So, may I ask a dumb question, please?

[Holly]

Why did we move to a new forum? What was wrong with the old forum? I'm clearly not a techie, but it seems like there are some issues with this new forum w/ auto log-ins, spam accounts posting ads to get me hooked on illegally sold prescription drugs, phbbpshcbbbbb code (or something). Did we have those same problems with the old forum? We hadn't even had that forum very long (had we?).

This really is not a criticism at all and I'd never judge the decision to make the change; I'm honestly just curious. I know bugs can be worked out and maybe this new forum is an awful lot slicker (is that a word other than rain jacket?), but can someone fill me in on some of the reasoning behind the change? And, please use small words.

Thanks,

Holly

[Anon]

I assume that y'all answered Holly's question somewhere else. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I'm also just curious, not criticizing.

I am actually wondering how to set up such a forum for a non-profit group in forsyth (http://www.smartgrowth-forsyth.org/).
Is there a free version?
Is it easy to set up (from reading some of the messages, seems like someone spent many hours working out the bugs)? I am not interested if it takes more than a handful of hours.

I am familiar with using yahoogroups, but I prefer the ability to allow members to post under separate topics.

-Rich

[rick]

phpbb is easy to set up as long as you have a web server with MySQL available. Shouldn't take more than an hour or so if you know how to upload and unzip stuff.

http://www.phpbb.com/

Phpbb as one of the most popular boards out there is unfortunately targetted often by spammers. We've put some extra stuff in to get rid of them here but that's fairly advanced stuff (involving editing the base html code in the templates).

We went to phpbb because it has a lot more functionality than the old forums (avatars, signatures, inline images, better tracking) and because it has a database backend which means we can tied people's forums IDs in to their registration and player directory information.

[Anon]

Thanks Rick!

Would the previous board (or perhaps another board) be any easier to set up ... and/or have less spamming? Advanced "functionality" not necessary.

-Rich F.