I think everyone is tripping on his view about html over xhtml. Seems absurd but otherwise some good insight. Maybe he doesn't understand what each really is. Not sure.
To answer OP.
I prefer Mybb after reviewing and using several different softwares. And not just in test environments either..I am talking sites with 10k+ members and over 100k posts. I had a mybb site that was 500k posts that was previously VB and phpbb before that. Mybb was by far the easiest for me to manage, upgrade, and overall enjoy. phpbb was a nightmare and I thought switching to VB would fix that...it really didn't. VB was just as problematic to upgrade, alter layout, and add modifications. Mybb has for me excelled in the areas I require. I need extensibility and easy maintenance. When I upgrade the last thing I need is to go around all my forums and fix plugins or redo my custom layout changes. Mybb has done a great job at ensuring that plugins operate independently of the core system with it's plugins system.
I know a little of the difference between HTML and XHTML (XML, right), but I'm not a coder at the moment. So for me the questions about MyBB for me would be more along the lines of administration, moderation, and the end user experience.
I've set up both a MyBB and a SMF in a test environment. Both were fairly simple to do, to be honest. And I've liked MyBB. But there were a few things that it seemed SMF could do "out of the box" that I didn't notice that MyBB could do. And then there were a few things that I didnt' see either could do but wished were possible.
Having said that, is this an okay place to ask about those features? To see if they're possible on MyBB?
More specifics would be good. Often people are just unaware of what mybb can do or how it does something. Doesn't mean it can't be done or doesn't already exist as a feature.
As Labrocca said what features exactly?
But I choose MyBB for a few reasons. It's free of course. It's the easiest system I've come across and I've used all the major ones and have tried some small ones too. The plugin system is amazing and templates/themes are easy to make and edit.
Overall it's just easy and fast. There aren't tons of social networking features that forums shouldn't have anyway. I've never had security problems and personally have never run into a bug
.
Although I think the community is the largest thing. I love the people here at mybb. I mean the staff is fun and they are strict coders. I've talked to Nickman and he says Tiki(Ryan Gordon) is a strict boss
. But that's a good a thing.
I would just look at how fast MyBB has grown to see its potential not only now but in the future. I would say MyBB is being developed a lot faster than both phpbb and SMF. It's the newest to the game out of the 3 and is already in competition with not only them but IPB and vB too.
Started to send labrocca a PM, but then saw the replies.
And to start out, I'm not at all looking to argue about anything. I've seen that enough on other forums. I'm just seriously looking for the best free option for me. And as I said earlier, some of these things might be already available out of the box with MyBB, some might be readily available with mods/plugins.
Some of these might be from my previous experience with IPB (it's been over two years since I admin'd it though) and others from the install/config of SMF earlier.
* Can I make it where only Admin's can see IP's?
* Can I have a welcome PM sent to members when the register?
* Limit custom titles to a certain user group or post count?
* Search Engine friendly URL's
* Limit PM access to users OVER a certain post count
* Limit # of PM's sent in an hour.
* Set some forums to not affect post count
* Can we have a Trash Can Forum where all deleted material goes with only Admin having the ability to delete from there
* Clean up nested quotes
* Warning of a topic being old before a reply
* Global Ignore (where an admin can set a member to be globally ignored by everyone)
* And how are the IP lookup tools and member search functions? (I need to try those out, but liked what I used with IPB alot!)
Thanks for looking through these. I know MyBB probably won't have everything, and no one things is a deal breaker. But just some curious things in my mind. I might think of some others after a good night's sleep.
(2008-11-13, 05:18 AM)StateDOG Wrote: [ -> ]* Can I make it where only Admin's can see IP's? Yes, it's an option in the settings
* Can I have a welcome PM sent to members when the register? Yes, there is a plugin available
* Limit custom titles to a certain user group or post count? Yes, you can use promotions/group permissions
* Search Engine friendly URL's - Yes, they are what is here. I also believe there is a further SEO plugin
* Limit PM access to users OVER a certain post count - I believe this can be done with group promotions
* Limit # of PM's sent in an hour. - We just implemented "flood limit" for MyBB 1.4.4. Not sure if this is what your exactly looking for.
