Do you want an honest answer? They are all the best.

I have worked with all scripts. I own 15 forums (I think) and I run on all famous platforms: PhpBB, MyBB, SMF, VBulletin and IPB. I have 3 paid licenses for the paid scripts and the 3 free scripts run 12 of my forums. From my 5 experience as a forum manager I can tell you few of my conclusions:

1. phpBB is excellent if you like to modify the skin to a hugely extent. I have www.womenonlyforums.com as PhpBB of the year 2006 on phpBBhacks.com after a huge modification of the skin. I also own other nicely designed forums on this script. It’s the only script leaving me with perfect control over hack installation and theme modification. Since I am not a “install it automatically” type of admin and like to make code changes on my own, this was the perfect script for me.

2. SMF was my big disappointment since I cannot have the freedom to mod the skin. I am not proficient in php and that means my chances of styling my forums are reduced. The script is nice and solid though and has many nice features. I won’t use it anymore and can’t wait to upgrade to VB for instance since I want to have freedom for my layouts and SMF doesn’t let me skin them as I want.

3. MyBB is the latest “trend”. I have to say that I like it, no matter what issues I had with it before: it looks more like VB than any other script, the skinning is not the best (admin panel skinning, not file skinning as I want), but I managed to make some pretty nice layouts. If they solved the cookies problem anyone seems to face and start creating some more hacks, this little guy will be the next best thing. The community is still small, but it does have quite talented developers.

4. vBulletin .. my issues with it: upgrades mess my layout and hacks, hacks are poorly supported by the developers, the good ones are paid and sometimes cost even more than the script. Still the script is OK. Support is excellent and I am pleased with it when I don’t try to customize it too much. Despite my issues with it, I think it does deserve that price tag.

5. IPB is also a good paid script .. I own two licenses, support is also excellent. The script is solid and the latest release halucinating with all the features it has. Does this deserve the money? Oh it does.

Here are my reasons for liking the scripts and as you can see it, I just cannot pick a favourite one. All my forums are uniquely customized, have hacks installed and work nicely. Still I am not able to pick the best one. The ones that are excellent as templating (phpBB for instance) lack default features. The ones with many features and better security (SMF comes to mind) don’t let me design them as I wish. MyBB doens’t have too many hacks and I am a hack addict. IPB and VB butcher my unique designs when upgrading, some hacks don’t work etc.

But how can you decide on the best script?

It’s simple: make some folders in your hosting account or install a local server. Go to the phpBB, myBB, SMF (and other free forum scripts), download the latest releases and install them all. Can you install them? Perfect. Now try to style them, see how fast you install hacks, how you find your way into the admin panel.

Go to the paid forums sites and look at the demo. Try to figure out how to manage them and if they are good for you.

The forum script is the best FOR YOU if:

1. you can install it without too many issues
2. you are able to manage forums, members, bans etc. into the admin panel
3. you can skin it as you wished
4. FIND all the hacks you need (search for the features you want and see which forum script offers them) and can install them with success.
5. are relaxed with it and can “tame” that beast.
6. you are OK with the price (if you cannot afford a paid solution yet, stick to the free ones. You’ll always be able to go to a paid solution once you can afford it).

If a forum script offers you all these, you’ll soon find it to be the perfect one FOR YOU.

You have to understand that there’s not a “perfect” solution. What a forum script lacks in templating for instance, it can make up for in security or modifications. You need to find yourself the solution that works best for you.

After playing a bit with all these you’ll be able to have a forum that’s in “poleposition”. From that moment on you can now decide which of all these solutions is the best one for you.

We all have different experience and things we look for in a forum. What’s best for you might not be the best for me. This is why you need to personally look out for a solution and then manage your forums.

Best of luck with it
Most of the advertising agencies that use web hosting services pay more attention to the domain names than the web design.

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The spammer got mad too and threatened to attack the forums in all possible ways (spam bots and also hacking attempts). As you can imagine my member is shocked now to see what he got into. I responded to his question on the forums too, I think it would be a good idea to also mention my ideas to you here too, in case any of you might face something similar.

So .. The forum is under attack .. HOW CAN WE SURVIVE?

1. SECURITY and some more security.

First thing we need to have in mind in this case is a better security. The forums cannot be attacked that easy if we learn to protect them as we should. Normally we are not that interested in security modifications unless such an issue arises.

Now it would be an excellent time to head to the forum script developer’s site and look for ANTI SPAM modifications and also SECURITY ones (against hacking attempts). See the members’ reviews regarding some of them and take some time off other things and install those modifications.

2. Don’t forget .. BACK UP ALL

A hacking attempt is not such a huge disaster if you have recent backups. Most defacing attacks modify the index.php files. Have a file backup close. Enter the FTP client, get on the server and just download all the contents of the site on your PC. As you guessed, if anyone hacks the forums, you just upload the files.

Let’s not also forget the database. You can either set a cron job to backup the database. Or, just make a backup each night before going to sleep. In an ideal world we all keep close backups, but, if you didn’t pay much attention to this, please start from now on. Any hacking attempt will be nothing if you have backups. In minutes you can be back online.

