Not Using phpBB
Forum rules
Discussion of general topics related to the new release and its place in the world. Don't discuss new features, report bugs, ask for support, et cetera. Don't use this to spam for other boards or attack those boards!
Discussion of general topics related to the new release and its place in the world. Don't discuss new features, report bugs, ask for support, et cetera. Don't use this to spam for other boards or attack those boards!
Re: Not Using phpBB
I think you should check out EasyMod for phpBB. It also offers a user friendly click interface to install mods, but it edits files, it doesn't replace entire files (that seems far too limiting for a modding system). It's not integrated into the phpBB core distribution, but it's pretty well polished.
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Re: Not Using phpBB
Ummm, no, that's not correct, and SHAME ON YOU for agreeing.Highway of Life wrote:phpBB2 is a security mess, this is correct.moneyman2010mn wrote: So if price didn't matter at all even though it does, would you choose vB over phpBB3? Is vB more secure than phpBB3? I've heard that phpBB in general is a security mess.
What version of phpBB2 is out right now?
And how long has it been out since the last release?
Seriously, phpBB was patched and fixed, quickly and diligently might I add.
phpBB3 is not a security/administrators nightmare. They were quick and receptive to issues and fixed them.
ANY SOFTWARE unpatched when security releases are issues, is a security hazard.
Aftter vB 3.5 came out, a BUNCH of 3.0.x vulnerabilities were disclosed.
This whole "phpBB security problems" nonsense is just that.
Nonsense.
"If You Support It, They Will Come."
"Construction"
"Construction"
Re: Not Using phpBB
I honestly would recomend the latest IPB or VB over the current phpBB, but if you can wait a little longer, then definitely phpBB3 or VB.
It may be bias since I have gotten used to phpBB3, but if only phpBB3 had a few features that VB has, I think it would be the best. Period.
It may be bias since I have gotten used to phpBB3, but if only phpBB3 had a few features that VB has, I think it would be the best. Period.
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Re: Not Using phpBB
Thanks everyone.
SHOwned, would you mind telling what features vB has that phpBB3 doesn't?
SHOwned, would you mind telling what features vB has that phpBB3 doesn't?
- Highway of Life
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Re: Not Using phpBB
That is a very long list indeed... but if you are interested, I'll post some of them off the top of my head.
You know that every feature in vB can be MODed, right?
You know that every feature in vB can be MODed, right?
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Re: Not Using phpBB
Sure I'd love a list having to do with features other software has and doesn't have, as long as you don't mind posting it.

Okay so here is my essay or whatever you want to call it about phpBB3. You guys don't have to read this if you don't want to but if you do please spot out things that can be imprived. All I have left is to talk about the ACP a bit more and the other 3 forum software.
Outline of phpBB3
Introduction
It all started in June of 2000. James Atkinson, well known for his open free software, believed that forum software was either too expensive or unsightly. Pulling together a team of developers after his first UBB-like forum, the team of developers released phpBB1 on December 9, 2000. Just a few months later, phpBB2 was already in the early development stages. On April 4, 2001, after a year of development, adding new features, and revising code, phpBB2 was released. Available in dozens of languages, phpBB2 became one of the most popular forum software in the entire world where the largest online community, Gaia Online, is powered by it. Currently, phpBB3, packed with tons of cool and powerful features, is under the last few stages of development where it will be released hopefully sometime this fall or early winter. PhpBB software will continue to be produced throughout our lives and will greatly shape the way we perceive message boards.
Overview
PhpBB3, at first was to become phpBB2.2.0 until they realized the tremendous amount of code being replaced and created. They then decided to totally rebuild phpBB from scratch creating a whole new generation of phpBB. This new software is much more powerful than before and has several new features that used to only be modifications. Not to mention, every old feature has been improved upon and upgraded with the latest techniques of PHP.
New or Improved Features
I know that if you guys really wanted to you could just look up the new or improved features about phpBB3 but I’m going to discuss most of them anyways, especially features that other forum software does not have. Remember, most of the following new or improved features are able to be turned on and off via the Administrator Control Panel. If SMF, IPB and VBulletin do have the same feature, they will be either underlined, bolded or italicized. (In that exact order.)
Searching
The search engine in phpBB3 is more powerful than ever before with all kinds of new ways to filter out posts. This search engine has the ability to filter posts or topics by forum category, the actual forum, and even the topic. You can also search within the topic titles, the very first post or by a member’s username.
Attachments
Attachments have always been a popular modification in previous phpBB versions. Finally, they’ve added this feature to the core code, making it so no modification is needed. In phpBB3 you can attach specified file extensions to postsand private messages. The attachments feature also comes with automatic image thumbnails, and the administrative ability to limit attachment quotas pertaining to certain usergroups and people.
