Newbie needs help please!

[bistec2]

Hi everyone,

I hope I'm posting in the right section.
Let me first apologize for any questions that you may find dumb or stupid. The thing is that I'm a newbie when it comes to creating a forum. All I have right now is an idea and I need a forum to help it grow. I decided to use vbulletin for that purpose. I would like to ask you to please school me on what I need beside buying the software. I know I need to register a domain name ( done it already). Here are some of my questions:

1- I use OSX 10.6.3 , is that a problem? What should I be aware of or look for?
2- do I need a server version of my operating system?
3- where to host it?
4- Can I do it on me.com (apple) ?
5- If not where? I know cheap and reliable don't go hand to hand, but who is the cheapest reliable hosting company out there?
6- Can I host it myself? What will I need?
7- how hard is vbulletin to deal with for a newbie?

Sorry for the numerous questions and the long post. Please help me! I really appreciate any input.

Thank you!

[Biker]

1. No problem at all.
2. Do you need a server? Yes.
3. There are many hosting companies out there. Some good, some not so good.
4. No
5. See #3
6. Yes, but you may run afoul of your ISPs AUP. You will need a server (Linux or Windows based) running the appropriate programs. As it seems you're not too conversant in this area, you should probably have your site hosted.
7. I didn't find it difficult, but then again, I've been playing with computers and mainframes since the late 70's. There are some things you should have basic knowledge of. FTP, directory structures, etc. in order to work effectively with the server and software.

[bistec2]

Thanks Biker for your help. So I get the software, a domain name, Mac osx 10.6 server and have the site hosted. That's it? Just want to make sure I got it right.

Any cheaper alternative to OSX server?

Thanks!

[Biker]

No.. You don't need OS X server.

Your hosting company will provide the server, and it will be running either Linux or Windows Server.

In reference to your first question, you can manage your site with your Mac.

[bistec2]

I got it!

Thank you so much Biker. I really appreciate your help. Now time to shop around for a hosting company. Is there any one you would personally recommend?

Thanks again!

[Biker]

Not really. However there are some that I wouldn't recommend, such as GoDaddy.

[feldon23]

WebHostingTalk.com is a good resource.

Avoid DreamHost, GoDaddy, and 1&1.