Bulletin boards can be used to satisfy numerous applications. The most common use is for discussion forums, but I've also seen them used quite successfully for applications such as customer service, technical support, support groups and even newsletter archives. If you're comfortable with CGI, I would strongly recommend a FREE product called Ikonboard from a website with the same name. Amy Jo does a fantastic job presenting a nine step strategy for developing, maintaining and supporting a web community. This book is a definite must for anyone that is contemplating a message board for their site.
Links Links are an inevitable aspect of every website.
Show me a business website without links, and I'll show you a lonely website. Offering links to other sites is an accepted and expected feature. However, the important characteristic about links is that in order for them to add value to your site, they must be relevant. So very often I see sites that have links to unrelated sites, just for the sake of filling up a page. Try to consolidate your links into an organized presentation.