Subforums
Finally in phpBB3, administrators have the ability to create and manage subforums. Unlike vBulliten and some other forum software, phpBB has the ability to create an unlimited number of subforums. You could literally have 30 subforums leading to more and more forums.
BBCode
BBCode is perhaps one of the best new and improved features added to phpBB3. The administration will be given the right to create new and manage old BBCode properties, possibly adding all kinds of new formatting in forum posts. The creation of new BBCodes is simple and effortless especially when the official phpBB website has places where you can copy and paste the code using the Administration Control Panel. Flash files can now be added into posts as a default BBCode feature. Of course some BBCode that has been deemed useless or unwanted by the administration can be turned on or off.
New Moderating Tools
Moderation Queue
The ‘moderation queue’ feature is a great way to manage first time posters. When users post in a certain forum, their post will now appear to the public until a ‘queue moderator’ has approved of their post.
Topic Merging, Copying, and Global Announcements
The ability to merge, copy, and globally announce topics has finally been added to phpBB3. Moderators may now merge topics that cover the same idea together without the need for a modification. To be honest, I really don’t see a point in wanting to copy a topic. To be able to globally announce a topic is a great thing to hear because forum-wide rules appear on every page in every forum.
Locking Posts and Viewing Topic History
Moderators are capable of locking posts in a topic, reassuring the staff that it cannot be edited later and changed by the poster. They can also view the topic’s moderation history to find out who and how another moderator moderated the topic.
Reporting Topics and Posts/Warning Users
Any user can report topics and posts thought inappropriate by other members. A message stating the reason why the topic or post was reported will then be sent to the Moderator Control Panel where a moderator can take action by editing the post and/or warning the user. Warned users are listed in the Moderator Control Panel where other moderators can view warning history.
Posting Improvements
A new posting arrangement was created to allow members to post topics with even more ease than before. All administrator created BBCode is listed at the top of the screen so memorization of BBCode is unneeded. You can also quote other posts while actually creating your post.
Members are given the right to bookmark topics, subscribe to any forums or topic, and mail or print topics. When printing a topic, a printer friendly page is specially designed to use little ink.
Member Improvements
The User Control Panel has been completely redesigned and reorganized, packed with several new features. In the User Control Panel, users can manage their subscribed forums/topics, bookmarks, drafts, and attachments. This panel also allows the disabling of certain BBCode, avatars, and signatures that could be strenuous and annoying to dialup users.
A ‘friends and foe’ list has been added to the User Control Panel to ensure easy communication between members that are acquainted. Eventually an ‘ignore list’ may be added to block incoming private messages from undesired users.
The User Control Panel is the place for Usergroup Moderators to manage their usergroups. Here they can add, remove, organize and approve members who have applied to become part of their usergroup.
Roles
Roles play a major part in phpBB3 because they dictate and separate different powers between users, Moderators, and Administrators. Although there are roles for forums and users, they will not be discussed at this time.
Types of Moderators
Queue Moderators/Simple Moderators
Queue Moderators are the lowest form of Moderators by having little power at all but validating and editing posts. Simple Moderators cannot validate posts but instead manage warnings and close reports. Neither one of these types of Moderators can lock, merge, move, or split topics.
Standard Moderators/Full Moderators
The Standard Moderator is the equivalent to the Moderators used in phpBB2. Unlike the Full Moderator, the Standard Moderator cannot ban users or approve posts. Both of these Moderators manage reports regarding to the report system.
Types of Administrators
There are now several different types of Administrators in phpBB3, each concerning a different job. This is very similar to the Junior Administrator modification to phpBB2.x. New types other than the defaults can be created by the Webmaster. It should be noted that an Administrator does not have moderator powers in any of the forums unless added to the Global Moderator usergroup.
Forum Administrators
The Forum Administrator has perhaps the least administrative powers than any other type of administrator. They can only access the forum management and forum permission settings. This includes altering permissions for users, assigning moderators, and creating, deleting, pruning, and managing forums.
User and Group Administrators
The User and Group Administrators are generally in charge of managing usergroups and users. They have the power to create, delete, and alter permissions for usergroups, and manage forum ranks and temporary/permanent bans.
Standard Administrators/Full Administrators
The Standard Administrators are your typical, everyday administrators. They have the power to do what the above administrators can do plus alter the main board settings. However, they cannot alter server and system related tools like backing up and restoring the database and interfere with the jabber, PHP, and communication settings. Full Administrators have every the power to manage every single administrator function in the Administrator Control Panel. These people are usually the webmasters and highly trusted individuals who will not fool around with vital database and forum settings.
