My friends and I are on a forum that have very tight rules, so we can never interact. We were hoping we could find a forum that free, where you can chat, is that possible?
@not-ethan, how does this work?
AI-generated summary
The discussion explores whether a free forum is possible, focusing on Discourse. While the software itself is open-source and free to use, running a forum requires infrastructure, such as a server and internet connection, which incurs costs. Users can self-host Discourse on personal hardware, like a Raspberry Pi or home computer, minimizing expenses if they already own the equipment. However, domain names and electricity are still costs. Some suggest that forums can be funded through donations, subscriptions, or advertising, though ads may compromise user experience. While technically free for users, the platform isnât free for the host, as someone must pay for server resources. not-ethan and Moin highlight that free hosting options exist for open-source projects, but general users may face limitations. Ed_S notes that annual costs can be as low as $100, while anon36555649 mentions that even $10/month from ten users can cover hosting. Lilly clarifies that âfreeâ often means the user is the product, as services rely on ads or other revenue streams. twofoursixeight warns that free hosting solutions like Replit may offer poor performance. ssityeghd concludes that for a regular person, a truly free forum is unlikely without technical expertise and resources.
If you are a content creator or maintainers of an open source project you can. https://free.discourse.group/
Just to add to what @not-ethan said above. Discourse is free as its open source anyone can spin up a discourse using the install guide. What isnât free however, is computer time.
Thanks for sharing that, Ethan @not-ethan !!!
Jimmy @ssityeghd , If you can do the standard install process the server cost to run discourse can be about $15/month or less. For new members to sign up can also be completely free, but someone has to pay for the server cost is all.
Here are the requirements for open-source/creator sites:
So technically, there is no âfree forum,â just lower prices?
No, many forums are free for new members, but to run a forum takes electricity and network bandwidth to work. So if you can generate your own electricity and have your own internet company with servers, it wonât cost you anything more than that to launch a forum.
Traditionally a forum is a public square in a city where people are free to speak and have events within the bounds of laws of the city. Those donât need electricity or internet service to work just a lot of bricks.
The software is free. You donât have to pay for using Discourse.
But if you donât have your own hardware, you have to pay for someone to use theirs.
You can also install Discourse on your own hardware e.g. Discourse on a Raspberry Pi | Blog
Indeed, you can run on a Pi. But also you can run on any home computer or laptop - if it has suitable specs and you can make it reachable from the Internet, thatâs enough. And in a sense, itâs free - the electricity would be the main cost, if you use hardware you already own and an internet connection you already have.
(There are various ways to make your home machine reachable - Cloudflare have a free offering.)
Oh, there is an unavoidable cash cost, I think, which is that you need a domain.
So for a random person like me, itâs impossible for a free discourse?
People have responded to your question but it seems you have a different definition of free.
- Discourse is open source and free to use
- The infrastructure and connection needed to run it usually isnât free, but there are custom self-hosted install configurations that can be done if you have a specific setup.
- what may be free to you, is almost never free for someone else - generally bandwidth has a cost somewhereâŚ
- If something is free, you are not the customer; you are the product.
the way you phrased it seems dark, but yeah, I understand now!
I remember trying to run Discourse on Replit, and yeah it sucks.
If one is a cheapskate and wants to save money, you ainât gonna get a good experience.
If youâre willing to spend money, then yeah, youâll have a good time.
This is a dark expression, not universally true but many âfreeâ services cover expenses from advertising revenue, which may be where that expression comes from.
It is indeed possible to have a forum with net-zero cost or even generating revenue if there is enough traffic and integrated paid advertising, which is an option with discourse. Not sure what the minimum traffic thresholds are for that and ads can ruin a forum.
Itâs also possible to fund a forum with member subscriptions or donations, perhaps through a funding drive.
Yes indeed, only $10 a month for ten people to pay for standard tier!
Or only ten cents a month for more people and/or less expensive server without team support.
In a thread linked earlier, I posted that my annual costs are
which is applicable if you have the expertise and time to self-host. (My costs might be a little higher now, due to inflation and forum growth.)
That is an amazing bargain for super-powerful international communications network, wow!