Hi
I'm thinking of adding a forum to my website but your forum FAQ is not really that in depth.
Because I'm a real dumbass i don't really know what a forum host is and how I can get a forum onto my site.
Could you run by me how to get a Forum on my iWeb site if it is not too much trouble.
Thanks a lot!
Ad

(P.S I love your site!)

Hi Ad,

I didn't make an in-depth Forum FAQ because it doesn't really have to do with iWeb and I can't do everything in-depth due to time limitations and due to the fact that there are different forums and depending on which one you choose the process is different. There are so many different settings in a Forum that I can't discuss all of them and there are other websites explaining the process.

I don't have the time to explain the whole process step by step right now but if you tell me whether you want to install it on your own server or want to use a service like forumfree.com I could try to help as soon as I have the time to.

Regards,
Cédric

Hi!

Thanks for replying so quickly!
I understand what you mean, I have looked at the freeforumhost.com and I have made a forum called http://milhouse101.freeforumhost.com/index.php. Do I know just use a hyperlink to link them together?
I'll search around for a tutorial on it, thanks!
Thanks for your help

Ad

Hi Ad,

Either make a simple text link to http://milhouse101.freeforumhost.com/index.php or make an iFrame
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWeb_iframe.html
containing the URL (web address) http://milhouse101.freeforumhost.com/index.php

Setting up a PhpBB Forum as the one you have now is pretty easy. Simply login to it and go to the bottom of the page clicking on Administration Control Panel. There you will find all the settings you need. Best is to go by trial and error. You can't really mess up anything so don't fear of it (just remember the default setting if you're not sure what it is about).

Regards,
Cédric

Great! Thanks for the help.

I have gone onto the Administration Control Panel and all the information is there.
However I want to change the picture at the top of the Forum and I click on Styles and then Themes on the left.
I then come to this really long bit of code that goes on forever, I presume this is the code of the Forum.
Am I meant to change the code to edit the actual theme.
I'm not that good with coding and and I don't really have time to look through the whole list of words and numbers just to find the bit I want to change.
Is there another way to change the theme or picture at the top of the forum?

Thanks
Ad

Admin Control Panel => Styles => Imagesets => Edit
Select Image => Main Logo
Browse => Choose the image you want to have as a logo from your Computer => Submit => Submit

Resize the image to the right dimensions before adding it.

Regards,
Cédric

So I'm using Host Excellence and they have a way to install the forum within the current control panel... Just by enabling the PhpBB... Do I still need to "upload" the latest forum files from another website? Or does HE just do that when in the control panel?

In the meantime, I would like to imbed the forum into one of my pages, just to keep my theme... Would that work using iFrame?

How can I keep it secure from the outside world? I only want MY members to have access to the forum and no one else. I don't even want others to be able to read or access it.

Thanks! BTW, your book is excellent!

You wouldn't have to upload all the files but I wouldn't recommend you to install it that way. Thing is HostExcellence doesn't always have the newest version installed in that one-click install. When PhpBB Forum version 3 appeared they still had version 2 as one-click installer. I don't know whether they provide version 3 now or not. Anyway I would really recommend you to avoid the one-click install and install it the traditional way by uploading the needed files yourself and go through the install process as described here
http://phpbbfaq.net/site/PhpBB_Hosting_FTP_HE.html
and here
http://phpbbfaq.net/site/PhpBB_Install.html
Same for any other hosting: they don't always provide the newest version for one-click install.

Yes it works putting it in an iFrame.

Control Panel=>General=>User registration settings=>Account activation: Disable, this disables new registrations completely.

How you would create new users I don't know. You would probably have to change Account activation: Disable to None, then go through the normal registration process and change it back to Disable. I don't think there is a way to add new user in the Administration Control Panel itself.

Also you would have to set the user permissions of Guests and Bots so they wouldn't be allowed to Read (hence No Access)
http://phpbbfaq.net/site/PhpBB_Set_up.html

You could also password protect the /forum/ folder to increase security
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWeb_Folder_FTP_HE.html#6

Regards,
Cédric

Awesome! Thanks for the quick and detailed response!

I got the Forum up and running... I have it running on Host Excellence just to test it out and learn it... I hope to move my other MobileMe site to HE and use the Forum on that site, not the current one... Just testing it out right now... But before I make the leap, I have some security questions...

I only want my Forum to be accessed by my members and NO ONE ELSE. I don't feel like registering all 270 members, so tell me if this would work or not...

I place the Forum into a folder which is Password protected by HE. The Forum and the other part of my site would be in that folder... Half of my site is for engaging the public, the other is members only... So that members only part would be protected with a single username/password given to my members... Now, if the Forum is installed into that folder, would that be kept from the public? Would there be ANYWAY at all that someone without that password would be able to get to the forum and register their name? I don't want the public to view it at all! I also don't want to deal with all the restrictions, so would this way work? Easiest?

How about using an iFrame? I'm really particular about keeping all my pages looking the same, heading and footer wise... Would an iFrame be my best bet? I know I can customize the forum, but not sure how extensive...

Any additional information you can give?

Thanks for all your help!

Listen there is no 100% safety on the web. If someone wants something and has the necessary knowledge to do so he certainly will succeed one way or another.



Putting the forum in a folder and password protect it as of this
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWeb_Folder_FTP_HE.html#6
is probably the easiest and safest way. Even with only one username and password for all. If you protect a folder no one can access whatever there is in it without entering the username and password to do so. That's for the theory as I said you will NEVER find 100% safety on the web. If one of your members provides teh username and password to someone else then that's it and your protection is gone.



an iFrame is never an ideal solution or best solution. However it works. And if you don't want to edit the theme then that's probably the only way to go. How to customize the header and footer or whatever on PhpBB themes is described on my phpbbfaq.net site http://phpbbfaq.net/site/PhpBB_Customize_themes.html I can't help you any further than that.

Regards,
Cédric