Jeremy - Forum Design Integration

Have to say, I love the way this forum is seemlessly integrated into the rest of the site design. I've been looking to have this done for one of my own sites, but a lot of people I have asked can create something similar, but nothing seemless like this.

Can you tell me how much an integration like this costs? I've been quoted $200 from someone who said they could do it perfectly.

Would be interested in finding out.

I've played hell trying to find someone to do my forum, but it's not easy.. Let me know if anyone finds someone..

$200 is most likely to much unless your design in complex.
I'm sure there are probably people who would do this for just a link in exchange.

Integration is a hard thing and should be done by some with mad skillz.

Agreed 100%, I'm a firm believer in paying professionals to do things right versus trying to figure out coding and design on my own. First impressions can be everything. Plus usually pro's can do in 2 hours what would take me an entire day to figure out.

For you, I can understand that, but you're worth more per hour than I am. So in my case, partly because I'm a cheap bastard and partly because I like to learn, and partly because I'm stubborn, I like to tweak things myself. In fact, the only time I hired someone to do anything was for them to provide me with content, and once I hired someone to design one page because I was just not coming up with anything that looked descent on my own. I am in no way a professional designer or coder, but I really do enjoy the challenge, and the personal satisfaction, of accompilshing something positive on my own.

Then again, when it comes to house chores, like painting and redoing hardwood floors, I find that I'm the complete opposite. I just don't want to be bothered with it at all and I will pay what it takes to avoid doign it myself. lol! Probably because I just don't find it interesting.

I understand the need to outsource once you're a big enough affiliate. For me though I am finding it helpful to actually learn the simple html and web design stuff. I think in the long run it will make me a much smarter webmaster.

subdreamer is a perfect integration cms for vbulletin, phpbb, smf, and ipb. its $100 for a 1 year membership, has good skins with it you can modify, and i think the membership comes with 1 year of free hosting at midphase, which i believe is one of the best shared hosts that has the ability to easily upgrade to vps and dedicated.

its a super simple cms and also good for blogging along with your forum. the forum integration is truly seamless and there is a "latest posts" plugin, top posters, random posts, etc. that you can display on any "non-forum" page of the site. you can also log in to the forum through any page of the site using subdreamer.

[Robert_Forrester]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Agreed 100%, I'm a firm believer in paying professionals to do things right versus trying to figure out coding and design on my own. First impressions can be everything. Plus usually pro's can do in 2 hours what would take me an entire day to figure out.

That is the truth. I have spent days on a project before only to become frustrated and have to pay someone to do it anyway. Sometimes it is best to know your limits.