Thinking of converting?

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Lee Lawson

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So currently I am on SMF (Simple Machine Forum) software and I am a bit weary of it as of now because some things have been mentioned in the past;
  • They wouldn't join it because it's SMF.
  • It lacks of features and loads slow.
  • Looks hideous, and generally don't like it.

I need a side of the story to why I should convert away from SMF and some point's why I should stick with them. The only available options of software for me are MyBB, phpBB, or punBB. I am comfortable with MyBB, not exactly great with phpBB and PunBB seems easy enough.

Thanks, best answer get's rep if entirely needed.
 
People will always put down the software you use. People always say that that they hate phpBB, this forum would be better use whatever other software. Everyone has different opinions. Stick with what you think is best and what you know best and feel most comfortable using. You will never please everyone and people will always complain. I see it against this forum on a weekly basis atleast.
 
Go for MyBB. It's the fastest, most user and admin friendly out of the lot and customisation is much much easier as well. If you get the right skin, it'll also look great. And as Fowler said, that is MY OPINION.

Lots of people are going to come here and tell you to use phpBB too.
 
I think you should convert to phpBB3, people will also probably also say MyBB, but honestly anything is better than SMF, it's really not that good and looks horrible.
 
I am on the road of MyBB as I have found a designer that can do three quick theme prints for free and if I choose them MyBB I will tell them to go ahead. Also PhpBB was not what I had in mind but it is an option.

@Dan, check this out for a theme or check all premium themes and tell me what one you don't like seeing as your a designer and I have a paid account for theme and I am sure you'll like them: http://demo.dzinerstudio.com/ (SMF 2.0 RC3)
 
I would usually defend SMF, but after what happened with Cathy against the rest of the crew... well yeah. All of their really good themes that weren't dzinerstudio (most notably Crip's themes) have been taken down.

http://smf-friends.org/index.php?topic= ... rdseen#new

Well that sums up how low they went.

http://smf-friends.org/index.php?topic=1380.0

That was what originally happened for those who don't know. They've betrayed my SMF buddies.

Anyways Lee, go with whatever you want man. At this point, I wouldn't consider people who wouldn't join a forum due to its software useful members.
 
Just went down and had a game of snooker there, and well MyBB it is, ain't gonna work on it till morning and get a few members to help out. Thanks for all the answers and sources.
 
Honestly, I do think that some of those themes are really nice and I would actually join a forum if it was using one of them. (It depends which one though as some were still crap), But the majority of them weren't to bad really. I still think you should convert though.

I think phpBB is the better option, it's easy to install, easy to use and very good to customize as well. In all fairness you have to manually install MODs but you can chance it with "AutoMod".

Don't use MyBB as it is over used, and actually not as good and appealing than phpBB. People may disagree but I bet that those people haven't done any research into it.
 
Dan said:
Don't use MyBB as it is over used, and actually not as good and appealing than phpBB. People may disagree but I bet that those people haven't done any research into it.
Click to expand...
Sorry dude, that's a cheap argument. We all have our preferences, it isn't a case of research. Why exactly is phpBB superior to MyBB? You've said how it supposedly levels itself to MyBB, except manual mod installation, but not how it is better or why MyBB shouldn't be used.
 
I feel that MyBB compared to phpBB still suffers with what SMF has to deal with, it looks crap. The forum layout as well looks boring, quickly done and to me, fails to supports the features that phpBB has as standard. Admittedly I've only been user-end on MyBB but I'm sure you've only been user-end on phpBB.

Let's be honest mate, MyBB is good, and is better than SMF, but for me MyBB users seem to think that it's better than phpBB and not have any decent arguments as to why it's better leading software. You can say it's better, that's fine but I don't think it is and it does get annoying seeing people use MyBB after people say it's better when they have only been user-end of phpBB for like a minute on the board index.
 
Errrr... I ran a site off phpBB3 for a good few months before deciding it wasn't for me. And the default skin for really all forum softwares (except IPB & XenForo) are dull, plain and boring. You always get custom skins.

And yeah, I haven't been on the user end of phpBB for 'like a minute,' I'm an active user of here, TheHazey, Jonathan-Brandis.org, and other sites powered by phpBB. I prefer both the UI and the backend of MyBB to phpBB.

I acknowledge your views, but it would seem that in fact you're being hypocritical against your own argument - claiming it is wrong for people to argue a software is better than another when they've only been on the user end of it yourself, where in fact you are doing the same.

And for whom it concerns, this is an on-topic debate rather than a flame war or what have you.
 
I'm not starting a flamewar, I'm stating my view, I don't like MyBB, end of.
 
How did i know this would turn into a another "MyBB is better for reason x,y and z" and "phpBB is better for reason a,b and c".

The look is based on personal opinion, how they like things laid out and so on. The features and the back end is down to what you need to run the forum, your knowledge when it comes to managing forums and editing code and also again down to personal preference.

There is no right or wrong answer so no real point arguing over it in a topic that is not really life or death. It is was about a big forum with hundreds of thousands of posts then yeah i can understand the fuss. Getting this heated about a new forum that someone else is running i think is a bit OTT baring in mind these topics appear all the time.
 
I understand where you're coming from Fowler, and I share the same view in fact. There is no better forum software, but rather what works for different people. I just like debating about these things though, it's in my nature. I wouldn't call it an argument.
 
I would reccommend phpBB, but if your comfortable with myBB then use it. It's good too.
 
Use what you want,but I will say smf and phpbb have more themes and mods. Honestly if you use mybb or smf your doing good. PHPBB is to much of a pain imo.

At everyone saying smf is dying and such,please just hush. If smf was going to die it would have already...

Besides anyone has staff issues smf just let it be shown. I bet half of you did not know wordpress has a inner problem. Or the compiz team.

Oh and just another something. If you a get a theme that looks nothing like smf people will join. Which just shows you its not SMF they hate,its most of the themes.

Believe it or not SMF does have alot of good themes.

Proof - http://smf-1x.themebot.org/?theme=164

God I hate the old argument "smf themes suck". That was true like 2 years ago.. SMF now has very good themes free and paid.
 
el canadiano said:
I would usually defend SMF, but after what happened with Cathy against the rest of the crew... well yeah. All of their really good themes that weren't dzinerstudio (most notably Crip's themes) have been taken down.

http://smf-friends.org/index.php?topic= ... rdseen#new

Well that sums up how low they went.

http://smf-friends.org/index.php?topic=1380.0

That was what originally happened for those who don't know. They've betrayed my SMF buddies.

Anyways Lee, go with whatever you want man. At this point, I wouldn't consider people who wouldn't join a forum due to its software useful members.
Click to expand...

I run a forum with over 200 teenagers and pre teens on it. If I can keep this kind of infantile drama off my game, SMF's community should really be able to do better.

I guess the ability to design software has nothing to do with how to manage a community but community has to come first, folks, otherwise you got no team left. I run my forum on SMF and have been happy with it so far, but I'm not jumping into this mess. I'm not getting into their politics. I got enough of my own.
 
Ive converted forums before. My forum right now started out on phpbb. The only downside to conversions is that you will have a lot of messy posts to clean up. Stray codes, unknown bb codes (to the new software), sometimes the converter may even scramble an entire post up, stuff like that. Oh and if you have any hidden forums, the 1st thing you probably want to do is check to permissions to make sure they are still hidden.
 
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