How to Create A Forum

Today we will discuss the topic of “How to create a Forum” for a web site.

First, you need to be familiar with our tool of choice: Web Site Tonight.

Read up, see why Web Site Tonight is so powerful. How about some useful links. Here they are:

• WebSite Tonight Help Center
• Setting Up WebSite Tonight for the First Time
• Getting Started With WebSite Tonight 4.0 (pdf)
• Adding Pages to your Web Site

Now you have read about Web Site Tonight, how easy it is to set up, and want to learn how does Web Site Tonight help with my quest on How to Create a Forum.

Firstly, what is a forum?

A forum is an online meeting place for open discussion of various topics. Forums are often referred to as a bulletin board or discussion area. With WebSite Tonight, you can add a forum to your Web site.

So how do I create my forum?

Quite easily with Web Site Tonight. An easy to follow video has been put together illustrating from start to finish of “How to Create a Forum“.

Video of How To Create a Forum

Note: To play Actioncasts you must download and install Macromedia Flash Player from Macromedia.

Now that you are back from seeing the Instructional video, you want to create your own Forum. First you will need Web Site Tonight and a Domain Name and you are off to the races. Follow our set up guides linked to above, and if any questions arise our 24×7 support will be there to help you.

What else can you do with your Forum after it is set up?

• Administrative Options in Forum
• Adding an Icon (Avatar) to Your Profile
• Adding a Signature to Your Posts
• Setting Approval and Notification Options for New Comments
• Selecting an Approval Method for New Applicants
• Managing Forum Details

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial on “How to Create a Forum“. Cheers.

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Standard Interface vs. Direct Purchase Interface

Customers have seen the “Direct Purchase Interface” link under the main menu, when you first visit Domains at Retail. What does the Direct Purchase Interface mean?

Direct Purchase Interface

The Direct Purchase Interface is our way of providing direct access to the pages for you to purchase the domain name and web hosting products you are looking for. When on the Direct Purchase Interface (DPI), the pages accessed from the menu have the functionality to immediately add product purchases to your shopping cart.

The Standard Interface

The Standard Interface provides you some of the same information as the Direct Purchase Interface, but is the entry gateway to your online product purchases. From the Standard Interface pages you are able to read more valuable information that will help you make the right choice and solution for your needs, and provides the gateway to purchase that said product, when you have decided it does indeed meet your product requirements.

How do I differentiate the Domains at Retail Standard Interface and Direct Purchase Interface?

Besides the content’s difference in ability to directly allow you to purchase the domain and hosting products, two key areas differentiate the two interfaces:

1) The Header

When looking at the two interfaces, the right side of the header will let you know what interface you are currently on. In both interfaces, the “Home” menu item will always take you to the main home page on the Standard Interface.

Standard Interface Header:

Direct Purchase Interface Header:

2) The Menu Color

The two menus differentiate in color to help distinguish the two interfaces.

Standard Interface Menu Color - White:

Direct Purchase Interface Menu Color - Dark Grey:

Happy shopping on the Domains at Retail’s web site and find all your domain name registration and low cost web hosting needs!

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Web Hosting Supports Joomla 1.5 RC 2 Production Install

The developers at Joomla have released the Joomla 1.5 RC2 Production version of their software. Much to the long wait by many users looking for an upgraded version of Joomla.

With the Upgrade, does Domains at Retail’s Web Hosting support the new Joomla Install?

Yes, it does!

When Installing Joomla 1.5, Step 2 of the installation process is a “Pre-Installation Check” to ensure you have everything Joomla needs to run at 100% efficiency.

Let’s see how the “Deluxe Hosting Plan” passes the check.

Pre-Installation Check for Joomla! 1.5 Production / Stable

Success! The Deluxe Plan indeed does pass the PreInstall Check

What about the “Recommended for PHP in order to ensure full compatibility with Joomla!?”

Recommended Settings Check

Success again!

Domains at Retail’s Web Hosting plans pass the check and Joomla 1.5 RC2 Production / Stable version of the software is 100% compatible.

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Domains at Retail introduces Interactive Web Hosting Display

Interactive Web Hosting Display

You will notice on the main home page of Domains at Retail that it looks different. We have improved the look and put our hosting plans in your face! You asked for the ability to quickly view our Hosting Prices and plan information and we responded.

On the Main Page you will now see the following view:

Click for larger View

Simply scroll through the tabs and find out all the info you need about our Shared Hosting Plans.

In addition, we have now introduced a scrolling carousel of our Must Have Products.

Take a look:

Scroll from left to right, and see the products highly recommended to use for your own web site. From Domain Names to Dedicated Servers, all the important products are listed in the Carousel.

Keep informed with the latest and greatest from Domains at Retail

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Web Hosting Addons are now easier to find!

Many questions come up to us about finding our Web Hosting Addons.

Domains at Retail has now went through a renovation of the Web Hosting page. What’s new?

The answer to the question, “show me a list of the best Open Source Web Hosting Applications that I can install on your web hosting with a couple of clicks“.

Visit our Web Hosting page, scroll down past the listing of Web Hosting Plans, and you will find the new Add On Applications Dashboard. This shows you the best Applications out there, and that it is included in our list of Value Added Applications and comes with Easy Install.

Take a look for yourself:

Click for larger View

All the Web Apps listed right in front of you.

What can you do with the Dashboard?

Click on any of the Web Applications and you will be redirected to the Application web page to learn more. We have done one better to provide you a preview of what value each application can add to your Web Hosting purchase from Domains at Retail.

Simply Hover over the Web Application in the Addons Dashboard, and you get a description of the benefits of the application. Easy information lets you make the right choices of what applications you need and can add so simply to your Domains at Retail web hosting plan.

Take a look around, see what you need and add it to your hosting plans. Don’t have your web sites hosted with us? Take a look at our Web Hosting plans to see why we are the right choice to host your web site.

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