New forum software

colak · 2009-09-30 14:20:39

The advantages of punBB outway its disadvantages by far. Admittedly the problem of not being able to search specific topics is an ongoing one but searching the forum though quick and/or advanced search has always returned the desired result for me. Maybe some php/mysql wiz can figure something out for topic specific searches.

woof · 2009-09-30 14:23:33

I would agree completely with Uli

I’ve always liked PunBB mainly because conceptually it seems to come from the same place as Textpattern does – lightweight, simple and functional but powerful with it. They belong side by side imo.

Including a Google Search box would be an easy mod and would solve the forum’s search blind spot without going through the upheaval of new software installation, configuration and modding, data migration, worms from the woodwork etc etc etc.

Also something to consider (though personally I’m not convinced of) would be the potential benefits of installing the official extension (for recent versions of PunBB at least) which allows user tagging of topics, making browsing of topics by tag-cloud a user option.

BB code formating is also available as an official extension, so that could be integrated without changing software, though personally I agree with Nora that Textile should be retained. For me its another one of those things that ‘just feels right’ for this unique CMS.

As for the forum appearance, the default theme txpish is, in my opinion, somewhat dull and even possibly offputting to new users. I’d urge the forum administrators to make David DeSandro’s brilliant tabula the default theme asap please. Its a real css gem and a great chance to make a much stronger first impression (i.e. a brand asset) that’s effectively hidden away in a prefs pane where some people wouldn’t normally discover it.

By the way if you’re browsing this in the default style give yourself a treat (and a whole new outlook on this forum) by going to Profile > Display > Select your preferred style > tabula

hcgtv · 2009-09-30 14:41:53

wet wrote:

I’ve invited a few members of the community to webmaster the forum in the past months and collected some Nothankyous in the process.

Yes, you did ask me and I said no because I didn’t want to administer a modded PunBB forum.

Consequently, the mandatory questions are “Why?” and “Who?”

Mary, who was the admin for many years, was herself looking to change forum software. Maybe you could ask her why?

Who as in who will help in the migration, or who as in who wants to webmaster the new forum?

JanDW · 2009-09-30 14:42:52

Keeping textile, adding google search box and

That and making the Tabula Rasa theme default (removing some of the aged brown, re-enabling distinguishable visited links in one go) would botox-away the crinkles.

would be enough for me…

uli · 2009-09-30 15:32:01

Re-reading my quoted text made me think I wasn’t clear enough between the parentheses. What I meant: Tabula by all means, but with a mini facelift, i.e. less brown in the header, and please return to the good old standard TXP forum distinguishable visited links in one go.

jsoo · 2009-09-30 15:49:34

colak wrote:

Admittedly the problem of not being able to search specific topics is an ongoing one but searching the forum though quick and/or advanced search has always returned the desired result for me.

Yes, the advanced search works pretty well. The problem is that the regular search doesn’t work at all — it always returns “No hits”. If we could just replace the current search form with a plain link to advanced search, it would be much better. Someone who doesn’t know this quirk will try a few search terms, get no results, and give up.

MattD · 2009-09-30 16:19:35

I like this forum so much I was using it as inspiration on a new project that requires a forum. I rarely have troube with the search and if I get to many results I turn to google. I’ve been using the tabula theme for so long I forgot there was anything else and I think it looks tons better than the default.

jsoo · 2009-09-30 16:25:14

MattD wrote:

I rarely have troube with the search …

Even the non-advanced? I always get “No hits”, no matter what search term I enter.

hcgtv · 2009-09-30 16:26:29

Let me clarify my position.

Yes, I was involved in the PunBB project until it was sold. Since then it’s gone in a direction that is not about free software, it’s been more about monetary gain. The changing of the domain from PunBB.org was the last straw for many core devs and longtime community members.

Yes, the project was forked, but the 1.3 code base was abandoned, extensions got out of hand, so the original devs decided to take a step back and reformulate a new direction. The 1.2 code base is being maintained by this new fork, FluxBB released the latest security patch, which PunBB just copied for their own release.

Yes, PunBB 1.3 is not something to be running on a production board, the FluxBB devs, the ones who coded it, abandoned it. At present, there is no upgrade path for PunBB 1.2.22, and when and if there is one, the code base will be a complete rewrite. Note: There will be a FluxBB 1.4, but it’s not the code direction the team is taking towards a 2.0 release.

Yes, PunBB has become one of the most attacked forums, it’s not under the radar anymore. Spam has become a big issue and bots are signing up in droves. Just yesterday this forum had 88 new members, want to bet how many were bots and spammers?

Yes, I love small and simple, it’s why I run Textpattern. But if Textpattern changed hands and headed in a direction I didn’t agree with, I’d move on. The choice of using an Open Source project is equal parts the quality of code and the quality of the community, PunBB lost it’s community.

No, I won’t webmaster a modded PunBB forum till the end of time.

els · 2009-09-30 17:47:35

The forum software is working fine enough for me, the only addition I might wish for is the ability to search topics, but it’s not something I want so desperately that I’d consider a move to another app for it. I have no other wishes :)
All search methods depend more on the user’s search skills than on the tool itself.

Jeff, the regular search always returns results for me as well.

About the look: honestly, who cares!? Content is what matters on a forum. If you really can’t stand the look, there’s always the Stylish extension or other ways to add your own stylesheet. (I use it on one other forum I visit that really, really hurts my eyes ;) Why would I spam that forum with complaints about the layout if I can easily change it myself?)

jsoo · 2009-09-30 18:23:30

Els wrote:

Jeff, the regular search always returns results for me as well.

Oh. Well I guess I should be glad it’s only me, then. How strange.

MattD · 2009-09-30 18:32:22

jsoo wrote:

Even the non-advanced? I always get “No hits”, no matter what search term I enter.

I just made a few tests.

Search Term	Results
plugin	None
smd_if	48 Pages
plug	312 Pages
forum	None
punbb	56 Pages

So confirmed that search is not consistent.

Textpattern CMS

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#13 2009-09-30 14:20:39

Re: New forum software

#14 2009-09-30 14:23:33

Re: New forum software

#15 2009-09-30 14:41:53

Re: New forum software

#16 2009-09-30 14:42:52

Re: New forum software

#17 2009-09-30 15:32:01

Re: New forum software

#18 2009-09-30 15:49:34

Re: New forum software

#19 2009-09-30 16:19:35

Re: New forum software

#20 2009-09-30 16:25:14

Re: New forum software

#21 2009-09-30 16:26:29

Re: New forum software

#22 2009-09-30 17:47:35

Re: New forum software

#23 2009-09-30 18:23:30

Re: New forum software

#24 2009-09-30 18:32:22

Re: New forum software

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