Why does everyone hate phpBB?

Discussion in 'phpBB Discussions' started by jlevi, Aug 28, 2009.

  1. Chris

    Chris Regular Member

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    I find it to be extraordinarily odd! :) It could be due to the fact that I'm not too great when it comes to change... but honestly, viewing user data via a right-sided postbit is somewhat awkward.
     
  2. FullMetalBabe

    FullMetalBabe Zealot

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    Same, but I wonder if their thought it to make the message be the first thing you read more than looking at a user bit? xD Idk, but I do find it quite puzzling.
     
  3. Vekseid

    Vekseid Regular Member

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    No, 3.0.5 does not let you view posts and members by IP or range directly, nor does it report a member's ips used.

    PunBB bills itself as 'clean' but slows down quickly as you add features - it's quite horrible. phpBB's main free competitor is SMF. MyBB does not have quite the same level of polish as SMF, but it's hook implementation is superior to SMF's patch system for mods. SMF does have more, and superior, mods than MyBB does.
     
  4. twhiting9275

    twhiting9275 Regular Member

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    Why does everyone hate phpBB? Because it's a pathetically designed, poor system that just eats it, completely!

    Let's take a look at some decent reasons now:

    Spam - phpBB still has no decent method built in to defeat spammers. Captcha? Not quite going to work. Recaptcha? Sure, but not there (yet).

    Interface - The phpBB3 interface (which took sooooo long to do) is absolutely horrific. User permissions are horrible, the interface itself is absolutely ugly, it's just wrong.

    Devs - Development time on phpBB is historically slow. Yeah, it's a free project, so I'll give 'em that, but how long did 3 take to do? Really??

    Vulnerabilities - phpBB is well known for being exploitable and vulnerable. That's not that SMF isn't, because it is I'm sure, but it's not as much.

    MyBB doesn't even come close to the phpBB quality. SMF, close, but it has a good bit to go. At least they're working on it though

    I'm sure there are more reasons, but that's a pretty good list to start with.
     
  5. oldlock

    oldlock Newcomer

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    I used it for years and did'nt hate it at all, but what I found frustrating was that you are reliant on the goodwill of the volunteer developers for all support. Therein lay the problem for me, I had one site that was badly messed up during an update and resolution was a long, slow and painful process that finally pushed me to VB.

    In contrast VB support if 1st class, I had one issue I couldn't resolve myself in a timely manner and the VB support ticket system had it resolved in less than 2 hours.
     
  6. David

    David Regular Member

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    I pretty much share these same feelings here with twhiting
     
  7. OneUpDave

    OneUpDave Guest

    I agree up to MyBB. phpBB has no quality. It's shit, crap, not worth the free download unless you've got a staff like Gaia Online, and even then, I don't know how they manage to do it.

    Yes, MyBB is relatively lacking greatly in the mods department (paid or free), but out-of-the-box, MyBB has a lot more than phpBB could ever hope to have in the next 5 years, and does it better than phpBB could ever dream. Have you honestly used MyBB on a live site?

    I've used MyBB, phpBB, and SMF on live sites before. Here's my personal summaries:

    • Management/administration: SMF -> MyBB -> phpBB
    • Templating: MyBB -> MyBB -> phpBB
    • Available mods: SMF -> phpBB -> MyBB
    • Ease of mod handling: SMF -> MyBB -> BBPress -> Custom-made script that a kindergartner created -> Your grandma's 1969 Buick -> City Dump -> phpBB
    In conclusion, I hate phpBB with a passion, and hope that their servers and every backup copy of the dev code burn in a fire, never to be recovered again.
     
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  8. FullMetalBabe

    FullMetalBabe Zealot

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    Seems as much people have not used MyBB on a live site anyways. SO much that can be done with MyBB that can't be done with either SMF OR phpBB.
     
  9. Severus

    Severus Regular Member

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    Most of them dont like phpBB because it had MODs taht are not easily installable compared to the one-click install of IPB. I have to say that installing MOD in phpBB is realy realy easy as it is just cut and paste!'

