What and Why phpBB 4 and forum?

[jwxie]

Let's restart bolvek's question again. Surely this is also my question.

Let's forget about phpBB and forum. Let's forget phpBB 1, 2, and 3. Who cares. Let's make them disappear and make forum disappear too.

What if forum was never invented? What do we expect it to do? How do we present our information? How should users communicate and retrieve information?

What
(1) What is phpBB4's vision?
(2) What is forum for?

Why
(1) Why do we use forum?
(2) Why do we use phpBB4?

I would say this is a great start

I'd much prefer it if we came up with a system where it doesn't matter whether a feature is "core" or not.

I know some questions have been answered but they are based on the past.However, I feel like we are jumping ahead with other things: profile control, ajax or not. These are features, not objective. We are here to brainstorm. We are not here to release another phpBB 1 , 2, 3 by adding, removing features, and rewrite the package. No. We should really look into what we want to do with forum?

I am not looking for a huge innovation here (I would do this with my commercial product, this is not Google). However, I would like to discuss these What and Why before we even jump into features (add this, remove that).

If we are building phpBB4 solely based on the old forum's principles (for many years),and just by writing phpBB4 with powerful API and framework, easier to integrate, new management system and package management, this is not phpBB4. This is just another vBulletin, another SMF. Better yet, just modify phpBB3.

I am sorry if I sound radical, but this is how brainstorming works. We just have some "goals" which are only extensions to the current phpBB3 and forum software.

It may sounds dumb to ask what forum is for. Yes, but remember this is the question the Google Wave developers asked before they started coding G.W. This is the kind of question Dell asked himself what computer is for, and what computer service is for.

There are many phpBB users who have successfully transformed a plain discussion board into something impressive and great. Don't ever bother to say "yeah it's so easy". Tell me, what is forum then? Hahahahaha....

I hope you guys understand that my motive is to make phpBB4 development smoother.

[Phil]

To be quite honest I'm not sure the objective of phpBB4 is to completely redefine the forum paradigm; rather, it is to build a modern forum solution based on what users want and need, in the most efficient, modern, and integrated way possible.

Is there anything concrete you'd like to discuss or...?

[ToonArmy]

If we are building phpBB4 solely based on the old forum's principles (for many years),and just by writing phpBB4 with powerful API and framework, easier to integrate, new management system and package management, this is not phpBB4. This is just another vBulletin, another SMF. Better yet, just modify phpBB3.

phpBB3 is horribly designed, gracefully ditching it is the only option. Please remember we are in this to write forum software, not to create a cloud based dishwasher. While we'll innovate we aren't wanting to create something that isn't a bulletin board.

[code reader]

phpBB3 is horribly designed, gracefully ditching it is the only option.

funny to hear something like this from a team member (or anyone else, for this matter) here.
it wasn't *that* long ago that even hinting that phpbb code and design is anything less than perfect would get one permanently banned here...

i think this, maybe more than anything else, signals the very positive shift in the project's attitude.

(just for the record: i do not think phpbb3 is anywhere close to perfection, code- or architecture- wise, but i absolutely do not share ToonArmy's view of an atrocity only fit for euthanasia.
it's just that it's a tall, cool glass of water to see someone saying something like this here without getting immediately run over by herds of fan-boyz and/or the thought police)

peace.

[bobtheman]

i couldn't agree more with your reply code reader

The "thought Police" need to be accountable for their actions, or lack thereof. attempting to encourage community involvement, or even development while policing individuality and the community's voice doesn't work.

[igorw]

I'm guessing you haven't seen this? Video from londonvasion 2008. Just watch the first few seconds.

[code reader]

don't get me wrong: phpbb-bashing is very common sport all over the internet the difference is the *here* part.
and again, i have no desire to begin a phpbb-bashing orgy.
i was just commenting on the new openness to hear unpleasant things without immediately banning or jumping all over the speaker (and please don't try it at phpbb.com... you'll be smothered by fan-boyz).


peace.