July 25, 2004

New QB Site: Sumerkoala QB

Startup QB community site looking for members.

I think it's a testament to the amazing advances in message forum design these days that an entire site can now be based out of an Invision or phpBB forum. In fact, sites based entirely on a forum, with all content submitted by users, have become quite popular in recent years, perhaps because they're self-moderating and so easy to set up. Many QB sites have also taken up this format; QuickBasic community sites like QBasic News and QBasic.tk are run almost entirely from message boards, and QB45.com has been replaced with a board while it undergoes a massive reconstruction project. Instead of relying on a webmaster to stay current, these sites resemble autonomous collectives or anarcho-syndicalist communes (heh, I've always wanted to use those terms) -- they're run by the users, for the users. It's proven to be a very successful format.

So it comes as no surprise that when Semerkoala decided to start a QB site, he chose the forum approach. Semerkoala's new self-titled site takes full advantage of the Invision Forum that hosts it. Everything, from Tutorials to Program Downloads to Links all have their own forum categories. Every entry, whether it's a link or a program to download, is added as its own post, enabeling users to add comments, search or add their own content. It's a unique way to set up a site and such a dynamic and democratic format has its benefits; in a sense it puts the visitors are "in charge" of the site.

Right now, Semerkoala's begun the process of populating his site with a collection of QB tutorials, programs and links. Also available here is information about two upcoming projects: an RPG called Killer Koala and Semerkoala Herp Tracker v1.0, which helps users keep track of their herptiles collection. (What are herptiles, you ask? They're reptiles and amphibians. So now you'll finally have a utility to help you manage your gigantic collection of turtles, newts and lizards.) There are other empty forums too, with places for Reviews, Challenges and more.

But right now, Semerkoala's site is a one-man operation. In order for this site to succeed, it will need a healthy supply of active forum members. If you're interested in helping to start a new QB community, I encourage you to go join Semerkoala QB.

You can find Semerkoala QB right here: http://semerkoalaqb.ne1.net/

Submitted by Pete

Discuss this article on the Message board.