smf vs phpbb3

[Jade Elizabeth]

Default theme..

* Alundra shakes her head

I'm so anti default, you wont find much that is on my forum....which is why the whole "no mods" issue with 2.0 is annoying...Not much has been updated yet

Besides...The Default theme is kinda old now

[Ðyєgσv]

I tried phpbb3 yesterday and at the beginning I thought it was amazing, with all its features. However, I got to look at the ACP and then deleted it immediately. That's horrible!!! So cluttered and complicated! But the worst was the permission system... it took me like an hour to make a subforum accessible... definitely SMF is better

[Bigguy]

Yep the ACP is another thing that I didn't like. I agree completely with what you say Ðyєgσv

[Jade Elizabeth]

I tried phpbb3 yesterday and at the beginning I thought it was amazing, with all its features. However, I got to look at the ACP and then deleted it immediately. That's horrible!!! So cluttered and complicated! But the worst was the permission system... it took me like an hour to make a subforum accessible... definitely SMF is better

I was exactly the same, it took me HOURS to configure the damn thing. I hated it, I had to ask for help and wait more time (eventually I figured it out myself) for support...

[shadow82x]

Don't always believe what they say.

On their homepage...

Like its predecessors, phpBB™ 3.0 "Olympus" has an easy to use administration panel and a user friendly installation process

Definitely not a user friendly admin panel.

[JayBachatero]

I actually like the style of phpBB3 ACP and UCP.

[shadow82x]

I actually like the style of phpBB3 ACP and UCP.

The style is fine but the layout is not. Theres settings everywhere and duplicate links in several sections.

[gemigene]

I tried phpbb3 yesterday and at the beginning I thought it was amazing, with all its features. However, I got to look at the ACP and then deleted it immediately. That's horrible!!! So cluttered and complicated! But the worst was the permission system... it took me like an hour to make a subforum accessible... definitely SMF is better

Same here, still have it up on my server and every time I get frustrated with SMF, I load up phpBB3, go to the ACP and look at the multitude of complicated settings. I then go back to SMF and thank my lucky star for such a wonderful package. ROFLOL!

Cheers,
Gene

[gemigene]

We welcome constructive criticism, but only if you are willing to change your initial opinion as well.

What do you folks think of this phpBB's moderator comment?

Gene

[shadow82x]

We welcome constructive criticism, but only if you are willing to change your initial opinion as well.

What do you folks think of this phpBB's moderator comment?

Gene

That seems very typical of phpbb to be quite honest. Part of a good forum software is having a kind and respectful community.

[babjusi]

We welcome constructive criticism, but only if you are willing to change your initial opinion as well.

What do you folks think of this phpBB's moderator comment?

Gene

Personally I think absolutely nothing. But I think that you must have some personal beef with phpbb or the staff there. If so, go and resolve it in private or whatever. It is not so nice if you bash another forum software like this in public. We got that you are unhappy with phpbb but there are some ethics involved. It would be the same if smf 2.0 came out and the phpbb fans would bash it or talk ill about us as well. So, give it a rest

[Bigguy]

I don't really see a lot of bashing going on here. I do see a discussion going on however about phpbb and there ACP.

[babjusi]

I don't really see a lot of bashing going on here. I do see a discussion going on however about phpbb and there ACP.

Did you read the message that I quoted? It didn''t say anything about any discussion about phpbb and their ACP, did it? Anyway, I just stated my opinion, that was all

[Bigguy]

Where not going to get into a discussion about this now. You stated your opinion just as everyone else has. Let's try not to be so critical. For as long back as I can remember phpbb's attitude toward's support has been less than desirable; that's probably why he asked that question. Everyone knows that as well.

We should try to stay on topic though you are right about that. This thread started out being about features in phpbb3 and what we thought about it. So we will get back on topic now.

[Jade Elizabeth]

We welcome constructive criticism, but only if you are willing to change your initial opinion as well.

What do you folks think of this phpBB's moderator comment?

