What is your favourite and least favourite forum software and why?

Is Ikonboard still in existence? I maintained one for someone else for a while, but the spam situation got so bad I convinced her to switch to vB. (She's much happier with vB.)

 

That is because they had the same developer originally.

Originally, Matt left Ikonboard because the new owner wanted to charge for the software and he felt forum software should be free. He went in with a few other people and they started Invision Power and released the first version of their software as free software. It became paid software with version 2.0.

 

Aha! That makes sense.

 

Current Favorite? Is now, and has always been vBulletin, because it's just so well done. We'll see after v4 hits, I'm not really holding my hopes up there.

Least favorite? phpBB. This has to be the poorest written software I've ever seen in my life, and phpBB3 is nothing but horrific.

 

I can agree with you on that. What are your thoughts on the right-handed postbit?

 

My favorite paid software is vBulletin. The features and customizations are endless. My least favorite paid software is, well, I don't have one.

My favorite free software is MyBB. It's the free version of vBulletin. My least favorite free software is SMF. Everything is very uncustomizable, hard to work with, blegh - just bad.

 

With my it is just what I want for my community

Vbulltin: Number one for sure! However not good for new admins though...
SMF: Forum for dummies. If I wish to have a community for new admins.
Phpbb3: when I don't think I wish to put money in it for vbulletin and when security is less important.
IPB: The best payed forum for just starting admins due to it easy to use admin panel. Its all nice and shiny and that is just what amators wish. And that is right out of the box. I wouldn't recommend it for advanced users though.

Least favorite Forums:
IPB: It is slow since its horrible programmed. It lacks permission deligation features. I personally preffer phpbb3 over it.
Phpbb3: Horrible security. to much holes
SMF: Its great due to simplicity however as drawback it can be to simple. This forum is good for dummies but bad for advanced users.

All forums have its good sides and drawbacks. However vbulletin is the best one overal but I wouldn't recommend it for new admins to configure from scrap. Still I love the software.

 

Best: SMF 2, simple to manage, yet very powerfull. Loads of new features. Easy to mod/hack.

Worse: Lithium and phpBB. I just can't stand the look of phpBB, I can't stand it from an admin view as well as a user.

I never tried IPB or VB from the admin end, but whish I could.

 

Why haven't you tried any of their demos?

 

I saw I could test IPB for 24 hours, but that's not a lot of time to make your mind on a software.
I'll give it a go at some point, but I actually got all I want with SMF. Ok, I still have to add a few mods when setting up a forum, but those mods wouldn't be in most forum software anyway.

If I wanted to test IPB and VB at some point, it would be nice to have a working DB with a lot of users, posts and threads to make a comprehensive test.

 

You could make a request for additional time beyond 24 hours if I remember correctly.

 

Favourite - vBulletin
Least favourite - SMF

EDIT: It seems I've already replied to this thread :doh:

 

You can, and that's why I'll wait until I get better time for it