Why PunBB and not something else? (Page 1 of 2)

Do you need simplicity and flexibility?
Are you tired of the forum-monsters, overloaded by the features unnecessary to you?
PunBB is your way!

Getting a little bit more serious: PunBB 1.2 is a good choice as the base for the strongly customized site and/or forum. You may use it as a very lightweight and secure framework.
PunBB 1.3 is moreover aimed to make customization easier with the help of the extension system: you may install the extension with one click, no need to touch the code (keeping it simple and lightweight).

I hope I've answered your question :-)

Sorry, comes with the territory?

Not the most glowing recommendation for someone who works with Drupal & WordPress over TextPattern.   A large installed user base is very important to me.  But I appreciate your sentiment.

For the record, I use Windows and not Linux or Mac precisely because of its popularity; that makes it better for me. But "better" is in the eye of the beholder and is determined by what the beholder values most.  I value popularity because it means 1.) when I have a problem and google for it I am more likely to find an answer, 2.) when I need to hire someone who knows it I am more likely to find someone who does, and 3.) when I need to acquire an add-on there is a greater likelihood that one will exist.  So if vBulletin were open-source I wouldn't even be asking here, but since it's not and I've decided I need an open-source solution I decide to look around.

I also value aesthetics and that's something I really like about PunBB; it has really nice aesthetics.

BTW, me saying I value popularity should in no way be taken to mean that I am attempting to diminish what you value; I am only stating what I value and making the distinction that what one values has a lot to do with determining the best solution for that person.  I do value what you value here, just not as highly as I value popularity.

And there we value the same thing; Drupal's forum module bites, but hard.  I generally prefer a best of breed solution with integration.  That said, are there any integrations to WordPress that you know of?

Cop-out! 

But seriously, thanks for taking the time to reply.

See Integration forum or you may just search for "wordpress".
We are considering developing official PunBB+WP integration tool for PunBB 1.3 as it is very common request.

Try PunBB Migration Tool for PunBB 1.2.

The migration tools for PunBB 1.3 has not been developed yet.
We could do it with your assistance :-)

You are painting with a very broad brush.  There are many complex systems that have matured and thus have minimal problems.

My rule?  Anyone who speaks in absolutes is an ideologist and by their very nature, not correct.

Based on your words you've obviously never been responsible for the budget required to hire people. Broad experience is of little value when the person doesn't have strong problem solving skills. That said, people with strong problem solving skills who have experience with a specific system are much more cost effective than people how have strong problem solving skills but no experience.

And why would someone need to use MODx when they are not hired for that?  That's a non sequitur. If someone is needed to deal with MODx, hire for it.

Everything can have security nightmares; open-source apps like PunBB especially because people can study the code to learn how to crack it. (I'm not disagreeing with open-source, just making an appropriate comparison.)

"Security" can be used as an argument against anything so I almost never see it as a valid argument when used as a reason not to do something.  George W. Bush has been using it for 8 years and I don't view his warnings as credible either.

Maybe, but as I'm not one of those users it doesn't apply to me.

Bottom line there are benefits to the size of a user base, i.e. Acquia couldn't exist to support Drupal users if Drupal had no more users than PunBB. The fact that you don't value those benefits does not mean that those benefits do not exist for those who value them.

Worse is the fact you try to discredit those benefits rather than to simply acknowledge that for you those benefits are not important. Whenever I come across someone who feels compelled to strenuously deny those things that other's value I wonder if the person doing the denying is trying harder to convince me or are they really just trying to convince themselves?

I can't see where my statement discredits anything or anyone.

Mike, the only reason you're looking at Drupal or Wordpress is because they are at the top of the heap now, with millions of dollars of funding. It's the nobody gets fired for using IBM mantra that was pervasive during my IT career.

Honestly, I have the highest regard for Drupal, I used it when it was a small project and I followed it's developer mailing list. Yes, I shot the breeze with Dries back in 2001, so I'm happy to see him get to where he's at.

Would I of liked to see PunBB get to Drupal's heights? Why, yes. Would Rickard or Paul, obviously not. Did that sway me from using their code? Not one bit.

Automattic raised $29.5 million in a Series B Round of funding.

Also, it comes down to leadership. Dries Buytaert and Matt Mullenweg took their respective code bases to new heights. What they started, they finished.

Had Dean Allen continued with Textpattern, when he branched off to form Textdrive. We would have a very different landscape in the CMS/Blog world this day.

That's a question that only Anatoly and his fellow programmers can answer. Speaking as a long time community member, I would like to see the project stick around for the long haul. As for top of the heap, that's only going to come about when a forum realizes that they are just one part of the big picture and starts making it easier to integrate itself with a CMS, Blog, Gallery, Wiki or any other application a web developer needs to fuse together.

Ahh, so your only a community organizer

I was part of the PunBB team, till the sale: PunBB - Glasnost

When FluxBB was announced, I was very enthusiastic, and joined their forums. But I just couldn't shake the fact that they all sold out, and didn't want to go through the same thing again without assurances.

Personally, I follow the PunBB forums because I still run the code. I don't feel part of the Informer community, changing the domain from PunBB.org was the last straw for me.

At present, I think the projects are playing a game of chicken with each other. All momentum has been lost, on both sides.

Also, why have you not just switched to Phorum as you planned to?  Or have you but still wasting time here too?

I looked at Phorum an I don't like the look & feel of it as much as I like PunBB & FluxBB's look & feel.

Thanks.

From an outsider's perspective, here are my thoughts:

• I really like the clean look of PunBB.

• I find it a shame that the community fragmented into PunBB & FluxBB as fragmented communities rarely help anyone.

• I think you Informer Technologies might generate a lot of good will if you go back to the http://punbb.org domain and include a "Sponsored by Informer Technologies" link on the right of the top blue banner. That will give you probably more exposure and will address one of the sore points of the community.

• Why not create an advisory board of community members that will be able to make recommendations for direction on PunBB and have Informer Technologies follow their recommendations whenever possible.

From what I see I really like this forum, but I would not want to adopt it if there is a chance it may become an orphan. A strong community is essential as is a strong community leader.  Forgive me for saying, but I think you should acheiving that as a top priority.

Also,  one of the best things that could happen would be for you to develop an integration with WordPress; what's the chance of that?

Also, where is your documenation for writing extensions?  I'm not able to find any as this page is blank: http://punbb.informer.com/wiki/punbb13/ … evelopment

Good question.  I'd wonder what it would take to get the FluxBB guys to join their efforts back in with PunBB? I don't know what went on "behind closed doors" (and am not asking that it be made public) so I don't know if there is any chance at all, but if there is it might be worth pursuing. Maybe ask all the community members what it would take to make it one big happy family again?  Clearly they would know better than I, a newcomer?

And assuming that is not fruitful then I would think 1.) documenting the extensions, 2.) the WordPress integration, and then 3.) evangelism of PunBB to people with strong WordPress sites (there are many.)  With that you'd be likely to start attracting new developers with non of the prior hurt feelings of the old community.

JMTCW anyway.

One week is no time at all.  All us in the USA are all paying attention to Obama-vs-McCain anyway.
Even 4-6 weeks is really no time. That's Thanksgiving in USA and close to Xmas.  If Jan 1 sees #1 & #2 then all is very good for 2009!

Good luck!

I'm learning it at this point, using it as my personal forum and at a new project we started.

I await the finished conversion script, so I can convert my last 2 PunBB forums.

All Phorum needs is a slick template, just haven't had the time to make one.