Which Forum Software (mid 2005)

[jayc]

I read through the discussion from 3Q 2004 about which forum software to use.

 

I am wondering almost a year down the line, which package (IPB or PHP) is best liked and why.

 

It appears that IPB is no longer available through CPanel, and that PHP is now up to the 2.x release.

 

I have a couple of different potential uses for a forum system, some for non profits and some for "4 profits". So free & open source is always good, but for the "4 Profits" buying the software or a licensing fee is not a real problem.

 

I am mostly interested in the following in more or less order of priority.

1. Feature set

2. Availablity of 3rd party add ons

3. Availablity of tech support

4. Ease of maintenance

5. Ease of installation

6. Cost

 

I have installed both PHP and IPB in the past, and had kinda made my mind up to go with IPB, however I would like to get advice from those down in the trenches and operating forums today before jumping either way.

 

Thanks

Jay Clark

[TCH-Thomas]

I don´t have much experience with phpbb, so I can´t answer the comparison question, but just to clarify...

 

The cpanel inside your TCH-account, have both IPB (v. 1.2 or 1.3x) and phpbb available.

 

However, IPB´s latest is v. 2.0x which costs money, and not provided in the cpanel.

Phpbb latest version is 2.0.17 and I believe it will always be free.

[carbonize]

I have used IPB, phpBB and Phorum. IPB is mainly aimed at sites where the forum is extremely busy and usualy the main focus of the site. phpBB currently has less admin features (although the next milestone changes that) but is still as powerful. I chose phpBB over IPB for my main forum as IPB has so many options I felt it could confuse some people. I use Phorum on the site I made for my guestbook script as it is smaller and faster.

 

All forums have mods available for them and all aer easy to install. They all also have good tech support, usually in the form of their own forums, although I'd expect the pay for forums to give you one on one support. As for cost phpBB and Phorum are both free. IPB 1.3.1 was the last free version they released. As for other pay for forums you have vBulletin and ikonboard, but as with IPB I find these are bloated with features.

[jayc]

I chose phpBB over IPB for my main forum as IPB has so many options I felt it could confuse some people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree with you about the potential to confuse users, however I feel this is pretty common to all forums (BBS) packages.

 

I am tempted to go with PCP simply because I feel it is a bit easier to customize, however I will have to go through a new learning curve with both packages, and want to invest the time in the one that has the greater upside potential, which I think from your comment you are saying is IPB.

 

I cannot find IPB anyplace on the CPanel install routines, I think if I go with it I will have to do a download from their site and then do a custom install, which does not thrill me.

[carbonize]

As was stated IPB is now a pay for script. The version this forum uses is a commercial version. phpBB Olympus, the next major release, has some major updates. It's all a matter of personal choice. I'd say pick one and stick with it.

[jayc]

The cpanel inside your TCH-account, have both IPB (v. 1.2 or 1.3x) and phpbb available.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I had to duck into CPanel again to double check, but I cannot seem to find IPB as an option anywhere in it, can you tell me which button it is under ?

[TweezerMan]

It should be in the "Scripts Library" section of your CPanel, listed as "InvisionBoard". If you don't see it there, you'd need to submit a ticket to the Help Desk and ask them to add it to your CPanel for you.

[TCH-Dick]

Hi jay

 

Please check your cPanel now, I have turned on InvisionBoard for your server.

[TCH-Don]

Another forum many use is Simple Machines Forum

http://www.simplemachines.org/

It can be upgraded to new versions

through the admin panel package manager.

[Ray_Bman]

1. Feature set

2. Availablity of 3rd party add ons

3. Availablity of tech support

4. Ease of maintenance

5. Ease of installation

6. Cost

 

I am using phpBB and am quite happy with it.

 

It has the same features that other open-source forums and even most of the paid forums, but what is really cool is the active Mod builders out there that create so many other useful add-on features.

Go to the phpBB forum or phpBBHacks site and there are plenty of free Mods available and an active community of very helpful phpBB users. There is a very strong community of phpBB users out there.

 

Installation is very easy, especially if you create the forum using your Cpanel at TCH. However, TCH is a couple of upgrades behind, but even so, it is very easy to get it up to date.

 

As far as maintenance, there isn't much to do, the forum has a pruning setting that can be handy (if that is what you mean by maintenance).

 

If you are unfamiliar with PHP, then you may have a bit of a learning curve to climb when you try to customize the look of the board. Refer to the site links above for further help.

 

Lastly, phpBB is FREE.

 

Here is my phpBB forum with a few Mods in place: My phpBB Forum

 

Good luck,

Ray

[cajunman4life]

I, too, prefer phpBB. Really easy to administer and install/upgrade.

[abinidi]

Another vote for phpBB! Ditto to what was said before about phpBB.

[ictus]

I've been looking into this hard resently.

 

I run a forum with 200+ members who are quite an active bunch.

 

I use ipb 1.3 final with the security patch, but getting this is VERY hard, and no longer supported, the cPanel here has 1.2, which is good enough for most uses.

 

phpBB, seems is easy to customise, but upgrades are a pain.

 

IPb is highly custamisable, as well, but 2.1 is coming out soon, with some new admin features to allow different levels of admin, this is something I'm after.

 

But SMF (simple machines) already does this, with out upgrading scripts etc, however converting has proven difficult for me.

 

On balance, if i was starting from scratch I'd choose SMF, but I think I'll be getting an IPB2.1 licence when it comes out.

 

check out www.invasionize.com for lots of stuff for IPB (all versions)