There are a few multi-forum hosting scripts out there that allow anyone with a webserver to become their own free host. Would you want to start up such a service? If so, how would your service be different? Would you allow backups? Would you put ads on your free hosted forums?
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Run your own free host?
- Thread starter Nebulous
- Start date
I wouldn’t want to do this myself, simply because there’s already well established free forum hosts online. I think it would be quite a challenge to get people to sign up unless you decided to offer free hosting for software that doesn’t already offer free hosting. I think all the free software that’s still up to date already have free hosting.
Ensuring the security of the your free host is essential. I need to implement measures like firewalls, regular updates, and security fixes to protect my users' data in accordance with the GDPR and privacy policy is essential. Knowing how to safeguard this sort of thing is a crucial part to starting your own free host. You would also need to factor in how you are going to make money - from ads, sponsors, upgrades? Business isn't a charity!
I remember a guy who actually had that dream for himself and ended up making it a reality. He used to be a mod on Hireem before he took on the job of creating what would become to be known as Icyboards. He did a good job with it from what I can remember.
I have a VPS and I do host sites for others. But I am not going to do it for free.
Certainly, I offer free hosting, but solely for giveaways and limited to a 6-month period. Activating free hosting often results in numerous fake and deceitful orders.
A year ago, some users upgraded to paid plans, I eventually lost interest and had to discontinue my free hosting.
A year ago, some users upgraded to paid plans, I eventually lost interest and had to discontinue my free hosting.
A long time ago [in a galaxy far away], I used to run my own server hosting. It was a very small operation, but one thing that turned me off to it was the requests of what some people wanted me to server, mostly erotica and some other questionable content. Plus the bandwidth that would be soaked up, just yellow rains on my parade. If I were to get back into self hosting, and want to deal with all the headaches that come with it (and added expenses), I'd only host for a small chosen group of known, trusted people.
10 years up and running ( not mine , i dont use mybb )
As much as I would have loved to build my own free forum hosting in the past, I feel now with there being quite a few to choose from if someone is looking for free-hosted, it would be difficult to compete with those now.