3. Don’t let any new registrations go unnoticed

No one can post unless not registered. When I had issues with my Free IPB script (got it from the time it was free on my cPanel), I had to put anyone on Admin Account Activation. This meant they would register and I would visit the forums few times in a day and validate accounts. Those who were “spooky” got deleted.

For some days, until the war ends, you can also try this trick. If you have another admin too, you can use the other person too and work in turns.

4. All mods and admins on duty

In such hard moments you can really see how effective your staff is. Make sure all of them are active and ready to face the “attacks”. They will delete any troll messages or the spam your “enemy” will try to sneak in the content.

5. Promote more, work more, improve

Every time you have problems with the forums it’s a good idea to distract your members from the issue with some improvements. Do you have a new theme modification up the sleeve? Excellent, install it. A new modification, some nice features, more content and more promotion. Don’t let your members see you are struggling, they need to focus only on the content and community, you have to worry about the other issues.

The last advice: RELAX and don’t lose too much sleep. Everything can be handled and you don’t have to worry too much. Good security, an watchful eye on the community, help from the mods and improvements that show your community all is well. These are the small tricks that might help you get out of the problem.

And a final advice for anyone and my dear member: don’t lose temper online AT ALL. Don’t curse, don’t verbally abuse anyone. Be a gentleman all the time and such issues might not happen

Related:

• March 20, 2008 -- Build your BRAND on the forums (5)
• March 7, 2008 -- What is more important for a forum: the skin or the content? (2)

Why do we have to chose? Chose what? Why do you people think that ONLY content is what you need? You start a forum because you have ideas for content and the forums stays open because of that content. If you’re not able to keep the content updated and interesting, then do something else and stop working on a forum that would stand no chance. Any forum lives on content, that’s something we all know and should respect in the end.

Still, many just think that the good content is enough. And when you tell them anything about that stock theme you’ve seen in tens of forums they just throw that content stuff and think they closed your mouth. And another thing that really turns my “evil engines” on is: “Why do I need a theme? Look at {{insert big-board forum with hideous default skin}}. HOW did they survive without that stupid fancy theme you just want me to have?”

Well, for those who still think this: “WHEN did this huge board start? Few years ago. Even 4 years ago the forum world was almost a barren land in many topics. I started a Karate board back then and there were FEW. Now, any topic has hundreds of boards, all wanting to attract that end user, the future member.

I agree that there are some huge forums with default skins that do fine. They do fine because they developed when less forums were in direct competition with them and now, no matter how ugly they are they have a huge number of members and posts and can live on.

What I don’t understand is why those forums admins like to have those ugly skins instead of using some of the money they make for a unique theme. They are lazy in the end and like to say the same thing many of the new owners say: “I have content, don’t care for looks”. They can say this from the height of thousands of members and millions of messages, WE have no right to think this and no chance if we use this idea.

Think about the members you have. I am active in many forums (it’s been long since I passed the 100 forums mark). I think I am getting close to 200 forums I am member already). And many of your members are not as un-educated as they used to be. Now they want features, now they know what forum looks good and what script is better for them. They are picky and very knowledgeable. THEY’LL JUDGE YOU.

As smaller forum admins we cannot afford ignoring any aspect. And a beautiful unique theme is one of the most important aspects. I have tripled the traffic in days, just by installing vbulletin on this site.

I have started growing in my communities more just because my members loved how “our” forum looked like and what new features we had installed for them. They think about your forum as “theirs” and when they see many improvements, then they are pleased and would eventualy become more active.

I already mentioned in a post I made that, even if I do step on some toes here, I think that those who say a theme is not important are those who have no idea how to change it. It’s something like the sour grapes. I cannot do this, so I just claim it’s not important.

If you’re still telling yourself this, then I have to tell you that I’m 4 years ahead of you in this: I started dojo.ro almost 5 years ago on a default skin on FrontPage. Yes, I thought the same thing. I had tens of articles created and a theme I didn’t know how to mod more. In few months I realised that I do need some better looks, at least so that I don’t die of shame when someone told me how BAD my site looked. It’s been years since then. My site has almost the same articles but had 5-6 “facelifts” to a clean professional look.

While I claimed I don’t care about the looks, I realised that in fact I don’t know how to improve them. I started then working on my design skills and improved. And at the same time my site improved. I cannot imagine why a person that CAN won’t work on the design of a site, knowing it’s not satisfactory ?!

So .. Just see what skills you need to develop and work on that. Install Photoshop or Gimp if you cannot aford a paid program and start working. Come into our forums and ask for reviews. No one would mock at you, but we’ll surely guide your steps …

Leave the “I don’t need” aside, start thinking “I can”.

Related:

• March 20, 2008 -- Build your BRAND on the forums (5)
• March 7, 2008 -- Forum under attack .. how to survive? (2)
• March 18, 2008 -- Be consistent! (2)