Here we go..... lots of noob questions

[truckworks]

First off, I apologize for questions I'm sure you guys have seen a million times. 
 
2nd, I have skimmed through the online manual at this link http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=472605.0 
 
With that said, I am about to install SMF on my VPS and we are going to try and get a site off the ground tonight. 
 
- There is a good resource on paid subscriptions here, http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Paid_subscriptions, which seems very straightforward.  If we need to differentiate between annual & lifetime members, we have that option, correct? 
 
- Revenue from ads & links to vendor sites.  I didn't see anything in the manual, did I just miss it?  I am starting from scratch on this one, if you can point me towards a resource to start learning I would greatly appreciate it. 
 
I am very happy to have found SMF, you folks have a great community here and I am excited to get working on this. 
 
I guess I'll throw in some extra info to ward off common questions I've received since we started planning this site.  This is being created in response to 2 separate threads receiving over 900k uniques over the past year.  We already have vendors lined up, ready to throw cash at us (some have already, actually) and we are basically playing catch-up right now.  I finished initializing our VPS & WHM yesterday, finally got cPanel sorted out today after realizing the hosting company made a mistake, not me (threw me off for sure). 

[Ninja ZX-10RR]

Hei!

Can I start with a completely Off Topic thing? Awesome first post dude! I have never ever said this before but you have been extremely accurate and even too much apologising for not perfectly knowing things. You have searched a lot and only after doing that you posted. You are an example to follow for other people who joined here. Awesome.

Now let's get into it

First off, I apologize for questions I'm sure you guys have seen a million times.

Never mind I said that above

2nd, I have skimmed through the online manual at this link http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=472605.0 

Just a quick correction... It's not really a manual, it's a collection of links pointing to it. (The actual manual is here --> http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Main_Page)

With that said, I am about to install SMF on my VPS and we are going to try and get a site off the ground tonight. 

Go for it don't use Softaculous one-click installer. Download SMF from the official download link! http://download.simplemachines.org/

- There is a good resource on paid subscriptions here, http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Paid_subscriptions, which seems very straightforward.  If we need to differentiate between annual & lifetime members, we have that option, correct? 

Just set like 1000 years as expiration date?

- Revenue from ads & links to vendor sites.  I didn't see anything in the manual, did I just miss it?  I am starting from scratch on this one, if you can point me towards a resource to start learning I would greatly appreciate it. 

SMF is *HEAVILY* customizable, you are talking to a guy who has installed and got to work something like 100 mods together. Mods are customizations for SMF, adding new functions, improving existing ones or editing stuff in general to fit everyone's needs. You can find them here: http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/ however the one you will need for ads is this one --> http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=255 (it's the 2nd most downloaded mod so in this case yeah it has been asked before )

I am very happy to have found SMF, you folks have a great community here and I am excited to get working on this. 

Welcome again Glad that you like it

I guess I'll throw in some extra info to ward off common questions I've received since we started planning this site.  This is being created in response to 2 separate threads receiving over 900k uniques over the past year.  We already have vendors lined up, ready to throw cash at us (some have already, actually) and we are basically playing catch-up right now.  I finished initializing our VPS & WHM yesterday, finally got cPanel sorted out today after realizing the hosting company made a mistake, not me (threw me off for sure). 

Well lucky you that you already have companies behind you
Anyway if you need hosting.. --> http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=4.0 ah yeah, GoDaddy is *EXTREMELY* discouraged for many reasons. (Not the place nor the time to explain, I just discourage it).

Let us know if you need further assistance

[Mstcool]

Welcome to SMF

If you want to display ads in various places,  then consider downloading a port and using their html block functions. I believe the ad mod suggested about only places it in one place. I don't remember at the moment.  That is a really good mod but if you wanna place ur ads in more and various places,  consider downloading a portal from the mod site suggested above. 

[Chalky]

I just installed the Ad Management mod yesterday and it's very versatile.  Screenshot of the settings attached 

Welcome truckworks, you certainly seem to be off to a very good start 

[Shambles]

... You are an example to follow for other people who joined here ...

Yep. It would have been the perfect opener if it had a properly descriptive thread title 

[truckworks]

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply ZX-10 (I'm an R1 guy btw, so we're already off to a good start).  We're in kind of a tight spot right now needing to get this thing going, hence all the spoonfeeding questions.  Hopefully Monday I will be able to just read through the site, manual, posts, etc and get good base understanding. 
 
Thanks for all the other replies (yep, should have had a different title, I know I know).

[Ninja ZX-10RR]

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply ZX-10 (I'm an R1 guy btw, so we're already off to a good start).  We're in kind of a tight spot right now needing to get this thing going, hence all the spoonfeeding questions.  Hopefully Monday I will be able to just read through the site, manual, posts, etc and get good base understanding. 
 
Thanks for all the other replies (yep, should have had a different title, I know I know).

That bike is my dream, I'll get it asap Love the R1 though

I'll back you up for the title in this case, too many questions, any detailed subject wouldn't have been able to describe the topic entirely anyway

The ad managment mod is extremely versatile and allows to place ads almost anywhere you want

*lamps*