need advice, new to forums and such.

[tonynoriega]

ok, ive been around the block since 96, but have never done a site with a forum.

i am starting a new site and i want to use a forum... anything open source i should consider?

im on a hosted w2k3 server.

here is my idea... the site is focused around a local topic. i want implement a forum, and a gallery for submiting art.

and i want to continue my blog....

any pointers on where to start?

[tangor]

Pick your forum package (I use eBlah), fold it in, then spend two to three years building your community. Locate the best of the posters as mod gods and let them do their work to grow it further while you keep blogging. No rocket science here, just hard work.

[piatkow]

A forum takes time and effort to attain a critical mass. Also people will always prefer to stick with an on-line "community" that they already participate in. Do some research on your niche and make sure that your prospective users are not already established elsewhere. (I have seen a couple of failed attempts at music forums for genre/locality and genre/topic as practically everybody in the genre who is interested in forums already uses one established genre/international forum)