Ok, I want to create a site with a forum. The catch is I want to create the forum database myself rather than use one of those free services such as phpBB and invision. My question is what DMS should I use? I've heard Access isn't the best option, but I'd like more specific input. I have access to Oracle, SQL Server, and MS Access. I heard something about Borland's InterBase, but I just want to know what the strenghts and weaknesses are for each of these database types. Any help/advice is much appreciated.

What programming language do you plan to use? PHP, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, etc. I would eliminate access right off the bat. No reason to use it when you have its big brother, SQL server, available. -SN

I would suggest SQL, and recommend MySQL. This is free and used by countless commercial sites as their DBMS of choice, as well as individuals. You will find it easy to use and very friendly with php.

mysql is simple, easy, free, and works well with php and has lots of support. Available on most major platforms. oracle is an enterprise level database. its super fast, hogs the CPU, awesome performance. very costly. this is an overkill for your needs. MS SQL seems to be the standard commercial database... but its Microsoft. A+ Certified