Creating a bulletin board on Drupal
Classified Boards
Classified boards have existed long before the advent of computers or the Internet, and for a long time, they were practically the only way to distribute information. In ancient times, this method was far from democratic, as it was used exclusively by authorities: in Babylon, laws were carved into stone pillars; in medieval England, royal decrees were posted on church doors.
Over time, things changed. A large wooden board where anyone could post their ad for public view or find something of interest — this is what people meant by a notice board for many years. The electronic rebirth of classified boards came with BBS (“Bulletin Board Systems”), although this reincarnation was quite different from the classical version.
Online classified boards are websites that allow anyone to post announcements. Their great popularity lies in their accessibility and ease of use. On large online boards, traffic can reach thousands of users per day, with thousands of new listings added daily. To manage this massive volume, ads are typically divided into categories: "Sports", "Appliances", "Real Estate", "Travel", and so on.
All classified boards can be divided into two main types: moderated and unmoderated. In unmoderated systems, the board operates automatically — a visitor simply fills in a form, and their ad immediately appears on the site. Despite the obvious advantages, such boards are not very popular on the web, as the lack of oversight often leads to clutter — repeated ads, jokes from pranksters, spam, and intrusive irrelevant advertising across all categories.
Moderated boards don’t have this problem. A specially assigned moderator reviews all postings before they are published. As a result, the content is more relevant and organized.
Some board owners choose a hybrid approach, where posts appear instantly but are later reviewed. Moderators then decide whether a post should be removed or left. This post-moderation model is quite popular and has proven to be a viable option.
The process of posting an ad on an online classified board is incredibly simple — it usually involves filling out a few template fields: ad title, content, author name, and contact details.
On some boards, registration is required before posting, including getting a username and password.
Every paid or free classified board has its own set of rules. These might include guidelines on writing ads, how frequently they can be posted, etc. Violating these rules on moderated boards can result in your ad being rejected or later removed. It's now standard for ads to be displayed and sorted by the date they were posted — newest first, older ones on later pages. Any decent classified board includes a keyword search, which essentially keeps ads “forever relevant.”
Classified boards are a powerful tool not just for promoting goods and services but also for website promotion. In this sense, they are no less effective than link directories. Their ease of use and commercial focus make them an excellent marketing channel!