| Please allow me to start off and say that I am | | | | forum for similar questions asked and answers |
| very happy to run PHP software on my | | | | given.Difficult Updates Get on the forum |
| computer. Specifically, the bulletin boards | | | | managers mailing list to ensure that you receive |
| developed by PHPBB2 [an open source program] | | | | notification of each update as they are made. |
| works head and shoulders above the EZBoard | | | | Some updates are simple while others are more |
| system I gave up on several months earlier. Still, | | | | difficult. If you make any modifications to your |
| it has its own special challenges that only a regular | | | | site then only a "patch" update is necessary while |
| user or administrator can appreciate. If you are | | | | everyone else will select "changed files only." If |
| considering starting your own message board | | | | you select "changed files only" and you have |
| community please read on for some homespun | | | | some mods installed, you risk losing all of your |
| advice on how to make PHPBB2 work best for | | | | mods. Let's just say that already has happened to |
| you.On Memorial Day 2005 I had a rude | | | | me once!AOL Quirks Some members have |
| awakening. Although a national holiday here in the | | | | difficulty signing up, especially AOL account |
| U.S. I was taking advantage of that day to catch | | | | holders. It seems to be that the confirmation |
| up on some much needed behind the scenes | | | | code doesn't always show up when members |
| work. You see, when you work for yourself a | | | | register [you don't need to have it enabled, but it |
| holiday just isn't the same thing. It ends up being | | | | does put a halt to rogue registrants] and |
| a day where your phone isn't likely to ring all that | | | | sometimes AOL users get booted when logged |
| much, thereby making it a better opportunity to | | | | on. A little thing called "sessions" monitors |
| catch up on all the little niggling details of operating | | | | everyone's visits by examining their I.P. address |
| a business, like paying bills and bookkeeping. Okay, | | | | for a match. Of course, AOL scrambles I.P. |
| I digress.What happened on that special day was | | | | addresses mid-session, a reason for much of the |
| the total overthrow of the EZBoard message | | | | booting. The fix involved from a PHPBB2 |
| board system. Hackers, so EZBoard claimed, | | | | standpoint is not recommended as it puts you at |
| infiltrated their entire system and brought down | | | | risk for security breaches. Quite frankly, I have |
| the house. Literally overnight thousands of boards | | | | urged some members to leave AOL especially if |
| were affected and compromised. Now for the | | | | they can't work around it on their end.Back Ups |
| rub: forum managers, myself included, had no | | | | The administration panel is simple to use, but back |
| power to back up their sites. Thus, what was lost | | | | ups don't always work. Errors messages prevail; |
| was likely lost for good or would take many | | | | therefore backing up through your web host is |
| weeks to restore from pasted together backups. | | | | another option. Speaking of the administration |
| We depended on EZBoard for our back ups and | | | | panel, you can select whether members can email |
| when their system failed we all suffered.So then | | | | each other [not a good thing to have enabled], |
| the decision was made for me. I downloaded | | | | how long their signature can be, enable automatic |
| PHPBB2 software a few days later and | | | | pruning of posts, and lots more. Indeed, the |
| immediately went to work.As open source | | | | features offered by PHPBB2 far exceed the |
| programs go the PHPBB2 software was free and | | | | limitations that are inherent with EZBoard.There |
| the instructions were quite good. Fortunately for | | | | are alternative forums to PHPBB2 and one popular |
| me the two sites that I planned to set up, the | | | | one is another PHP program called vBulletin. |
| Aviation Employment Board and the Corporate | | | | vBulletin utilizes excellent forum software that |
| Flight Attendant Community, already had separate | | | | takes off where PHPBB2 leaves off. Many of the |
| web pages hosted with a company that could | | | | modifications that are not part of PHPBB2 are |
| support a database. This particular MySQL | | | | standard with vBulletin, therefore removing some |
| database would essentially power the site and | | | | of the behind the scenes tasks that a webmaster |
| house important stuff including all the member | | | | must do with PHPBB2 in order to customize his |
| information.Fortunately those who have been | | | | site.So, why not go with vBulletin? For many it is |
| working on building, maintaining, and promoting | | | | simply the cost. With vBulletin, you can lease a |
