Very much LOST

tomatoman

tomatoman

Member
To be honest, after coming to this site and spending some time looking around I feel like someone with a Grade 2 education that just stumbled into a MENSA meeting.

At age 67, I'm no stranger to computers, the internet or on-line forums. However, as someone who would now like to start up a forum of his own, I have a ton of questions. I have no experience in running a forum other than acting as a Mod on one site. Therefore, all of the terminology used on this site is akin to trying to decipher a long, dead language. This is not to say that I am incapable of learning but I don't know where to begin.

I'd like to purchase the current version of the software with a view to putting my site together but I'm wondering just how steep the learning curve will be. In addition, I realize that buying the XF BETA version is simply a single step in the process of ending up on-line with my project. It would be nice if I had a much clearer understanding as to what the first step would be and then the steps that must follow to ultimately reach my goal. Of course, there is also the issue of initial costs as well as ongoing costs and once again, I have no clue about those either.Disclosure on that aspect would be most welcome too.

Perhaps I am asking a lot. I don't know. However, if I don't ask..... I'll never know...... so here I am.......looking for all the assistance that forum members and XF staff are willing to provide. I thank you for your anticipated assistance.
 
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New question.

Am I smarter to buy XF and download it into my computer for now while I work on the site?


OR

Am I smarter to buy a domain name now, then buy XF and download it to a server so I can modify it there?
 
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As to buying the forum or the software first, doesn't matter but while you learn your way around the software, your year is ticking on the domain if already purchased. I'd buy the software first, learn what you need to put it up and admin it, and then get the domain.

And while SEO may be dead from what some are saying, google does have a ranking system and it uses it's own information to rank sites using keywords (what most of us call meta tags). If keywords were dead, modern forum software wouldn't bother with a spot for such keywords.
 
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tomatoman said:
DOMAIN NAMES !!!!

Question 1. If someone does a search and types "Colt garden tractor" into Google and I buy a domain name "Colt Garden Tractors.info" ...... will it show up on the first page?

In other words, is a domain name that essentially fits the search parameter, more powerful than forum content that uses the exact same phrase?


Question 2. I went to Go Daddy.com and did some domain searches. I'm confused about the chart that shows the cost of a particular domain name for different time frames. If I take a certain domain name for 10 years, then is the cost per year 10 times the amount shown in the 10 year box? Or am I being offered a discount for taking it for a 10 year period?
Click to expand...
Question 2: While go daddy is a decent place to buy domains, once you have, the working panel to manage them is very hard to deal with.

Privacy: you will want to guard your personal details by using a privacy guard on your domain name. It's an extra fee but worth it.

I use www.namecheap.com to buy my domain as it's much less confusing. And the first year of privacy is free.

Registrars like namecheap, go daddy, and others are required to have your name, address, phone number, and email on file. They will also publish that as public record online unless you have a privacy guard on your domain.

It's a lot to get sorted if you have never done this before, but keep asking...
 
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steven s said:
I think the domain name helps a lot.
For instance, my domain is 318ti.org. Google 318ti.
Click to expand...

Interesting........................... your site takes the first three TOP spots. That..........is impressive.

And so........ you are telling me that you have done NOTHING else to make that happen? It is just your domain name that is triggering Google to give you top billing.
 
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Brogan said:
I prefer to build my site locally on my PC so I would say get XF now, start setting it up and in the meantime look for a good domain name, etc.
Click to expand...


Just lookin' at the pros and cons here, Brogan. If I put it solely on my 'puter, then I'm the only one who can see what I'm doing. If I get it hosted on a free server for the time being, then would there be a distinct advantage to allowing good-hearted people on this forum to view what I'm doing to help me solve problems? Or do you feel that such involvement isn't necessary?
 
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Elizabeth said:
As to buying the forum or the software first, doesn't matter but while you learn your way around the software, your year is ticking on the domain if already purchased. I'd buy the software first, learn what you need to put it up and admin it, and then get the domain.

And while SEO may be dead from what some are saying, google does have a ranking system and it uses it's own information to rank sites using keywords (what most of us call meta tags). If keywords were dead, modern forum software wouldn't bother with a spot for such keywords.
Click to expand...


So what you are essentially saying is that it would be pointless for me to purchase "Colt-Garden-Tractors.info" and "Case-Garden-Tractors.info" and "Ingersoll-Garden-Tractors.info" and then point them at the domain name of choice? I have this "thing" about wanting to spank a few people out there. Oops!
 
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Personally I would not bother putting xf on my local computer. Just up on a hosting account.

It is another project to install a 'WAMP' (an environment to simulate the software on a typical hosting account) on your home computer.
 
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Elizabeth said:
Question 2: While go daddy is a decent place to buy domains, once you have, the working panel to manage them is very hard to deal with.

