minutes. You’ll get to enjoy the same powerful results without needing to know any of the complicated stuff that makes them work.

I had a scroll down along the page and it seems pretty cool. The whole thing for 69 bucks!!

Again, and as an option only, I did mentioned earlier, the retail version if you want to try it out is available on warez.bb. Sorry, I can't provide links but there is a search function over there of course.