Forum software?

[matth1138]

Hey all, to help out with some research I'm doing for the site: What's your favorite forum software (other than phpBB) and why?

 

[Rhydian]

Hey all, to help out with some research I'm doing for the site: What's your favorite forum software (other than phpBB) and why?

IPB: All the features you need, great seo tools built in, best looking and easiest to modify, large support and development community.

 

[Bikermole]

Whatever you decide, don't get vBulletin. Not only is it expensive, I think its pretty complex to use, and looks messy.

I'd stick with phpbb, IMO.

 

[Friz]

What's your favorite forum software (other than phpBB) and why?

None. Only decent forum platform is phpBB.

 

[Rhydian]

What's your favorite forum software (other than phpBB) and why?

None. Only decent forum platform is phpBB.

How did you come up with that logic?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[xna8f089c]

What's your favorite forum software (other than phpBB) and why?

None. Only decent forum platform is phpBB.

Just because the only forum platform that you are use to is phpBB3 it isn't the most decent out there, if you justified that with your opinion i'd be less inclined to respond to your bias post.

The only perk to phpbb3 is that it is good for when you are starting a new forum or your first forum and you are not willing to sink money into it without having any return. Buying vB or any commercial forum software is a risk purchasing when first starting a forum, that is why most new forums use phpBB3 or SMF (another free forum platform).

vBulletin is the most widely used forum software out there not only due to it being good, it works and its sleek. The general forum layout and more wide variety of good looking themes for it goes in its favor as well. Due to it being a paid forum platform you can get good free plugins for it. The admin control panel on vB is more powerful and has more flexibility then phpbb3 and I have run forums off of both forum platforms. When linking from other sites phpbb3 isn't the best for SEO either, if you want your site found on google or if someone linkbacks to it all it will have is a post ID whereas with most commercial forum software will be http://url.tld/threadid=1?how-to-motovlog

XenForo is another good commercial forum platform that is relatively new. I haven't used this from the webmaster perspective so I cannot vouch for its admin control panel or flexibility or usability but it looks good from when using it as a general user. You can get some nice sleek themes for it and it generally looks nice.

Moving onto IPB which is another sleek commercial forum platform.

I believe these all support migrations (I know vB does) from common free forum platforms (SMF, phpbb3) if you have access to the database and it isn't through a free host.

 

[ParisianZee]

PhpBB3 wins this one for me. It's by far the easiest to manage, to install, and so on and so forth, lots and lots of themes and styles for it as well.

That being said, if you're going to make changes to the forum, please get rid of the horrible darkness. This black background makes mv.com look like a very unhappy and uninviting place.

 

[xna8f089c]

PhpBB3 wins this one for me. It's by far the easiest to manage, to install, and so on and so forth, lots and lots of themes and styles for it as well.

That being said, if you're going to make changes to the forum, please get rid of the horrible darkness. This black background makes mv.com look like a very unhappy and uninviting place.

With the majority of commercial forum platforms you can change the theme from a list of ones uploaded by the webmaster, another feature that phpbb3 lacks.

 

[Bikermole]

With the majority of commercial forum platforms you can change the theme from a list of ones uploaded by the webmaster, another feature that phpbb3 lacks.

I get the feeling you sell vBulletin.

I'll say it now, and never again. I won't use the forum if you switch to vBulletin. I really don't like it.

 

[matth1138]

PhpBB3 wins this one for me. It's by far the easiest to manage, to install, and so on and so forth, lots and lots of themes and styles for it as well.

That being said, if you're going to make changes to the forum, please get rid of the horrible darkness. This black background makes mv.com look like a very unhappy and uninviting place.

With the majority of commercial forum platforms you can change the theme from a list of ones uploaded by the webmaster, another feature that phpbb3 lacks.

I'm not sure I agree with you: "themes" on vBulletin are simply called "styles" on phpBB and I can upload as many as I want and change between them at will.

 

[ParisianZee]

Yes, you can.

What you can also do is allow users to choose their own, which, pardon me if I'm wrong, but I don't thing you have allowed on the forum's settings.

 

[matth1138]

Correct, I'm shooting for a consistent user experience.


Sent from mobile device, forgive the janky grammar and spelling.

 

[CurlyBlakey]

Can we go for a pink and fluffy theme? might cheer up some of the grumpalumps on here (myself included!)

 

[matth1138]

Can we go for a pink and fluffy theme? might cheer up some of the grumpalumps on here (myself included!)

Something like this:

 

[ToastToGo]

<3

 

[CurlyBlakey]

Can we go for a pink and fluffy theme? might cheer up some of the grumpalumps on here (myself included!)

Something like this:

definitely gets my vote, I think a 24 hour period of pink fluffyness would be good!

 

[matth1138]

Anyone have experience with bbPress? (And the wise amongst us can see the implications therein)