* Set some forums to not affect post count - Yes, forum options
* Can we have a Trash Can Forum where all deleted material goes with only Admin having the ability to delete from there - I believe there is a plugin for this
* Clean up nested quotes - I believe there is a plugin for this
* Warning of a topic being old before a reply - Not sure if there is a plugin for this, but it can definately be created
* Global Ignore (where an admin can set a member to be globally ignored by everyone) - Not sure if there is a plugin for this, but it can definately be created
* And how are the IP lookup tools and member search functions? (I need to try those out, but liked what I used with IPB alot!) - You'd have to elaborate more on these. You can search users IP's and members from multiple places.
Quote:* Can I make it where only Admin's can see IP's? Yes, it's an option in the settings
Technically the option doesn't exist for Admins Only. There is an Admins/Moderator option though. Should be easy to modify if you want to disable for everyone but Admins.
Quote:Limit PM access to users OVER a certain post count - I believe this can be done with group promotions
I have a min post suite over at Mybb Central which this is just one option.
As you can see..Mybb covers most of the common ground in one form or another.
Agreed. Thanks guys. Is MyBB Central the best place for plugins/mods? Or is it here at mybboard.net? Just wondering if there is a central repository for most everything.
And again, thanks for the help. I'll look for these plugins.
But I forgot one thing, and it is one of my favorite things about IPB that I've not seen elsewhere. But can MyBB have "Subtitles". I'm not sure if that's the right term. Secondary titles? But where under the thread title there is a 2nd line (where a user's name is right now) for a description (I just looked at a IPB forum and see it's called "Topic Description").
Or if not, how about like vB has the feature if you hover over the topic title you'll see a popup preview of the first few lines of text in the topic?
(2008-11-13, 06:14 AM)StateDOG Wrote: [ -> ]Agreed. Thanks guys. Is MyBB Central the best place for plugins/mods? Or is it here at mybboard.net? Just wondering if there is a central repository for most everything.
And again, thanks for the help. I'll look for these plugins.
But I forgot one thing, and it is one of my favorite things about IPB that I've not seen elsewhere. But can MyBB have "Subtitles". I'm not sure if that's the right term. Secondary titles? But where under the thread title there is a 2nd line (where a user's name is right now) for a description (I just looked at a IPB forum and see it's called "Topic Description").
Or if not, how about like vB has the feature if you hover over the topic title you'll see a popup preview of the first few lines of text in the topic?
There is a plugin for that. I havent tried the 1.4 version though. There is as well the ideas site that i encourage you to visit. This and the cleaning up of nested quotes is another i have suggested as has others.
BTW there is no WORKING plugin for 1.4 for nested quotes. The one thats in there i tried and is for 1.2 anyways. yes both me and my members hate them as well. terrible looking.
Should also let you know that i am a current IPB user as well but that may be soon changing thanks to what is a disaster looking 3.0. Will be nothing like the IPB all has known. Thus i'll be switching that forum over to mybb as well. Trust me you wont wanna waste your money on it.
As others have said i love MYBB for how powerfull and easy it is to use as well. I have been with IPB for yrs and still alot i have yet to learn alot of things to do with it especially with skinning. Basically trapped into the IPB look and thus looking like every other guy on the block who has one. MYBB has the best features found anywhere on the free market for BOTH your users and you as admin.
Only thing slightly lacking is plugins/professional themes but it is coming along as a few others have stated but mainly the Themes. MYBB as well usually stays WELL ahead of the curve with security and updates.
Like yourself i have been around for a number of years and started out with phpbb and then SMF, IPB-1.2 on up, vB etc etc etc and this by far is the best one i have enjoyed working with the most. My members enjoy it alot as well. I'll never look back at any of the rest.
(2008-11-13, 06:56 AM)HarryWx Wrote: [ -> ]Should also let you know that i am a current IPB user as well but that may be soon changing thanks to what is a disaster looking 3.0. Will be nothing like the IPB all has known. Thus i'll be switching that forum over to mybb as well. Trust me you wont wanna waste your money on it.
Never judge a book by it's cover...?... IPB3 isn't even out of alpha development yet - it's certainly innovative and different... I quite like it
I'm sure the alpha version of MyBB wasn't exactly good-looking either...
(2008-11-13, 05:48 AM)labrocca Wrote: [ -> ]... Mybb covers most of the common ground in one form or another.
It's probably the best all-round forum system I've ever used... when I was looking for a new system to develop with, I had a list of requirements - very similar to yours - that I needed... and as Labrocca says, MyBB covered more of the features I needed than anything else...