Sep 28, 2009
What about those popular open-source discussion boards?
Ok. Really. We mentioned all the terrific discussion board options in our previous postings, because they are “technically” the most full-featured and most stable options available. But there are a whole handful of open-source discussion board options that are just fine, especially if all you’re trying to do is teach a course or two. For the good open-source boards available these days, you can easily find an ISP that includes them with your hosting account. Then you may be able to get support for the discussion software from the ISP.
Siteground.Com (the provider we mentioned before, from whom we will get an affiliate commission for your purchase) has free automated installation of phpBB, vBulletin, Simple Machines Forum (SMF), and Invision . These are, arguably, the most popular of the lot and Siteground offers great support. (Just click on one of the links above then type “forum hosting” into the search blank.)
GoDaddy (our other provider, from whom we don’t get a commission) offers phpBB, Simple Machines Forum, Vanilla Forum, and YetAnotherForum as free add-ins for any hosting account.
claude and Gail
Next time: “Is there a place for Chat in your course?”
