Bulletin Boards -setup Q re: comparative ease?

Factual Questions
1

Howdy. I’m computer semi-literate.

For a work project involving targeted information cascades (meaning…I pick what I get in re: info), I’m thinking of setting up a Bulletin Board format (not dissimilar to the beloved SD).

However, we have tight corporate restraints on funding in terms of purchase monies and programmer hours. Tight!

So, in your humble (or not so) opinion, is a Bulletin Board a relatively easy setup from a programming perspective? Please think both ease- and time-wise.

If I set up a bulletin board, can I include a “subscribe to this thread” function? Is this majorly difficult?

Supposedly, I have “unlimited” server space available, but I’m willing to wager that it would become an issue if this was a monster in terms of space.

We can’t use other databases, as we’re in the middle of moving vendors over the next 5-7 years.

Thoughts?

-Cem

2

vBulletin (the software that SDMB runs on) is inexpensive and easy to set up. It includes subscription options out of the box. There are other, similar bulletin board products which as far as I know are equally easy to set up.

Out of the box there is very little in the way of programming involved in the setup.

I believe you must use mySQL for the database so if you are tied to a particular database this could be a problem.