    Also they are working on the hooks system to ensure that MOD install gets more and more easier
     
  10. spyka

    spyka Regular Member

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    The biggest problem for phpBB has said is that modding system; this is 2011 now! Editing files to add mods is tiresome, outdated and makes updating painful as hell. Sure it may be pretty easy to do, but it's time consuming, especially for huge mods.

    I'm glad to hear they're *finally* putting a hook system in, if I recall they were against the idea (as with Quick Reply) because it would be 'slow', yet I've no problems with WordPress, MyBB, vBulletin and all other software which use hooks or other 'automatic' ways of installing mods.

    The other probblem is that I find the phpBB team to be quite slow. I make a few phpBB3 styles and it took something silly like 9 months for it to be approved... then a few days later the next version of phpBB came out and made the style useless.
     
  11. Brandon

    Brandon Regular Member

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    I started on phpbb, I think it's a solid product.
    With that said, I do like vBulletin better. :)
     
  12. Kudda

    Kudda Regular Member

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    mybb is easy to add plugins
     
  13. Sunsettommy

    Sunsettommy Adept

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    I recently downloaded phpbb3 3.08 version for test purposes.Considering making a new political forum.

    They have made a few improvements in it.Quick Reply is now in.They have added anti spam feature as well.Newbie forum is available to confine new members there for a chosen number of postings.Before they can post in the main forum.

    But their Admin permission system is still the same overblown set up.I am almost surprised they did not go for per post permission system.They like to brag about scalability.But this is too much for most people.Who never develop a large enough traffic to use it well.

    I have not tried their mod uploading stuff yet,But I think it is still the same bullcrap as before.

    There are some really nice stuff they have.But they damage it with the few liabilities really badly.I am surprised,that late in this game.People are still using phpBB3 so much.

    It has a lot of room for improvement.Will that be the 4.0 version?
     
  14. Sunsettommy

    Sunsettommy Adept

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    :uhh:

    I ended up using phpBB3 after all.The owner says she is satisfied with it.

    The forum is new and still in development.But it is open to the public.

    Hopefully I do not scream over installing a mod or two.
     
  15. Lord Braska

    Lord Braska Newcomer

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    Why do people hate phpBB? It's too bloated and installing MODs is like doing the Cha-Cha off a cliff. In short, it's too much for people. Me? I use MyBB.
     
  16. Sunsettommy

    Sunsettommy Adept

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    It has a smaller file footprint than SMF and myBB.So how is it bloated?

    Meanwhile I also use myBB.I have to install anti spam plug in.It is standard in phpBB3.

    I also installed Registration question plug in for myBB.It is standard in phpBB3.

    phpBB3 has an user legend at bottom of index page.myBB needs a plug in for that.

    phpBB3 has a new registered user default forum setting and with a post count too.To set the number of posts required before they can post elsewhere in the forum.

    With myBB you have to do a number of things to make the same set up.Can be a little confusing.

    See where I am going?

    My main beef if the large and redundant permissions set up in the ACP.It is overkill.They should have done it all in a single page.
     
  17. Sunsettommy

    Sunsettommy Adept

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    He he,

    So after using phpBB3 for a month.I discovered that it is not user friendly.Just to change or add the logo.Requires file edits manually.

    Also discovered that while the forum owner is an Administrator.She still did not have forum wide Moderator capabilities.I had to add her to the Global Moderator group for that.This is stupid!

    Today I am converting to myBB.A software that is much easier to use and understand.I already have a myBB based forum.It is a climate skeptic forum and I am satisfied with the software.

    Never again will I use phpBB3.
     
  18. TSUFanatic

    TSUFanatic Regular Member

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    I don't hate phpBB3, but the automod system they have is good now. What is one big forum using myBB? I can't name any.
     
  19. Sunsettommy

    Sunsettommy Adept

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    Go to the myBB community forum.There you will see a number of BIG BOARD owners using the myBB software.
     
  20. TSUFanatic

    TSUFanatic Regular Member

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    Doubt they can compare to the big board owners using phpBB.
     
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