# Alternative forum platforms
**URL:** https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758
**Category:** Meta
**Created:** [January 30, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758 "2024-01-30T14:08:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pkr](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/pkr)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/1 "2024-01-30T14:08:23Z")
> [@Moderation feedback](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/63):
>
> You’re also free to [start your own forum](https://www.google.com/search?q=forum+hosting), where you can set the moderation policy.
Can we use what bitcointalk uses? [Simplemachines.org](http://Simplemachines.org)? It’s similar to vBulletin…
Discourse sucks.
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### Author:  [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/2 "2024-01-30T16:37:42Z")
IMHO Bitcoin talk looks like it’s still stuck in 2006.
It’s the OG forum for sure, and has a certain charm because of it’s history, but that doesn’t mean it’s better. Its especially hard to read on mobile devices which is 80-90% of traffic nowadays.
That said, there’s nothing stopping you from making another community forum with that software if you want to.
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### Author:  [@pkr](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/pkr)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/3 "2024-01-30T16:46:24Z")
Bitcointalk was just an example of some free forum software that slightly resembles phpBB or vBulletin. The point I’m making is the familiarity of the OG forum layout. It works for a reason.
Discourse is (badly) over-engineered UI with a terrible draft functionality that can’t seem to sync/gets in the way. Not to mention the weird scrollTo timeline UI pattern.
Something something keep it simple, stupid!
> That said, there’s nothing stopping you from making another community forum with that software if you want to.
🙄 OK and then do I get a free promotion on these forums to divert users onto my own platform?
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### Author:  [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/4 "2024-01-30T17:15:19Z")
> [@pkr](#):
>
> do I get a free promotion on these forums to divert users onto my own platform?
Yes actually, same as Zeal Center (Mastodon) has their own thread:
> [@(Not so) New experiment: Zeal Center, now Zebras.Social](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/new-experiment-zeal-center/43305):
>
> [The Zeal Center](https://free2z.com/the-zeal-center) An experiment to mobilize the Zcash community to provision a Mastodon server for the community. Happy to answer any questions, either here or Z2Z via the address in our Free2z page linked above.
or the ZecHub (Matrix) server:
> [@ZecHub Monthly Updates](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zechub-monthly-updates/44101/55):
>
> Hello Community, Listed below is a brief summary of our project in December. This marks the final completed milestone of our initial grant proposal. We are determined to take what we’ve learned & grow the platform with all of you next year. Thank you for your involvement and support! Major Achievements DAO proposal vote - [Activate retroactive compensation module](https://daodao.zone/dao/juno1nktrulhakwm0n3wlyajpwxyg54n39xx4y8hdaqlty7mymf85vweq7m6t0y/proposals/A23) Received [retroactive rewards](https://daodao.zone/dao/juno1q2lwlsfawx5kyc8et26g9u3834g0qj0svrlpzn66nmzzmml66zastepvq4/proposals/A4) for Interchain education Project Updates [Zechub.Wiki](https://zechub.wiki) is currently being updated. The team is acti…
The ECC and ZF have always encouraged users to make their own alternative platforms for decentralization. Discord, Telegram, Reddit, the more the merrier.
Using this forum is a choice just like any other platform. If the majority of Zcash users decided this forum sucks and they want to move elsewhere there’s nothing that ZF or ECC could do to stop them.
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### Author:  [@pkr](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/pkr)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/5 "2024-01-30T17:48:29Z")
That’s fair. Good perspective.
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### Author:  [@gottabeJay](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/gottabeJay)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/6 "2024-01-30T21:13:18Z")
Discourse is by far the best forum platform. It requires minimal work to set up and run (updates and upgrades). It intersects long form discussion and chat.
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### Author:  [@pkr](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/pkr)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/alternative-forum-platforms/46758/7 "2024-01-30T22:17:42Z")
Upgrades and updates are not a selling point with forum software! Less is more.
> It intersects long form discussion and chat.
So it ends up being mediocre at both. Nice.