[maker]

How does BBPress compare to Simple Machines, PPHB and VBulletin?

I’m a bit worried it’s /too/ simple!

How well does BBPress integrate with WordPress?

I have an illustration blog (WP) at http://300.mpm.org.au

I want a forum at http://www.mpm.org.au

that works with the illustration blog

can bbpress and wordpress do this?

[macwise]

My friend, this is the ONLY way to go. I previously had used PhpBB, and I was in the same boat. I wanted something simple, powerful, yet it HAD to integrate with WordPress. I was reluctant to go down this path, but I was swayed by two things:

First, I love WordPress, the community, the customizability, etc. I was impressed with the simplicity available, with more complexity/power possible depending on what the user needs. Second, I was extremely enticed by the prospect of a “seamless” integration. I won’t say that it’s been a total breeze, but compared to the PhpBB/4Images integration I did last year, integrating BBPress with WordPress was a breeze…AND A HALF! Don’t be fooled, though, this can be as simple as installing it and adding two plugins. Just depends on what your needs are.

95% or more of what I’m modifying is template based files, NOT core files. This is quite different from my PhpBB/4Images integration, where I had to hack the core to the point that an update would have been disastrous. (Consequently, I never updated it, though it didn’t matter since the site never really went live.)

So, yes, this is a beta product. And yes, some of the administration options and a few specific features present in other bb systems aren’t here.

Would I use something else if I could do it over again? NO

Do I miss any features from PhpBB? NO. In fact, what I suspected is exactly what has happened, that being that I’m as happy with what BBPress DOESN’T do as I am with what it does. Anything that I’ve needed so far has already been addressed in the forums, usually with a plugin. That makes modifying core files safe and simple. Bottom line, it works great, and I haven’t looked back.

Hope this helps.

Ron

Check my site at http://www.babyquestions101.com. And here you can see the Pregnancy Forums. Let me know what you think, and feel free to ask any questions/comments there on the contact page.

[maker]

Firstly, that’s a fantastic looking site!

[macwise]

Thank you. And thanks for making your post one line. That makes my post look ESPECIALLY long…(or maybe it really IS that long).

[maker]

so there is no image uploading inherent in bbpress? But there are image plugins?

What can be shared between WP and BB? logins? Can wordpress show latest BB posts?

[Null]

I suggest to SEARCH these forums first, cause your questions are answered many times before. I also suggest to look at the documentation and plugins available on this site

[maker]

cheers

[maker]

macwise,

how did you create your extra forums/subforums?

I’ve done some looking around and found SamBaeurs patch – is this the best way to do this?

[chrishajer]

maker, you are correct (I believe) that there is no plugin to upload images although there are plugins to allow images in posts.

Allow images

WordPress user integration

Latest bbPress posts in WordPress

Latest WP post in bbPress

Have fun.

[Trent Adams]

Subforums is the patch by SamBaeurs for sure, yes.

Trent

[macwise]

Maker, Yes indeedy…this is definitely SamBauers plugin being used. It’s great. Be sure to read the whole thread, because if you don’t update every forum by adding it to a category, then you WILL suffer the consequences! (you’ll get some nifty mysql errors until you fix it).

Also, my suggestion to ANYONE using this patch…use it BEFORE you implement your design. I had quite a few things that had to change when I implemented it, as the post/category/forum hierarchy was quite a bit different from teh standard install. My CSS classes got ALL out of whack.

Good luck!

[spencerp]

I wouldn’t really expect this Forum Category hack/enhancement to last too much longer though… Read from here down:

https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/698/page/2?replies=39#post-5087

spencerp

/Currently running Trunk 1.0-alpha, and the Forum Cat hack just doesn’t play nice with it. Also, like it says there, sounds like something similar is being implemented into core. I don’t know for positive, but, I uninstalled the Forum Cat hack though..

[macwise]

This thread makes it sound like the category feature will be added into the core? Any idea when will this plugin stop working?

[maker]

So subforums are to become part of a standard install of bbpress? Is this going to happen soon(ish) or am I better off waiting entirely or installing the patch? I really want to use bbpress but I need the subforums.

[Trent Adams]

From the looks of things it looks like it. Not sure if it will be 1.0 or 1.5, but it is something worked on. If nothing else, it might become a plugin if it doesn’t make the core. No ATA on when 1.0 is coming out though as it has way more things going on than expected.

Trent

[maker]

Can someone post a how-to link on installing patches?

[fel64]

Are you sure you need it? Unless you have a huuuge unmanagable number of forums you shouldn’t actually need categories, and why would you have that many forums in the first place? I don’t know your situation, of course.

[Trent Adams]

Well, that isn’t completely true because it allows users to categorize the forums. For instance, I might have 1 main forum for family and friends which has say 5 sub-forums in it. I do this and make them so only friends and family can create items in it. Then, I have another main forum for my plugins and themes which I have subcategories forums for each one. Then I might have my last main category for all other subforums. It just helps break up the forum into ‘easier navigation’ in my opinion regardless of the number of forums. In my example it might only be 15.

Trent

[maker]

Yeah, definately Trent.

The site I’m working on has 3 sections.

1. Forums for our specific projects (charity store products, our art projects, forum for sponsors promotion)

2. Not For Profit Sector Resources (including a forum for fundraising initiatives for a local hospital)

3. Arts Resources (including forums for different fields of the arts which includes community driven art projects)

plus your normal general, private and admin forums.

The subcategories will enable the page to guide readers to where they should be.

[fel64]

15 subforums is insane overkill in my opinion. What you need is a Family and Friends forum, a Plugins and Themes forum, and a Other forum. I’m sure that people will be able to cope with seeing Themes threads if they only want Plugins. Unless your forum is so active that, say, you get thirty threads a day in each forum, there’s just no point breaking it up more.

The best thing is, if you lump the forums together then you’ll have way more people seeing each thread, hopefully meaning that you get way more people contributing – not just the few specialists.

Almost every forum I’ve ever seen suffers from overcategorisation, and a a few to sometimes even most of the subforums just lie there unused. What’s the point in that? Get those peoples together.