Gene

Personally I think absolutely nothing. But I think that you must have some personal beef with phpbb or the staff there. If so, go and resolve it in private or whatever. It is not so nice if you bash another forum software like this in public. We got that you are unhappy with phpbb but there are some ethics involved. It would be the same if smf 2.0 came out and the phpbb fans would bash it or talk ill about us as well. So, give it a rest

Well I think it was wrong. I believe to make a good product, or service, you have to listen to the users of it. I do that on my own forum, I don't tell people off if they say they hate the forum (though it's never happened) or if they say they hate my website (that's happened a few times, but only once since I redesigned it lol). If people say stuff to me I get right on it, or I at least look at it. If there is an error I jump on it, if there is a problem, I jump on it, If someone has a question someone WILL answer it (If I don't beat them to it ).
And that's why my forum loves me. Because I WANT them to be happy, and I strive at it. To me, phpBB does NOT want the users to be happy, and it does NOT strive to make them happy, and that is why they aren't.

SMF, they STRIVE to make people happy, to offer support, to do everything the users want. What they choose to do or not doesn't matter, they LISTEN and they don't fob anyone off. THAT is why SMF users are happy.

The cold hard fact of the matter is there are TWO free forum software packages (phpBB and SMF) talked about in this thread. A fair amount of the users on SMF moved from phpBB because they were unhappy with either the software or the treatment they got from the staff. and guess what? NOW [on SMF] THEY'RE HAPPY!

[gemigene]

Where not going to get into a discussion about this now. You stated your opinion just as everyone else has. Let's try not to be so critical. For as long back as I can remember phpbb's attitude toward's support has been less than desirable; that's probably why he asked that question. Everyone knows that as well.

Thanks, big guy.

We should try to stay on topic though you are right about that. This thread started out being about features in phpbb3 and what we thought about it. So we will get back on topic now.

Good enough, the ACP stinks compared to SMF's... As I mentioned before, a lot of Newbies will probably get discouraged by the complexity of it and move on to something else.

Cheers,
Gene

[gemigene]

Well I think it was wrong. I believe to make a good product, or service, you have to listen to the users of it.

I sure agree on that one.

SMF, they STRIVE to make people happy, to offer support, to do everything the users want. What they choose to do or not doesn't matter, they LISTEN and they don't fob anyone off. THAT is why SMF users are happy.

Another excellent point.

The cold hard fact of the matter is there are TWO free forum software packages (phpBB and SMF) talked about in this thread. A fair amount of the users on SMF moved from phpBB because they were unhappy with either the software or the treatment they got from the staff. and guess what? NOW [on SMF] THEY'RE HAPPY!

Personally, I know 7 users and 4 Mod authors who switched. There's also quite a few that decided to hang on to 2.0.22 till phpBB decides not to support it anymore then probably move on also.

What the heck, SMF will be picking up quite a few "strays".

Gene

[Grudge]

RE:

We welcome constructive criticism, but only if you are willing to change your initial opinion as well.

To be fair I think all they are saying is they are happy for you to criticise the software but you need to be willing to have an open and honest debate with them. i.e. if you want all text to be red, and they want all text to be black because it's better for accessibility, then you should be willing to hear their arguments.

As for their ACP, I find it incrediable confusing but I do like the look of it and modularity of it. When I used it I did find it confusing that things are seemingly repeated and in random places at times.

[Oldiesmann]

The repeated settings is one of my major concerns about the phpBB3 admin center as well. That will just confuse users.

My other major concerns were the extremely complicated (and confusing) permissions system, and the fact that you can disable the "System" module (this is the module containing the functionality to enable/disable other admin modules...).

[clhenry]

Well I think it was wrong. I believe to make a good product, or service, you have to listen to the users of it.

Odd, There has been quite a few rude comments made to members here that i read. I don't know how many post i have read where someone asked how to do something, and the answer was "you don't need that" or go read the FAQ. You know sometimes FAQ doesn't help much and you look elsewhere.

A fair amount of the users on SMF moved from phpBB because they were unhappy with either the software or the treatment they got from the staff. and guess what? NOW [on SMF] THEY'RE HAPPY!

That is also working the other way now also. There was a huge thread here on smf about not being search friendly. "Can't find it now". And how to make it better. Instead of help or answers from the mods, all people got was , "You don't need it", "Don't know why its like that, but its not changing" "why do you want google and other engines to pick up topics"
The answer is quite simply. Smaller and new forums have to get out there, and that is one of the best ways.
I know a number of people looking at phpbb for that reason alone.

Smf is great, and i still love it. But problems being associated with phpbb are the same problems with smf. Sometimes we have to look in our own back yard before pointing fingers at your neighbor.