There are several such message boards on the web, some which have been
around for quite some time. If you are on an UNIX server, you might find it
worthwhile to get your hands on HyperNews... but others on this list that
are involved in this project can speak for themselves.
If you are up for creating a complex service, but prefer to have somthing
that is easy to install and maintain, Interaction/IP is available for Macs
and PowerPCs. It is a compiled application (no AppleScript or Perl
required) that provides 'dynamic' capabilities to a Macintosh Web server.
The current version of Interaction includes a threaded message board and a
simple chat service. Other useful services can easily be added - a
prototype of a shopping cart feature is included as a "plug-in" service,
and other services are under development. In short, Interaction is a useful
foundation for setting up a web-based BBS in minutes. More information can
be found at:
http://www.ifi.uio.no/~terjen/interaction/
-- Terje <Norderhaug.CHI@Xerox.com>
<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~terjen/>