Best free forum software

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

BB
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Big Bill <bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

I've been using phpBB for some time, but I wouldn't call it the best.
I want to give SMF a try, but it's not Open Source.

No idea if this helps:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/forum-software-roundup

You want a SEO friendly solution? (I am writing one atm, NDA sadly :-D)

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

On 1 Dec 2007 21:40:05 GMT, John Bokma <john (AT) castleamber (DOT) com> wrote:

Big Bill <bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

I've been using phpBB for some time, but I wouldn't call it the best.
I want to give SMF a try, but it's not Open Source.

No idea if this helps:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/forum-software-roundup

You want a SEO friendly solution? (I am writing one atm, NDA sadly :-D)

No, I just joined one run by friends that's like going back to the
stone age so I'm suggesting better ones to them. Thanks.

BB
--

http://www.kruse.co.uk/
http://www.fat-odin.com/
http://www.here-be-posters.co.uk/

Big Bill <bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

On 1 Dec 2007 21:40:05 GMT, John Bokma <john (AT) castleamber (DOT) com> wrote:

Big Bill <bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

I've been using phpBB for some time, but I wouldn't call it the best.
I want to give SMF a try, but it's not Open Source.

No idea if this helps:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/forum-software-roundup

You want a SEO friendly solution? (I am writing one atm, NDA sadly :-D)

No, I just joined one run by friends that's like going back to the
stone age so I'm suggesting better ones to them. Thanks.

Ah, ok. In that case I would say phpBB (which has your initials in the
name ;-). It's probably not the best forum software, but it's used a lot.
The CAPTCHA sucks though, I have written an improved version which works
quite good (but which I don't spread around too much, because then it
probably stops being good). Anyway, if your friends decide on phpBB make
sure they install a good CAPTCHA mod. The one that comes (or maybe came)
with phpBB sucks big time.

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

In message <kej3l3lf4bvf4g8ldon72qbeaob7cvd9kv (AT) 4ax (DOT) com>, Big Bill
<bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> writes

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

BB

If it is SEF out of the box then

UBB will give your urs like this
foo.org/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/20/110.html

some give you
foo./lofiversion/index.php/t27306.html

But if you are ok with php and do some mods to phpBB

SEs will see your forum as

foo.org/forums/forum-8.html
and topics as
foo.org/forums/topic1320.html

Less PR loss

Barrie,

--
BH

On 1 Dec 2007 21:40:05 GMT, John Bokma <john (AT) castleamber (DOT) com> wrote:

Big Bill <bill (AT) kruse (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

I've been using phpBB for some time, but I wouldn't call it the best.
I want to give SMF a try, but it's not Open Source.

No idea if this helps:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/forum-software-roundup

You want a SEO friendly solution? (I am writing one atm, NDA sadly :-D)

I have used YABB before and pretty easy to use et all.
plh
Paul
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Hairpipe Chokers : http://www.crystalbuffalo.com/americ...y/chokers.html

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BH <tower (AT) tower-forte (DOT) demon.co.uk> wrote:

UBB will give your urs like this
foo.org/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/20/110.html

some give you
foo./lofiversion/index.php/t27306.html

But if you are ok with php and do some mods to phpBB

SEs will see your forum as

foo.org/forums/forum-8.html
and topics as
foo.org/forums/topic1320.html

Less PR loss

<http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2007/01/04/a-pagerank-myth-busted.html>

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

On Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:11:27 GMT, Big Bill wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

Don't waste your time with free. vBulletin is excellent forum
software and worth every penny. phpBB is the "best" "free" one, but
it is primitive compared to vBulletin. I used phpBB and got fed up
with the convoluted maintenance and spam attacks. vBulletin is a
gazillion times better in every way.

--
Brandon Staggs
http://www.brandonstaggs.com

Brandon <nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) spam> wrote:

On Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:11:27 GMT, Big Bill wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

Don't waste your time with free. vBulletin is excellent forum
software and worth every penny. phpBB is the "best" "free" one, but
it is primitive compared to vBulletin. I used phpBB and got fed up
with the convoluted maintenance and spam attacks. vBulletin is a
gazillion times better in every way.

I've no experience with vBulletin, except as a user (arachnoboards.com),
but I agree with you that phpBB is not that smartly written if you have to
administer it (let alone design your own templates). The spam attacks I've
tackled by replacing the standard (and very weak) CAPTCHA with my own
(which just adds a simple grid pattern, and some other tricks to the basic
one).

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

On 1 Dec 2007 23:56:55 GMT, John Bokma wrote:

Brandon <nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) spam> wrote:

On Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:11:27 GMT, Big Bill wrote:

Guys, what's the best free forum software around, any opinions?

Don't waste your time with free. vBulletin is excellent forum
software and worth every penny. phpBB is the "best" "free" one, but
it is primitive compared to vBulletin. I used phpBB and got fed up
with the convoluted maintenance and spam attacks. vBulletin is a
gazillion times better in every way.

I've no experience with vBulletin, except as a user (arachnoboards.com),
but I agree with you that phpBB is not that smartly written if you have to
administer it (let alone design your own templates). The spam attacks I've
tackled by replacing the standard (and very weak) CAPTCHA with my own
(which just adds a simple grid pattern, and some other tricks to the basic
one).

When I had phpBB running, I had an additional anti-spam mod on top of
CAPTCHA. It helped. (CAPTCHA is only marginally effective. Not only
can most of them be defeated automatically now, forum spam software
makes it easy for a real person to validate CAPTCHAs in a streamlined
fashion as necessary.) But even with the additional mods, I was still
dealing with spam on a daily basis, and due to the way phpBB is
designed, it was a real pain in the neck. Now, with vBulletin and one
additional anti-bot mod, I get one or two spammers a month, and
dealing with them is a snap.

Just my experience. :-)

--
Brandon Staggs
http://www.brandonstaggs.com