Customizing phpBB3
The potential phpBB3 has when combined with user made modifications is absolutely incredible. Pretty much any feature created by other forum software could be duplicated by modifying the core code. This may be difficult at first to learn, but who is there to say that an automatic modification installation tool won’t be developed in the future? Administrators may find it frustrating installing modifications manually when other forum software have other ones but sometimes there is a need of ease for the members at the small expense of the staff. Plus, support for modifications is quick and easy to get because of a much larger audience and community than most other software.
Well now I know.Highway of Life wrote: You know that every feature in vB can be MODed, right?
Okay so here is my essay or whatever you want to call it about phpBB3. You guys don't have to read this if you don't want to but if you do please spot out things that can be imprived. All I have left is to talk about the ACP a bit more and the other 3 forum software.
Outline of phpBB3
Introduction
It all started in June of 2000. James Atkinson, well known for his open free software, believed that forum software was either too expensive or unsightly. Pulling together a team of developers after his first UBB-like forum, the team of developers released phpBB1 on December 9, 2000. Just a few months later, phpBB2 was already in the early development stages. On April 4, 2001, after a year of development, adding new features, and revising code, phpBB2 was released. Available in dozens of languages, phpBB2 became one of the most popular forum software in the entire world where the largest online community, Gaia Online, is powered by it. Currently, phpBB3, packed with tons of cool and powerful features, is under the last few stages of development where it will be released hopefully sometime this fall or early winter. PhpBB software will continue to be produced throughout our lives and will greatly shape the way we perceive message boards.
Overview
PhpBB3, at first was to become phpBB2.2.0 until they realized the tremendous amount of code being replaced and created. They then decided to totally rebuild phpBB from scratch creating a whole new generation of phpBB. This new software is much more powerful than before and has several new features that used to only be modifications. Not to mention, every old feature has been improved upon and upgraded with the latest techniques of PHP.
New or Improved Features
I know that if you guys really wanted to you could just look up the new or improved features about phpBB3 but I’m going to discuss most of them anyways, especially features that other forum software does not have. Remember, most of the following new or improved features are able to be turned on and off via the Administrator Control Panel. If SMF, IPB and VBulletin do have the same feature, they will be either underlined, bolded or italicized. (In that exact order.)
Searching
The search engine in phpBB3 is more powerful than ever before with all kinds of new ways to filter out posts. This search engine has the ability to filter posts or topics by forum category, the actual forum, and even the topic. You can also search within the topic titles, the very first post or by a member’s username.
Attachments
Attachments have always been a popular modification in previous phpBB versions. Finally, they’ve added this feature to the core code, making it so no modification is needed. In phpBB3 you can attach specified file extensions to postsand private messages. The attachments feature also comes with automatic image thumbnails, and the administrative ability to limit attachment quotas pertaining to certain usergroups and people.
Subforums
Finally in phpBB3, administrators have the ability to create and manage subforums. Unlike vBulliten and some other forum software, phpBB has the ability to create an unlimited number of subforums. You could literally have 30 subforums leading to more and more forums.
BBCode
BBCode is perhaps one of the best new and improved features added to phpBB3. The administration will be given the right to create new and manage old BBCode properties, possibly adding all kinds of new formatting in forum posts. The creation of new BBCodes is simple and effortless especially when the official phpBB website has places where you can copy and paste the code using the Administration Control Panel. Flash files can now be added into posts as a default BBCode feature. Of course some BBCode that has been deemed useless or unwanted by the administration can be turned on or off.
New Moderating Tools
Moderation Queue
The ‘moderation queue’ feature is a great way to manage first time posters. When users post in a certain forum, their post will now appear to the public until a ‘queue moderator’ has approved of their post.
Topic Merging, Copying, and Global Announcements
The ability to merge, copy, and globally announce topics has finally been added to phpBB3. Moderators may now merge topics that cover the same idea together without the need for a modification. To be honest, I really don’t see a point in wanting to copy a topic. To be able to globally announce a topic is a great thing to hear because forum-wide rules appear on every page in every forum.
Locking Posts and Viewing Topic History
Moderators are capable of locking posts in a topic, reassuring the staff that it cannot be edited later and changed by the poster. They can also view the topic’s moderation history to find out who and how another moderator moderated the topic.
Reporting Topics and Posts/Warning Users
Any user can report topics and posts thought inappropriate by other members. A message stating the reason why the topic or post was reported will then be sent to the Moderator Control Panel where a moderator can take action by editing the post and/or warning the user. Warned users are listed in the Moderator Control Panel where other moderators can view warning history.
