Patamon's World > Webmasters' Resources > Interactivity
Interactivity Resources
Ever wanted to make a chat, forum, guestbook or something for your site, but didn't know where to start? Look no further!
Chat-Forum
Chat-Forum offers chat rooms for your website, with a number of service levels. The basic free chat room has ads and lets 10 people in at a time, but you can buy services that let 40 or 100 people use the chat at a time.
CJB.NET
You've probably seen web addresses like "yourname.cjb.net". What's not so well known is that CJB.NET offers a chat room when you sign up as well. The interface isn't so user-friendly, but there's no limit on the number of chatters.
eZboard
eZboard only offers forum services. There's a basic free service and a Gold service. The free service has a popup and a huge banner ad on top (after the 30-day Gold trial has expired). If you pay for the Gold service, you get rid of the ads. Apart from that, it's pretty easy to use. Users can sign up with a global account that will let them log into any eZboard, or a local account for your eZboard only.
ProBoards
Proboards, I believe, runs on its own modified version of the Yabb Gold program. It has a popup, but it's better than eZboard. It runs on CGI.
InvisionFree 
InvisionFree is an excellent forums host. It runs on a modified version of Invision Power Board and is very easy to use. The only downsides are that its images are stored on a non-standard port, blocked by some networks (although you can use your own images on your webspace) and it is not fully customizable, due to the fact that you don't set it up yourself (for example, you can't upload your own avatars). There are a couple of banner ads, but no popups.
DK3
DK3 is a forums host, much like InvisionFree. It runs on a modified version of phpBB2. It has a few of the same problems as InvisionFree, with customisability, but it looks good and runs quickly. However, you can't use a banner image up the top.
Simple Machines
Forums
One of the newer kids on the forum software block, SMF comes from the team that made YabbSE. Full of features and easy to use, SMF comes highly recommended from PW (we use it on the RXN forums). There's awesome tech support via their forums, too. This is an install-on-your-server script, requiring PHP and mySQL.
YabbSE
YabbSE is not a forum host. It's a freeware program that will power a forum. It requires your server to support PHP and mySQL. It's the PHP version of the popular Yabb Gold program. It runs faster and takes up a lot less bandwidth. YabbSE is now legacy software (not being developed), and its team has moved on to make Simple Machines Forums.
phpBB
Like YabbSE, phpBB is not a forum host. It's a freeware program that will power a forum. It requires your server to support PHP and mySQL. While it's very popular, I've always found it a bit difficult to use, and would definitely recommend SMF over it.
Yabb Gold
If your server doesn't support PHP or mySQL, you can use Yabb Gold, which uses Perl/CGI. Yabb stands for "yet another bulletin board". Or you could just change hosts :P.
Bravenet
Bravenet offers a whole lot of services, including guestbook, counter, polls and other random stuff. It's best to just have a look and see what's up for grabs. It's all free. If you sign up using PW's link, you'll support us too.
Alxnet
Like Bravenet, Alxnet offers a whole lot of services including guestbook and polls. It's best to just have a look and see what's up for grabs. It's all free.
ZZN
ZZN, or the ZapZone Network, offers free email for your site. You get user@yourname.zzn.com and people can sign up and log in from your site. For example, I have patamonsworld.zzn.com.
Instant Portal
Instant Portal gives you free email services, forums and chat. You can sign up with your own domain name or get yourname.i-p.com - for example, I have patamonsworld.i-p.com.
