They are popping up all over the place. Some even advertise you can put adsense and other ads on them. How do they make money?
They make money with ads and add ons. By charging to to stop pop-ups. Stuff like that. As the veteren owner of over 20 forums, Don't do it. With free forums, you get what you pay for.
Well they earn money from ads on their hosted boards. Some hosting site also use Pop-up ads on site.
I have my own forums in place so I won't be doing anything like that. On such advertised free forum promises no ads or popups meaning by them but you can add your own. Maybe there is a percentage split.
Well most of free forum hosting site does not allowed our ads on theit hosted forum. Some site tool small amount to put ads.
I'm too skeptical to believe that there is anything really "free" in this world. Except maybe for the Staten Island Ferry, that runs free of charge to the public b etween Manhattan and Staten Island, everything else sooner or later shows up its cost!
One of my forums is still on a free host. The only reason is because trying to get everyone to migrate was worse than herding cats and they whined and complained. SO I left it up but never go there. If they don't mind the ads and pop-ups, why should I?
This is the price you pay ( pun intended) when you go with a free web host.
free host is a bed idea...
Free hosting is not necessarily bad, but you're not going to make money on your site - THEY are. Beware a site that promises you the world but asks nothing.