Posting Improvements
A new posting arrangement was created to allow members to post topics with even more ease than before. All administrator created BBCode is listed at the top of the screen so memorization of BBCode is unneeded. You can also quote other posts while actually creating your post.
Members are given the right to bookmark topics, subscribe to any forums or topic, and mail or print topics. When printing a topic, a printer friendly page is specially designed to use little ink.
Member Improvements
The User Control Panel has been completely redesigned and reorganized, packed with several new features. In the User Control Panel, users can manage their subscribed forums/topics, bookmarks, drafts, and attachments. This panel also allows the disabling of certain BBCode, avatars, and signatures that could be strenuous and annoying to dialup users.
A ‘friends and foe’ list has been added to the User Control Panel to ensure easy communication between members that are acquainted. Eventually an ‘ignore list’ may be added to block incoming private messages from undesired users.
The User Control Panel is the place for Usergroup Moderators to manage their usergroups. Here they can add, remove, organize and approve members who have applied to become part of their usergroup.
Roles
Roles play a major part in phpBB3 because they dictate and separate different powers between users, Moderators, and Administrators. Although there are roles for forums and users, they will not be discussed at this time.
Types of Moderators
Queue Moderators/Simple Moderators
Queue Moderators are the lowest form of Moderators by having little power at all but validating and editing posts. Simple Moderators cannot validate posts but instead manage warnings and close reports. Neither one of these types of Moderators can lock, merge, move, or split topics.
Standard Moderators/Full Moderators
The Standard Moderator is the equivalent to the Moderators used in phpBB2. Unlike the Full Moderator, the Standard Moderator cannot ban users or approve posts. Both of these Moderators manage reports regarding to the report system.
Types of Administrators
There are now several different types of Administrators in phpBB3, each concerning a different job. This is very similar to the Junior Administrator modification to phpBB2.x. New types other than the defaults can be created by the Webmaster. It should be noted that an Administrator does not have moderator powers in any of the forums unless added to the Global Moderator usergroup.
Forum Administrators
The Forum Administrator has perhaps the least administrative powers than any other type of administrator. They can only access the forum management and forum permission settings. This includes altering permissions for users, assigning moderators, and creating, deleting, pruning, and managing forums.
User and Group Administrators
The User and Group Administrators are generally in charge of managing usergroups and users. They have the power to create, delete, and alter permissions for usergroups, and manage forum ranks and temporary/permanent bans.
Standard Administrators/Full Administrators
The Standard Administrators are your typical, everyday administrators. They have the power to do what the above administrators can do plus alter the main board settings. However, they cannot alter server and system related tools like backing up and restoring the database and interfere with the jabber, PHP, and communication settings. Full Administrators have every the power to manage every single administrator function in the Administrator Control Panel. These people are usually the webmasters and highly trusted individuals who will not fool around with vital database and forum settings.
Customizing phpBB3
The potential phpBB3 has when combined with user made modifications is absolutely incredible. Pretty much any feature created by other forum software could be duplicated by modifying the core code. This may be difficult at first to learn, but who is there to say that an automatic modification installation tool won’t be developed in the future? Administrators may find it frustrating installing modifications manually when other forum software have other ones but sometimes there is a need of ease for the members at the small expense of the staff. Plus, support for modifications is quick and easy to get because of a much larger audience and community than most other software.
- Highway of Life
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Re: Not Using phpBB
I'll post it later when I gather the list... it's pretty long.
Plus, I just got my new Powerbook G4 17", so I'm going to play with it for a while (i.e. get it running with all my stuff.
)
Plus, I just got my new Powerbook G4 17", so I'm going to play with it for a while (i.e. get it running with all my stuff.
Re: Not Using phpBB
you might want to enter the security audit and improvements as part of your essay.
Re: Not Using phpBB
about a year ago i liked SMF and hated phpBB, i dont know why i hated it but i did
... and now, about 4 months ago i started to work with phpBB and i liked it much better than SMF... and now i realize that i got rid of SMF just becouse i hated its template system and that phpBB's template system is the best i've seen...
Re: Not Using phpBB
moneyman2010mn, that was a great list and worthy of waiting for 3.x.
In 2.x I'm plagued by automated spam bots creating users even with visual conf turned on. I'd be curious to know of what [if anything] 3.x does to squash spam bots targetting phpBB based forums or any other security benefits over those other boards.
In 2.x I'm plagued by automated spam bots creating users even with visual conf turned on. I'd be curious to know of what [if anything] 3.x does to squash spam bots targetting phpBB based forums or any other security benefits over those other boards.