Privacy: you will want to guard your personal details by using a privacy guard on your domain name. It's an extra fee but worth it.

I use www.namecheap.com to buy my domain as it's much less confusing. And the first year of privacy is free.

Registrars like namecheap, go daddy, and others are required to have your name, address, phone number, and email on file. They will also publish that as public record online unless you have a privacy guard on your domain.

It's a lot to get sorted if you have never done this before, but keep asking...
Click to expand...


OK.... I went back to namecheap again. I was there before thanks to your previous post.

If I choose the dot info extension and ask for complete pricing, this is what I get. What I don't get is a clear understanding as to what it will cost me to buy a domain right now for a ten year period. Is the $2.99 fee just the hook for the first year and then it does not matter whether I renew annually or pay for 10 years upfront, I'm faced with $9.69/yr for every year beyond the low price for the first year? If so, then I would be facing $9.69 time 9 plus $2.99 for a total of $90.20, ....yes?

1 Year 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years 7 Years 8 Years 9 Years 10 Years
$2.99 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69
 
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tomatoman said:
OK.... I went back to namecheap again. I was there before thanks to your previous post.

If I choose the dot info extension and ask for complete pricing, this is what I get. What I don't get is a clear understanding as to what it will cost me to buy a domain right now for a ten year period. Is the $2.99 fee just the hook for the first year and then it does not matter whether I renew annually or pay for 10 years upfront, I'm faced with $9.69/yr for every year beyond the low price for the first year? If so, then I would be facing $9.69 time 9 plus $2.99 for a total of $90.20, ....yes?

1 Year 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years 7 Years 8 Years 9 Years 10 Years
$2.99 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69 $9.69
Click to expand...

Basically, yes, part of the cost of doing business. Most of us pay year to year tho so I guess it feels less painful.
 
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Dean said:
Personally I would not bother putting xf on my local computer. Just up on a hosting account.

It is another project to install a 'WAMP' (an environment to simulate the software on a typical hosting account) on your home computer.
Click to expand...
And one I haven't mastered yet, myself.

I can put them on a server all day long but putting it on my own computer, I am hopelessly lost in spite of great tutorials.
 
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Elizabeth said:
And one I haven't mastered yet, myself.

I can put them on a server all day long but putting it on my own computer, I am hopelessly lost in spite of great tutorials.
Click to expand...

Am I not facing a Catch -22 situation, then? Correct me if I'm wrong. In order to put XF on a server, I have to have a registered domain name. So, if it takes me 3 months to get my site ready to go public, then I've lost 3 months of my first year of domain name usage.
 
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Elizabeth said:
google does have a ranking system and it uses it's own information to rank sites using keywords (what most of us call meta tags).
Click to expand...
You base that finding on what, exactly? Do you think Google spends 200 million dollars a year on engineers salaries so they can rank sites by "keywords"? Really? You don't think there might be just a teensy bit more to it than that?

VonDoom said:
A good domain may not improve ranking but it sure helps when it comes to relevant search results..
Click to expand...
Huh? That's like saying, "This tumbler of gin doesn't improve my looks, but it sure makes me pretty."

1) Domain name does not affect Google ranking.
2) "Keywords" (as in meta tag keywords) do not affect any search engine ranking.

You can speculate all you'd like, those are facts.
 
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tomatoman said:
Am I not facing a Catch -22 situation, then? Correct me if I'm wrong. In order to put XF on a server, I have to have a registered domain name. So, if it takes me 3 months to get my site ready to go public, then I've lost 3 months of my first year of domain name usage.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily.

Okay, I have about 3 domains that WILL be expiring in the coming year and I will just let them go...but in the meantime, they can be used as a test bed for your forum and for you to learn. That way, no lost time on the domain.
 
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Regarding the site name, I would focus on what would be good for your members and not worry too much about google. If the name fits and is somewhat easy to remember, people will tend to visit more if they are interested. And in theory as your site grows it will get higher rankings in google.

I don't recall exactly what your site is about. Colt/Case/Ingersol/garden tractors? Maybe an acronym of some sort? CCIG.com? Just another idea, it took much thought to come up with the name our site uses, it was quite painful.
 
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mjp said:
You base that finding on what, exactly? Do you think Google spends 200 million dollars a year on engineers salaries so they can rank sites by "keywords"? Really? You don't think there might be just a teensy bit more to it than that?

Huh? That's like saying, "This tumbler of gin doesn't improve my looks, but it sure makes me pretty."

1) Domain name does not affect Google ranking.
2) "Keywords" (as in meta tag keywords) do not affect any search engine ranking.

You can speculate all you'd like, those are facts.
Click to expand...

Guess you need to read this.
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291
 
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