In all Seriousness. How would I go about starting
 

My own message board? Im really curious about it.
Costs, maintenance and the like. What am I looking at here?

Yes I did wander in here but now im thinking this might be fun.

It will cost you about 100k

dont. beat it.

Pay me $2/post to make your board interesting.

www.vbulletin.com (forum software)

www.godaddy.com (domain)

www.wizzhosting.com (host)

Thanks. :thumbsup

msgboardsoftware => zero, there are tons of good and free opensource msgboards.

hosting => depends on your traffic and other needs.

maintenance = depends on your site and the behaviour you tolerate. If you want your members to behave well and follow your strict rules and you have a decent amount of members and can take quite some time. But you can as well make some members moderator and just sit back and do nothing :)

In other words: with a freehost (that supports php), someone who knows the basics of some scripting language, a packet of cigarettes and some redbull you'll be up and running in half a day.

(or you buy me a packet of cigarettes and a box of red bull and you'll be up and running within an hour ;))

I think the hardest part is gonna be the members, how will you attract and remain them? Who is gonna motherate

Small investment considering how rich a new board owner will SURELY become in no time flat!

and you are on your way! you could be the next

SERGE!

Very true.. Very true..

Hire me for your drama, bannings, picking fights, useless posts and more crap.

Someone just ban him now, save trouble in a few weeks when he's over here spamming for members on his board!:)

As for attracting members id use a board name that would attract ppl just to see what its about. Rules schmules. ( more or less ) Post general bs and just mess around. Im not looking to make any money with it just sit back and watch the carnage basically. Will I have any legal responsibilities from what the members post?

You could do it for around $15.

My motives of posting like crazy here are to get leather jacket, and to make my sigs seen. I guess it's true with some other guys too. So I guess you have to beat this to retain visitors.

My own site has a forum, nobody but me post there. :(