Worst thing about your community software?

[Shawn Gossman1]

What’s your biggest gripes about the software you are using right now to power your community?

What changes could be made to make it better and how would it benefit all consumers of the content?

 

[veloman1]

Whilst I love them simplicity of phpBB and the semi-retro look, it can be a little difficult to add things to. Since it's open source, extensions come in and then get abandoned - at which point it's basically luck whether it continues to work after the base phpBB software is updated.

On the flip side, I can technically modify and work on the entire base software, and every extension, because the code is open source and free to edit. It would be a massive headache, but at least it is possible.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

Whilst I love them simplicity of phpBB and the semi-retro look, it can be a little difficult to add things to. Since it's open source, extensions come in and then get abandoned - at which point it's basically luck whether it continues to work after the base phpBB software is updated.

On the flip side, I can technically modify and work on the entire base software, and every extension, because the code is open source and free to edit. It would be a massive headache, but at least it is possible.

Back when I used PhPBB, you have to modify files to add modifications. It might take 4 hours to add one addon lol. I imagine it’s a quick install now right?

 

[veloman1]

Back when I used PhPBB, you have to modify files to add modifications. It might take 4 hours to add one addon lol. I imagine it’s a quick install now right?

I'm theory, yes (although they still have to be uploaded by FTP).

I'm practice, outside the extension database it's such a mess of sites and forums and what not, that you have to dig through 15 years of web history to find a version that works, or find the answer to a problem, etc... It's a nightmare, but it's encouraging me to keep it simple - which isn't a bad thing I suppose.

Like, for example, the point system I'm using has a few other mods that work with it, but most have been abandoned - so it'll forever just stay as a rating system I suppose.

Either way I'm committed to it now

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

I'm theory, yes (although they still have to be uploaded by FTP).

I'm practice, outside the extension database it's such a mess of sites and forums and what not, that you have to dig through 15 years of web history to find a version that works, or find the answer to a problem, etc... It's a nightmare, but it's encouraging me to keep it simple - which isn't a bad thing I suppose.

Like, for example, the point system I'm using has a few other mods that work with it, but most have been abandoned - so it'll forever just stay as a rating system I suppose.

Either way I'm committed to it now

On most forum platforms, there is an official resources page where user contributed addons are submitted. They typically show what version the addon is created for and then a last update date. I usually won't install an addon that has had no recent updates at least in the current year.

Is this not available on phpBB at all? As I said I've not used it in years,

In fact, the last time I used it was when it was bridged into Php-Nuke which was an awesome software back in it's hey day!!

 

[Uncrowned]

IPS's reports and stats. They offer a massive list of site-generated stats and reports, which is awesome, but they lack a lot of simple stuff. Want to see articles by views? Nope. Want to see topics by interaction? Nope. Etc, Etc.

 

[veloman1]

On most forum platforms, there is an official resources page where user contributed addons are submitted. They typically show what version the addon is created for and then a last update date. I usually won't install an addon that has had no recent updates at least in the current year.

Is this not available on phpBB at all? As I said I've not used it in years,

In fact, the last time I used it was when it was bridged into Php-Nuke which was an awesome software back in it's hey day!!

Yeah, there is an official extension database - and to be fair they mostly work fine. Probably 95% of my extensions are from there.

But for others there are unofficial extensions, or extensions that haven't been verified by the phpBB team - that takes a while so a lot of people take the risk (with no ill effects).

There is two main points extensions, but both are pretty much abandoned. Luckily it works on the current version, but going forward it's a risk. I do wonder whether it was a good idea to stick it on.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

IPS's reports and stats. They offer a massive list of site-generated stats and reports, which is awesome, but they lack a lot of simple stuff. Want to see articles by views? Nope. Want to see topics by interaction? Nope. Etc, Etc.

So many forum software platforms suck at analytics.

All the new online community platforms out there like Circle and Mighty Networks have great analytics pages.

It can’t be that hard to make a good stats page for the backend can it?

 

[Uncrowned]

So many forum software platforms suck at analytics.

All the new online community platforms out there like Circle and Mighty Networks have great analytics pages.

It can’t be that hard to make a good stats page for the backend can it?

I feel like most want to be Google Analytics and that is great.... but we have Google Analytics if we want to have those stats. I want the stuff that Google really doesn't do well with, but the software itself should excel at. I would much rather NEED to use Google Analytics and my forum software's stats to get a complete picture than to get to pick what one shows me half of the picture.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

I feel like most want to be Google Analytics and that is great.... but we have Google Analytics if we want to have those stats. I want the stuff that Google really doesn't do well with, but the software itself should excel at. I would much rather NEED to use Google Analytics and my forum software's stats to get a complete picture than to get to pick what one shows me half of the picture.

I agree. I think analytics that are specific to the community are what is needed. GA4 can be added externally and all that but I want to see stats that show me what works and what doesn’t work on my community. I think you’re on to something!!

 

[Tracy]

Ignore does what it was designed to do... it allows the USER to not see content from another user they are ignoring.
There has been ample discussion on extending that to block an ignored user from seeing content from the one doing the ignoring... and general developer consensus was it was not something that they were contemplating at the time as it could interfere with thread discourse, and that moderator actions based upon reports was a "better" solution. A block feature would be best suited as an add-on..... but amazingly, with all the years that the XF ignore feature has been complained about, nobody has taken the time to create a block add-on. Wonder why?
Generally site staff requiring the user<s> in question to act like adults and exercise self control and not spoiled children was the better solution.