Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get into this whole “internet forum” thing for a while now, specifically about horror movies. I’m a huge fan, you see, and I figured, what better way to connect with fellow horror buffs than to start my own message board? So, I did just that.
First things first, I had to decide on a platform. I spent a good few hours just Googling stuff like “how to make a forum” and “best forum software”. Ended up going with this one called Simple Machines Forum. Seemed, well, simple enough, and it was free, which is a big plus when you’re just starting out.
After getting it all installed – and let me tell you, that was an adventure in itself, I am not the most tech-savvy person, you know – I started setting up the different sections. I wanted to cover a wide range of topics, so I made boards for “Classic Horror”, “Modern Horror”, and even one for “Indie Horror” since I’m really into the underground stuff, you know? I also thought it would be cool to have areas for discussing specific directors or franchises. Like, you can’t have a horror forum without talking about Hitchcock or the “Halloween” movies, right?
- Created a “Classic Horror” board.
- Added a “Modern Horror” section for movies after the 2000s.
- Included an “Indie Horror” area for lesser-known films.
- Made discussion boards for famous directors like Hitchcock.
- Set up sections for popular franchises, such as “Halloween”.
The next big thing was getting people to actually join. I started by posting on some other horror forums, just casually mentioning my new site and how it was a cool place to chat about scary movies. I also shared it on my social media, which, honestly, isn’t that big, but hey, every little bit helps. This was all around September 1st, I think. Oh, and I made sure to set the time zone to GMT -8, since that’s where I am. Figured it would be easier for everyone.
Slowly but surely, people started trickling in. We got some good discussions going. For example, there was this one thread in the “Modern Horror” section where we were debating the best horror movies from the 2000s. Someone brought up “The Conjuring,” which, yeah, it’s pretty solid. Then this other user mentioned “The Skin I Live In.” I hadn’t seen it at the time, but it sounded intriguing, so I added it to my watchlist.
By December 19th, we had a decent little community going. It wasn’t huge, but it was active, and that’s what mattered to me. We even started doing these “Movie of the Month” threads, where we’d all watch the same film and then discuss it. It was pretty cool.
Success at Present
I’m still working on growing the forum, but I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far. It’s great to have a place where I can nerd out about horror movies with other people who are just as passionate about them as I am. And who knows, maybe one day it’ll be the go-to place for horror fans online. A guy can dream, right?
Anyway, that’s my story. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here. If you’re into horror, feel free to stop by. We’re always looking for new members!
