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jeffnz

Forum software pros and cons

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One day I might want to create a forum for something... so I wonder, what are the pros and cons or different forum systems? I'm familiar with the package that Canonical uses for their forums, because I've seen it used in other places. I also note that gamedev.net uses the same software as CNCNZ. On the other hand, forums.libsdl.org use a really old skool forum which I don't mind.

 

Are these commercial packages worth it? Are they easier to set up? I really have no issue with PHPbb. Why is it seemingly less popular these days?

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I think they all offer their own various pros and cons. It all comes down to personal preference I think. In the long history of our forums here, dating back to 2003, we have only used phpBB and IP.Board now. So I can't offer comment on anything else. The popular commercial options are of course IP.Board and vBulletin. Free options are the likes of phpBB and Simple Machines Forum. You can even use WordPress and turn it into a forum.

 

If I wanted to set up a new forum in the future I would stick with IP.Board. If I wanted to reduce costs I'd probably go with phpBB.

 

libsdl.org use a really old skool forum which I don't mind.

 

Looks like they use phpBB that I mentioned above.

 

Are these commercial packages worth it? Are they easier to set up?

 

Worth it in the terms of how big and successful you want it to become I guess. The commercial solutions all have on going costs for extended support. IP.Board does. Its US$25 per month to keep the license active. Not sure about vB. Setting them up is easy assuming you understand the basics of php and MySQL. In the case of IP.Board its really just a matter of uploading the files, pointing it to a database. Creating your theme, that’s were the real work begins.

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Cool thanks. If I ever have a reason to make a forum then I'll try both Simple Machines and phpBB. I like the idea of small scale forums: for a church, a car club, a sports team, a group of friends... etc etc. Whether using commercial or libre the main thing is escaping the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr... make my own space that isn't connected to everything else :thumbsup:

 

The less features the better because I only have 500MB of space on my current plan, ha-ha! I've got an account with 3 Rings Web Services Ltd and the webmail is fantastic on slow PCs. I'm obsessed with speed, clean interface and no ads. I try using Outlook and I get impatient with it sometimes. I'll add someone to my address book and start a new email, but Outlook won't find the person I just added. Same goes with folders - I send something, and there's still '1' email in drafts for 5 seconds or more. I prefer to run my own services.

 

If you're hosting CNCNZ on a New Zealand server then give the company a shout. Of course it's entirely possible that you're hosting with a huge Australian or US provider...... they offer a lot more HD space and very cheaply too.

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If you're hosting CNCNZ on a New Zealand server then give the company a shout. Of course it's entirely possible that you're hosting with a huge Australian or US provider...... they offer a lot more HD space and very cheaply too.

 

CNCNZ.com is hosted on New Zealand shores. Has been since June 2015. I use MyHost NZ. Using the $30 per month plan https://myhost.nz/hosting/large

I get 15GB storage and unlimited traffic. I think you'll find MyHost NZ's plans are much better than 3 Rings.

 

9hNeGGZ.png

 

https://myhost.nz/hosting

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Whoa that's fantastic! You have a few years ahead of me I take it, because I definitely couldn't afford web hosting plans like that - I need a decent job first. I have 500MB with 3 Rings Ltd and that means the 10GB of bandwidth is pointless, because I'll never use more than 2 percent bandwidth (can't host large files). Still, I got a discount with them so I only pay under $100 a year for the basic plan and a domain name. It's good for now.

Edited by jeffnz

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