[kwlug-disc] Anyone know of a free web forum equivalent to Google/Yahoo Groups?

[unsolicited]

Hadn't been to Windows Live for a while, so popped over to see if it 
had anything useful. That led me to wikipedia and Windows Live 
history. In there it talks about the migration from MSN, and in 
particular for me, how the transition from MSN groups to live lost a 
lot of group functionality. And references BigTent.

https://www.bigtent.com/features

Prominent on the right side is 'subgroups.'

I know nothing of BigTent.

Anyone have any familiarity with it, pros/cons / thoughts?

unsolicited wrote, On 10/01/2009 2:09 PM:
> Raul Suarez wrote, On 10/01/2009 1:49 PM:
>> ----- Original Message ----
>>> From: unsolicited <unsolicited at swiz.ca>
>>> I don't believe I am. If I knew of a free phpbb yahoo/google group 
>>> equivalent.
>>
>>> It just occurred to me that perhaps the word 'forum' is outdated and 
>>> may be known by some other phrase these >days.
>>
>> Without having an answer, let me see if I understand.
>>
>> You are looking for a "cloud service" that provides the tools required 
>> for community building
>>
>> e.g.
>> Organizational web presence (Home page)
>> File sharing, Bulleting boards/discussion groups, Wiki
>> Member blogs,
>> etc?
>>
>> Fairly equivalent to what we have at kwlug.org but supported "in the 
>> cloud" so you don't have to bother maintaining the system and servers 
>> involved.
>>
>> Is this correct?
> 
> Mmm. Close. Additional functionality can't hurt, but I hadn't considered 
> blogs or wiki's. I am thinking about a volunteer organization, not 
> kwlug, but kwlug is perhaps organizationally similar - and also 
> topically completely different.
> 
> As I said, google or yahoo groups would be sufficient, if sub-groups 
> were possible.
> 
> I keep mentioning yahoo / google merely because of the name recognition 
> / ease of analogous explanation. Particularly to the adult users whom 
> may only be barely computer literate enough to use a web browser. [That 
> didn't quite come out right. Such would be the users, so such 
> recognition would provide a level of comfort for them, as well. Don't 
> mean to impinge upon the readers of this list - unless, of course, 
> they've had too much lubrication or contortioning, at which point 
> K.I.S.S. would seem to apply.]
> 
> Want to avoid icky money / hosting and greater reliability than running 
> something out of the house. Which would also make responsibility 
> transferable.