I’m thinking again about what the better forum is. I’ve lost a little trust in mybb as post4vps.com is closing its doors due to a compromise of its database three years ago. I think it’s maybe a little overreaction. But while we were identifying the issue, I realized just how vulnerable mybb is for exploits. It’s just so very important to keep mybb up to date all of the time. As that was what turned out to be the problem. Mybb script had not been up to date.
Another issue with mybb is that if you have a theme and a few plugins, conflicts can be a headache and keep support admin very busy. And when time comes to update the mybb script, it can become a nightmare. It’s not just a case of clicking a button like one can with WordPress to upgrade mybb to the latest version. The new version can potentially conflict with plugins. So one has to first disable the plugins and check the working of the theme. I remember at Gigarocket when we changed the theme to its current, every time when an upgrade happened there were a huge number of Forum issues that came up.
phpbb is not much different to mybb. I prefer phpbb to be honest because its community forum is much better managed and supported by tech admin than the mybb community forum. There are also much nicer themes available. But in the end to upgrade the script has the same issues as with mybb. Potential for conflicts with plugins and themes.
I’m just about to try out Simple Machines Forums (SMF). At the recommendation of a friend. So maybe when I check in next time I’ll be able to share my experiences.
Of course most people with big bucks have moved over to Xenforo. I absolutely refuse to pay $160 US for a panel. Admittedly Xenforo is great and its themes (most of which are paid) are great. But for me I think it’s aimed at large corporations serving their clients and who have plenty of money to invest, which I don’t have.