Site Migration

Hey guys... Lynn and I have been chatting some, and it looks like it's time to move past PHPBB as a forum.. The main site will stay the same, just the forums will change.

When we opened this site, it looked like the software that runs this place was running towards stable, and would be there very shortly. While it works pretty well, it's throwing errors that we can't trace, as well as not allowing some of the functionality that makes it worthwhile (Being able to email posts).

With this being said, I think that we need to migrate to another system. I have a couple of requirements in whatever software we use.

1) Super level of stability, and a strong community.
2) Integrated userbase, so that we don't have to log in
multiple times.
3) All the functionality that you guys want.
4) I can bring over all the posts from this forum, into the new one.
Since this is a modified phpbb, that's not as easy as it seems.
This system uses different user tables, which makes most scripts
useless.

That can be a pretty tall order to fill.. I'm going to put up a poll on this post with the current pieces of software that are under consideration, look at them and vote on them, if you have experience with them.

All but one (VBulletin) are freeware. If you have another suggestion, let me know and I'll add it too. I have a favorite right now that I'm leaning towards, but I want to get input from the community.. After all, this site is user oriented.

If anyone has experience in PHP/MySQL, and wants to help.. Let me know..

I looked at a bunch of freeware when we were setting up nc4x4.com. I prefer the support, functionallity, and over all control the vbulliten gives us. Yes, you do have to pay for it, but the support is great.

I will have to put up a vote and a warning for vbulletin. As I run a website using both Mambo and VBulletin I know of the pain you are experiencing.

From a forum perspective you will find no better software than VBulletin and no better support. With the pending 3.5.0 release some amazing features will give you far more than you could ever hope for out of a forum. The management, import feature (which you will surely need), the templating, etc... is just top notch and you will be thrilled once you make the switch. Not to mention your users will ove it.

As for a single login and integration with mambo, well that is the holy grail that has not been possible as of yet. I have spent countless hours and lots of money trying to achieve this and let me assure you it is not possible today. The desire for a single sign not as important as you think. Both mambo and vbulletin will store your username and password for you. So really you only need to sign in to both places once per machine you are using, and the few times you get a new computer, clear your cokies etc. I am willing to bet that 99% of your users will appreciate the functionality far more than they will complain about a minor inconvienence every now and again.

If the users are ok with two logins, then so am I.. I much prefer not to mingle databases when I can.. It makes upgrades to difficult.


Adam I think that there are two bridges out for Mambo/Vbull now, have you tried either of them?

dw

I looked at the bbpixel integration and one by phil taylor. There is a new one out, vbridge, as of a few weeks ago. Yet that one remains shakey if you follow the threads on it. Merging of databases and They all have major issues. The one major issue almost all of them have is the requirment for empty user databases. Iit is certainly easy enough to do that and backup and restore your user info, but quite painful none the less.

Aye, that's for sure... I'd be wary of placing a script here, that autocopied back and forth between databases with the level of traffic that we have here..

And any real merging of data makes upgrades difficult. Database purity is a bitch..

I think with some minor php editing I can move all of our posts here to VBulletin, and let people use two logins..

Hopefully some more people will vote, I'd really like group input on this one. Especially since I'm a low volume poster, it's really more about what other people want..

Have you checked out the blogging software I've put up here? I'm having some issue with padding in the the template, but it should be worked out soon.. I'm hoping that people will find it useful here... We have some pretty verbose people and it would be an new/interesting way of making information available.

dw

I think vBulletin wins hands down -- its reliable and well supported. That said, I've never personally integrated it on any of my sites because I could never afford it.

What is the cost of vBulletin? Continuing costs?

Randy -- While it was not economical for me, it really is not that expensive... their site lists current pricing at: Own=$160 + $30/yr for updates; Lease=$85/yr. Support is free via email/forum or $60/mo phone.