# Micro Forums: how many could I create?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [October 5, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304 "2020-10-05T20:12:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@David\_Razidlo1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/David_Razidlo1)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/1 "2020-10-05T20:12:26Z")
I am looking into 3rd party software to handle what amounts to a need for a large number of very small forums. We have our own custom solution but would love it if this is something discourse could handle.
Basically it amounts to a chat room about a specific event, of which there in theory, could be thousands. The creation of these small forums would have to be automated and consist of just a few categories.
Any information would be appreciated including a link to anyone trying something like this.
Dave
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/2 "2020-10-05T21:37:42Z")
If you really mean “chat”, that is ephemeral discussions of thousands of short posts, Discourse is a bad solution, regardless of your “many small forums” question.
If you want many small forums, you can do that with [multisite](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multisite-configuration-with-docker/14084). You’ll need to create a database for each forum, however, and I think that it won’t scale well into the thoussands.
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### Author:  [@David\_Razidlo](https://meta.discourse.org/u/David_Razidlo)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/3 "2020-10-05T22:30:10Z")
Thanks this was useful.
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### Author:  [@papyrophilia](https://meta.discourse.org/u/papyrophilia)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/4 "2020-10-05T23:08:51Z")
> [@David\_Razidlo1](#):
>
> **a chat room about a specific event**
> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> If you want many small forums, you can do that with [multisite](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multisite-configuration-with-docker/14084). You’ll need to create a database for each forum, however, and I think that it won’t scale well into the thoussands.
@pfaffman, what about focusing on group messages in one forum, with one message per event? 🤔
@David_Razidlo, how many users do you expect to chat about each event? Do you want all users to have access to each chat?
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/5 "2020-10-05T23:12:44Z")
> [@papyrophilia](#):
>
> what about focusing on group messages in one forum
Oh. Right! I made the mistake of answering what I thought he was asking (“a large number of very small forums”) rather than what his use case describes.
Yes. I’d make an “event” be either a group PM, a single topic (especially if you don’t care who can see it). Maybe create a topic, have the users forced to watch it somehow, and immediately un-list it so that it doesn’t show up to anyone who doesn’t have the URL.
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### Author:  [@papyrophilia](https://meta.discourse.org/u/papyrophilia)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/6 "2020-10-05T23:21:09Z")
> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> I made the mistake of answering what I thought he was asking (“a large number of very small forums”) rather than what his use case describes.
#techiesgonnatech 😆
Seriously, I don’t think you made a mistake at all; I just wondered about other workarounds.
Really, more information about the user story would be helpful for brainstorming, I think.
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### Author:  [@David\_Razidlo1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/David_Razidlo1)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/micro-forums-how-many-could-i-create/166304/7 "2020-10-05T23:24:56Z")
I think I have some background reading to do.
To be clear, we will create what amounts to an event that has a place and time. Then, we want people that look at this event (they can be public or private) to be able to chat about it. An example would be a company picnic where people might chat about things specific to that event. Right now it is a custom system that is very simple, just allowing a single thread with posts and replies. If possible, I would like to use Discourse to create small forums which might even be a single “general” category.
I plan to better understand discourse but not for a couple months.
Thanks,
Dave