Do you think a portal or a cms is necessary for a forum? I am using wordpress as entry. My staff like the shortest way straight into the forum. What do you think?
Please no double posting. As for your question, I think no a CMS/Portal is not a needed option for forums. It depends on the type of forums if the owner wants one.
To be honest, most users don't even bother using the portal/cms of a forum if there is one. Example, The Admin Zone...I go straight to the forum, always have and yet there is a portal. Sitepoint, the same way. All these admins who worry over the fact that they just HAVE to have a portal/cms really don't know how their members surf the web.
I completely agree, I actually find it annyoing, I go straight to the forum aswell. Just wastes your time when you land on the portal then got to find the link to the forums.
But even I have a cms, I don't have it cluttered like many do but it is there for people who find my site from that point of entry. It's not as simplistic as my other site. Secret City Designs uses WordPress so I try to keep it updated. GBLCreations, LLC doesn't use a cms, just a straight html page.
I would say it is optional not essential. A portal is quite handy if used correctly. I need to revamp mine.
Forum itself is some kind of cms. Portal is for webmaster to emphasize something. I agree member may not use portal as entrance. Some feferred link, some search engine referral and bookmarked paged. The function of portal is limited since we cannot control the entry point. Concering about CMS, I c0nfused. Why not put all information in forum?
I'm not a huge fan of portals, to be honest, but I won't complain if one is put on a site either. I am kind of iffy about them, to be honest. It depends on how nice the portal looks and things like that.