| PHPBB have a copious amount of detailed | | | | license for $85 for one year or buy a license for |
| information accessible right online and available for | | | | $160. Access to updates after the first year |
| viewing and/or downloading. Personally, the biggest | | | | costs another $30 per year while custom support |
| help to me were the excellently made Flash | | | | can run from $30 for one month up to $300 for |
| videos that helped walk me through the installation | | | | one year. Thus, if you have a small forum that |
| process. Without them in place, I doubt I would | | | | makes little or no money, and you need extra |
| have figured it all out. Truly, in this case, a picture | | | | special assistance, than vBulletin can be a big |
| is worth a thousand words each!In addition to the | | | | expense to carry. Other paid forums have similar |
| software itself, PHPBB2 also offers a separate file | | | | expenses, but there are some free ones out |
| to help speed the process conversion process | | | | there. For the record, EZBoard isn't free, although |
| from EZBoard to PHPBB2. This EZBoard | | | | the start up cost is very low. However, your |
| converter takes messages from the old board | | | | renewal fee is calculated on the amount of |
| and transfers them to the new board. | | | | bandwidth used in the most recent thirty day |
| Unfortunately, it was only partially successful | | | | period and for some forum managers that |
| which could have been due to the hacked nature | | | | amount could easily be several hundreds to well |
| of the EZBoard site. Still, what I was able to | | | | over one thousand dollars!So then, why go with |
| move over was helpful, but it did not include | | | | PHPBB2? Well, language packs to name a big |
| member files as that bit of necessary information | | | | reason. Besides English forums, an additional 59 |
| was under EZBoard's lock and key.By the time I | | | | languages are supported by this open source |
| downloaded everything, followed all the | | | | code! From Afrikaans to Vietnamese, Arabic to |
| instructions, converted what I could from | | | | Russian, and from French to German, PHPBB2 is |
| EZBoard, laid out the new site, and made some | | | | available in many native languages. For people of |
| additional design changes, approximately eight | | | | very limited means this has become an excellent |
| hours had flown past. At the end of that time a | | | | way to communicate for no capital outlay. One |
| useful and functioning board was in place. The | | | | gets the sense that PHPBB2 is very proud of this |
| next day I contacted all my current EZBoard | | | | fact and I must admit that I am too!As I write |
| members and told them about the switch and put | | | | this I am in the midst of updating my two sites |
| notices on the old site about the change. Most of | | | | to the latest release. Because it is near the |
| my members were very understanding as they | | | | Christmas season I am also looking at several |
| realized that the switch had to be made.Without | | | | themed templates for my flight attendant site |
| exception PHPBB2 has been a big improvement. | | | | and have selected a "Merry Christmas" board |
| Still, it could use some refining and, happily, many | | | | replete with drifting down snowflakes. This |
| of those refinements are routinely accomplished | | | | template, which looks so professionally done, is |
| within regular updates of the software or via | | | | free as well.I plan on sticking with PHPBB2, quirks |
| preselected "mods" that a forum manager can | | | | and all, by continuing to support our growing |
| select.Without belaboring the point here are some | | | | community of forum managers worldwide. Each |
| things that I have observed about PHPBB2 that | | | | of us, in our own way, has helped to shape this all |
| are helpful to know about before going with the | | | | important piece of open source software. It |
| software:Limited Support There is a lot of | | | | certainly isn't perfect, but it definitely has been a |
| information right online to read and there are | | | | lot of fun and has helped me to increase my |
| forums moderated by volunteers. At the same | | | | knowledge as well as to appreciate the whole |
| time the moderators are stretched very thin and | | | | open source movement.Copyright 2005 -- Matt |
| sometimes their responses border on the irritated. | | | | Keegan invites you to visit his two open source |
| Of course, that could have something to do with | | | | message boards, the Aviation Employment Board |
| all the N00B questions, many of which are | | | | and the Corporate Flight Attendant Community |
| answered somewhere on the site. My | | | | for first hand examples of forums built utilizing |
| recommendation is that you spend plenty of time | | | | PHPBB2. |
| reading before posting a question. Study the | | | | |