Reply To: What messageboards do you frequent?
I think indeed the most complex and costly element here is likely the transfer of the old forum content and port it over to the new forum. Not even sure if they’ll be able properly align the (most likely new logins and) new accounts with the old postings.
And not to forget, the forum is the largest part but there is also that CD database and the online magazine of some years. All adds up.
As far as I know the legal aspects of running a web site and a forum should not be underestimaded. At least in Germany. At least it might require some research or even legal consultancy.
That’s a bit over estimated and not that complicated. The legal info or imprint (“IMpressum”) is really not rocket science to get right. In German every website requires that with only very few exceptions. The US does not have that at all.
More complicated may be the privacy statement regarding GDRP (or DSGVO over here) as you need some technical knowledge but that is also managable. Bottom rule, don’t use/embed external especially US services like Google Analytics as there are alternatives. You don’t exactly need a lawyer for that. And besides that just follow the rules like intellectual property (which for granted is not always that simple, the US copyright is a bit different than the European one btw) it’s all doable.