Looking to replace phpBB

**Ron** · 01-30-2005, 07:33 PM

I am looking to replace phpBB on my site.

There is no immeidate problem, but I am so fed up with the management of the project that I want to leave, even if I have to pay for a board that is "just as good".

Some of the code in phpBB for instance, is SOOOO BAD, common and repetitive, with a very poor attempt at layer abstraction it makes me cringe when I have to go in and fix something. They haven't delivered an enhancement other than 11 emergency security fixes since 2002. They just announced that their enhancement version will now be a full blown major upgrade/rewrite that will break every mod ever written for phpBB. So they plan on now maintaining two code lines. Suuuuuuuure.

I'm looking to replace phpBB on my site. I'd consider vb, but this forum runs so slowly!!!

Any suggestions?

**DLMunson** · 01-30-2005, 07:53 PM

i use IB 1.3.1 ive had NO problems, it runs hella fast, minus that whole server load issue(which by the way, is fixed, THANKYOU JAG!!!)

there are quite a few themes and mods, but i assume u would make your own to match yer site.

**lokki** · 01-30-2005, 09:05 PM

We are running vBulletin at photoshoptechniques.com

Doesn't seem to have much of a speed issue, and we are looking at nearly 10K members, and over 100K posts. What kind of speed and capability do you need?

Also, I just rediscovered Mamob as a content management system. Definately worth looking into.

**Ron** · 01-31-2005, 12:05 AM

Lokki (or anyone else),
Any idea why your forum loads so much more quickly than this one?

**the_ancient** · 01-31-2005, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ron

Lokki (or anyone else),
Any idea why your forum loads so much more quickly than this one?

I dont really see any Speed differance on my DSL. (just standard 1.5mb SBC yahoo dsl)

As far as the Awnser to your question.

from the Paid Boards I would go with Invision.

from the Free Board I would go with Openbb

**Spathiphyllum** · 01-31-2005, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by Ron

Lokki (or anyone else),
Any idea why your forum loads so much more quickly than this one?

(raising hand) Anyone here.

Easy, not as many posts. I know, not helpful, but I couldn't resist.

Actually, these posts can be accessed from multiple FQDNs; maybe there is some backend name-matching/checking/parsing that slows the query process down a little. Wild guess but not entirely ridiculous.

**Ron** · 01-31-2005, 01:34 AM

It generally takes 4 or 5 seconds for me to open any page on this forum. The background loads, then it takes forever for the page to load. Maybe I'll try FireFox and see if it's a compatibility issue with this forum and my browser.

Well, I'll be damned. It's an IE issue. All this time... waiting... opening multipple windows, etc., etc. Anyone else try it with IE, or are you all using FireFox?

**Ron** · 01-31-2005, 01:37 AM

Well, now IE is snappy, so I can't tell if there's a difference. But it's extremely seldom this forum is snappy. I wonder if just running FireFox is affecting IE somehow. I don't know if when I've had a snappy experience if I had previously run FF.

**Vin DSL** · 01-31-2005, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by Ron

I am looking to replace phpBB on my site. Any suggestions?

Um... stick with phpBB?!?!?!?

Funny thing you mentioned Firefox. Have you noticed what they use?

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewforum.php?f=38

Hrm...

113,000 registered users & 1.1 million posts. Seems pretty 'snappy' to me!

WoW! 2572 ppl online at once, a couple of weeks ago. Must be pretty stable too...

**Spathiphyllum** · 01-31-2005, 01:44 AM

How many posts do you have set as default in the respective browsers? Maybe that number differs between sessions and you are just loading more data.

I use Mozilla and, when I must, MSIE. Both seem pretty zippy at the moment. Do you have any certificate checking going on in the background (OCSP validation)?

**Ron** · 01-31-2005, 02:03 AM

Like you said, it's quite zippy at the moment, even after closing all browsers. I might consider rebooting if that weren't a long-term time commitment.

You're question about post per page was quite prescient -- I have a default of 40 (when logged in) and I wasn't logged into the forum while using FireFox; Thinking about it, being logged in can change a host of things. I will try them when experiencing slowness again, ie tomorrow.

As far as sticking with phpBB, Vin.. it's been a good board to me. It's the development staff that I can't stand. They really do believe they know how to a) write software and b) manage a project of size. They continously said that an enhancements release was right around the corner, and it would contain x, y and z. So I continued to put off making certain enhancements to the board, because they would be contained in the new release, which would of course collide with my enhancements, breaking the upgrade path.

What concerns me is not their level of incompetence, but their level of ignorance and their utter contempt for their users who have become dependent upon them.

They just don't know just how far off the mark they are; if you dare suggest they attempt to keep scope down to facilitate more rapid turnaround, they tell you that they don't have paying customers, so let the users go elsewhere if they want; They tell you that their personal lives slowed the project (from 6 months to 2 years+ and counting); They tell you you no "right" to complain or make suggestions; They tell you to take your unsolicited advice and bugger off.

Sooooo, rather than contnue using a product, free or not, suitable or not, from a consrtium of people I dislike, I'd like to convert over to another suitable board, even if I have to pay very good money for it.

I mean, if that's ok.

**Ron** · 01-31-2005, 02:07 AM

phpBB has a much larger in-use board:

Who is Online - In total there are 4987 users online :: 4069 Registered, 429 Hidden and 489 Guests

Gaia has 266590530 articles posted, with 191468563 in storage
We have 1454571 registered users
Most users ever online was 24861 on Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:22 pm

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