13 replies to this topic

[TVDinner]

I love the new version and am using it on my Post Whore Forums forum. It is really awesome and the upgrade added a ton of features. The new admin panel takes some getting used to and the permissions can be somewhat confusing initially, but overall it is really strong IMO. Anyone else using it?

[Chris]

While I personally don't care for phpBB3, I must say that it is quite an improvement when compared to older releases (ie: phpBB2), particularly when it comes to the new default feature set, and the UI.

Edited by Chris, 30 January 2008 - 07:03 PM.

[TVDinner]

At this point I am starting to think it compares with the other software out there including VB. That was the goal of the people who worked on the upgrade and I truly believe that the gap has been greatly closed between the 2 programs. The features are basically identical at this point.

[Tyler]

While phpBB has greatly improved over the years, especially since when I used to use it, I still do not think it has identical features to vBulletin. In my humble opinion, it is a good free forum software, but no more than that.

[TVDinner]

what features do you see missing in phpbb3. i have no allegiance to any software and have forums with wowbb, phpbb and have had VB in the past. so i am just curious what you see missing from phpbb3
Thanks

[Chris]

Indeed, comparing it to vBulletin is a bit of a reach (IMO), however, it is quite nice when compared to other free forum software packages (such as SMF).

[Daniel]

I checked out phpbb3 RC2 a while back, haven't touched it since then, so they may have made improvements (I doubt it though). From what I recall, it didn't have many features other software companies have. One thing that I remember really annoyed me was fact that there were no default permissions for users. I do agree that it's an improvement from phpbb2, but I prefer to stay away from it.

[Webmist]

I think it's a great forum for what it is. FREE. And the new features do enhance it. I personally like what they have done. I've actually switch one forum from smf to phpbb3 because of the features.

Like any forum software it needs to be decided where you want to go. Each forum serves differently. For my bigger forums I'll stick with vB simply for the update and supports. Less of one and more of the other. :)

[Chris]

TVDinner said:

what features do you see missing in phpbb3.

When compared to vBulletin? Quite a few. :)

Quote

i have no allegiance to any software and have forums with wowbb, phpbb and have had VB in the past. so i am just curious what you see missing from phpbb3

I don't think it's solely a matter of what phpBB3 is missing, per say, but the actual quality (and security) that the software is composed of. Sure, it is quite a bit better when compared to the older phpBB2 releases, but it is still quite unstable, particularly when it comes to the newly re-designed ACP (which not only contains a variety of useless features, but is very hard to manage).

As I side note, I highly suggest that you examine the actual coding that phpBB3 is composed of. As you will notice, it is quite... messy, particularly when compared to vBulletin. ;)

Edited by Chris, 31 January 2008 - 06:41 PM.

[TVDinner]

while that might be true - we have not had one problem at all. code aside, not one of our members care a bit about that. the actual features our members use are identical to the other sites out there, VB included. and with the add on mods, i really cant find anything different. In my many years of running, owning, building and making themes for forums, i think the one thing that forum owners and admins forget all the time is the the members could honestly care less about the stuff they never use or see. ultimately right now I can honestly say that the new phpbb3, with the available add on mods, has basically the same thing as VB and other forum software out there.
If you have not used the new version 3, then you really can not comment I guess.

finally I will say this. i have absolutely no favoritism to phpbb or VB or any of them to be honest. I just like something that works and has all the features the members and I want, and right now phpbb3 has everything i can see VB has, and is free, and that is important to me right now.

[Patrick]

I am particularly happy that the Phpbb3/Joomla bridge is complete! Now Joomla webmasters can install Phpbb3 to be in sync with its user database. I haven't tried it yet, but it should be pretty cool.

[Chris]

TVDinner said:

while that might be true - we have not had one problem at all. code aside, not one of our members care a bit about that. the actual features our members use are identical to the other sites out there, VB included. and with the add on mods, i really cant find anything different. In my many years of running, owning, building and making themes for forums, i think the one thing that forum owners and admins forget all the time is the the members could honestly care less about the stuff they never use or see. ultimately right now I can honestly say that the new phpbb3, with the available add on mods, has basically the same thing as VB and other forum software out there.
If you have not used the new version 3, then you really can not comment I guess.

finally I will say this. i have absolutely no favoritism to phpbb or VB or any of them to be honest. I just like something that works and has all the features the members and I want, and right now phpbb3 has everything i can see VB has, and is free, and that is important to me right now.

Yikes! It's one thing to say that phpBB3 can be compared equally to vBulletin, but it's an entirely different thing to say that they are essentially identical. :speachless:

vBulletin's default feature set is much larger (fact), and much more versatile, when compared to that of phpBB3. Yes, they do indeed share some of the same base features, but to say that phpBB3 is equal (feature-wise) to vBulletin is incorrect. You can indeed install modifications in an attempt to expand the default feature set, but vBulletin offers many more features that are not included in phpBB3, and are also not offered as modifications and/or plugins.

I have been using vBulletin from the start (which was about seven years ago), and I am pretty much familiar with the entire software package. I have also used phpBB3, and I can firmly say that the two software packages are absolutely not identical, in any way, shape, or form. There's a difference between an opinion, and a fact, and while phpBB3 may have all of the features that you want, it most certainly does not have everything that vBulletin has to offer (as a forum script).

[TVDinner]

thanks for the response, but that is now the 4th or 5th reply with no examples of what phpbb3 does not have compared to VB or any other software for that matter. Again I ask the same question I did 2 or 3 posts ago. Now I am just honestly curious. what features is phpbb missing that VB has?

[Chris]

I think that a bit of light research would provide you with the examples that you desire. :)