Hosting for small forum...

[IMINXTC]

If I wanted to set up a private forum for family and friends, possibly with chat, on it's own domain, probably using one of the apps available with Cpanel, what size package or plan is considered average, or recommended?
I'm thinking 27-40 registered users at the most with minimal image & email storage. And would rather not set up a sub-domain for it on my present plan.

[bdh]

You are on the WebMaster plan. You still have plenty of everything left. No need for another package. All you need is the domain. Here's what you need to do:

1. Purchase a domain only. They cost about $10 / year. You can get them through our registry -> Domains -> new account ... or anywhere else you fancy.
2. Add the new domain as an add-on domain. This page explains the differences between the different types.
3. In your control panel, Go to softacululous and find the script you want and install it to the new domain.

If you don't want the hassle of registering the domain yourself and if you want private registration included, we can do it all for you. It's $2 more that way, but like I said, includes private registration so if you want that, it's less costly.

Lastly, if you have your own reasons for not wanting to set it up as an add-on domain, the minimum package you would need (that supports MySQL) is the WebBuilder.

NOTE: Whether you install a Message Board, chat or whatever, make sure you don't allow anyone (bots) to signup. You will be overrun with trolls in no time. You need to make sure you enable CAPTCHA or do something like we do here - where you ask a question that requires the correct answer that only a real human could answer. Most of the scripts have these things build in but you usually have to enable them.

[IMINXTC]

Thanks for the time and info.

Probably will opt for a local (down the street) host for this project, if I go forward.

I do have reasons for not wanting to set it up as an add-on domain, and do not want to increase the risk of nonsense on the server my account uses. And my present site, (not a message board) will be under construction for some time, because I'm so busy.

Tis a family thing.

Thanks!