Flarum

Basic web design is something that just about anyone can do. If you don’t believe me, take a few hours watching free online video tutorials and get a Wix- or WordPress-based site setup. That is no guarantee that it’ll be all that great, but with enough tinkering over time, anyone can create the next big series of webpages.

Even if you lack the confidence, there are plenty of web designers out there who will craft your site and (typically) at a reasonable price that most can afford or at least save up for. The tremendously tricky part is making certain websites like a video hosting platform or a forum.

As I have pointed out on my site in multiple examples, there are web–based businesses that can provide this highly technical skill and a huge chunk of change. Again, that is an option for some people but can be a huge barrier for others.

But by using Flarum, you can set up your own forum, and you can get tons of help when doing so from a lot of supportive people, often for free.

This Service Was Built With The Best Tools

One way you get an avalanche of data on this site is by checking out the Documentation page, but you’re in for a lot of reading. Alternatively, you can skim through the homepage, but there are vital details you are going to miss. To split the difference for your benefit, I synthesized the crucial facts and will break them down, starting with the major tools that make crafting a fantastic forum possible.

Digital Ocean – This first tool is a cloud launcher that makes infrastructure and team management a cinch. It’s incredibly intuitive to use, so even if you are new to web design, you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting used to it.

GitHub – This program is one of the business leaders for creating and deploying software and has plenty of advanced features. That said since it has such a massive registry of software, so you’ll end up coding less.

More than 56 million developers use this handsome service, so you know you’ll be using a trustworthy form of software.

Jet Brains – This product provides you with even more tools that your whole team can share with ease. And if they struggle using them, there are already learning tutorials provided.

Sentry – As great as all of these programs are and easy as they can be to learn about, there are going to be at least a few bugs here and there. It is a good thing, then, that Sentry is optimized to locate, fix, and improve any glitches that give you an issue.

1 Passwords – Cyber y is everything these days with hackers, data-stealing corporations, and invasive government. This is important for those developing a site that loads of users logging in regularly like a forum. With this program, you can secure that vital gatekeeping data and generate strong passcodes that even skilled net slicers would have a hard time penetrating.

Style CI – This is a series of supplemental programs provided by GitHub that will make creating and polishing your forum a snap.

Be A Contributor If You Have The Skills

Besides using the service, you can improve Flarum by creating extensions or becoming a contributor. Extension creation is relatively straightforward given how customizable the site’s tools are. In addition to that, you can easily report bugs, glitches, and more.

By checking out the milestone page, you can pick from a range of issues to be addressed. Further, the flarum/flarum development setup application streamlines this so even intermediate developers can make a difference.

If you opt to, it is critical that you look up the code of conduct first!

If you don’t or lack the skill, that’s fine, too. Just keep in mind that if you experience an issue or have a problem, it’s only a matter of time before it is addressed.

They Have An International Community

Even though mathematics and, very similarly, translating computer coding are universal, a persistent challenge on the net is communicating using human language. This can make it hard to run a massive forum with a multi-lingual community and trading notes with other web designers.

It is a good thing then that Flarum is working to overcome this, at least a little bit.

In addition to the user-friendly interaction tools discussed below, they have a series of discussion pages for non-English speakers. In addition to a handful of European languages, there are verified communities for Mandarin and Turkish speakers.

Furthermore, if you do have a forum that you set up with this service, you can also get it localized in several languages from around the globe using their translation packs.

Get Into An Even Larger Network

In addition to connecting with people from around the world, you can also get archived information from the experts. On the flip side, you can also talk to other hardworking web entrepreneurs like you instantly.

Blog – While referred to as a blog, the Flarum Disqus page functions more like a forum, which I suppose is appropriate. Anyone can start a discussion relevant to the program with mechanics that reminds me of a simplified version of Reddit. Unlike similar services, there is an impressive amount of response to each post. When I checked, the minimum number of responses per post is at least two, if not many dozens.

Discord – Sending a message is a classic way to get assistance from others or the people who run the site. To me, waiting that long is kind of like the new version of snail mail. The really wait to communicate with people is to check out the Flarum Discord. There are thousands of registered members, hundreds of which are online at practically anytime.

Twitter – Email is great and all, but sorting through a cluttered inbox isn’t exactly the most exciting way to start the day. Besides, I’m pretty sure that most of us check our social media profiles early, late, and often. That’s why I would say the best way to get updated and concise news on Flarum would be by following this Twitter page @Flarum.

Checkout Their Showcase For Good Measure

What would a quality web development service be without a respectable portfolio? Unsurprisingly, Flarum has a decent showcase of web projects worldwide that cater to a variety of users. Not only do these examples prove how awesome this service is, but they might also give you a few neat ideas.

For That Matter, Lookup What Others Are Saying

If, for some reason, I cannot fathom you aren’t trusting of what I have to say after all this, look around online. Well, you can skip that and just look at the research that I already did on that front for you.

When looking at what other people have to say, individual critics who specialize in this area, like those at stackshare.io, highlight several positives and bring up virtually no negatives. Their review isn’t as thorough as mine, of course, but it’s another fantastic resource to get a second opinion.

Furthermore, there are a handful of reviews from users on alternative.me, which average out to 3.8 stars. Sure, that’s not the most impressive score, but slant.co 171 reviews and counting with a mean review score of 85%.

Support Site If You Want

With so much free stuff going for you, it almost seems like this website is too good to be true. You almost might think that there is a hidden catch – but here’s the thing, there truly isn’t! That doesn’t mean that the folks running Flarum aren’t looking for support, though.

If you end up using their services and want to aid the cause – both of which I endorse – this is the way you can do it.

Donate – Since Flarum is a non-profit organization, they aren’t in this just to make a quick buck. Consequently, they rely on donors like you to ensure future improvement, keep up with the community center, and ensure extensions’ health.

Your options to directly financially help them are as follows: you can make a single donation or be a recurring donor on GitHub. By doing that, you can feel good about your contribution, and you get a nifty forum backer badge. If you want to upgrade your support, you can be an Enterprise member and do the same donation level. The difference being, you also get special access to certain features like employee training, personal account management, and a quarterly voice call.

Merchandise – I’m not one for promoting brands other than my own and those of the people I work with. And I am certainly not much of a guy who rocks other people’s logo like a paid model. However, if you become a Flarum superfan, they seem to have a store packed with merchandise if you feel inclined to do so.

Partial disclaimer, though! It’s still linked on the site, but when I checked, the Flarum CypherStore is down. I didn’t get a 404 screen but instead wasn’t able to connect to the server. To me, that suggests that it’s a temporary issue with CypherStore and not Flarum’s fault. Still, be aware of that if their merch store has moved or, for some reason, been permanently shut down.

But perhaps the best way you can support this website is by taking full advantage of the services that they provide. Try it out and set up your own future forum, adult-oriented or otherwise, and start making money, hosting convos, or whatever it is your project is for.

If I were in your position, I certainly would – it just takes an email submission to get going.