This is only one option out of the hundred other software you have to pick from, so don't just read this post and then think you need to use MyBB for your forum. In this post, I will be talking about and highlighting some pros and cons about MyBB.
First, some background information about MyBB from the companies website (http://www.mybb.com):
"With everything from forums to threads, posts to private messages, search to profiles, and reputation to warnings, MyBB features everything you need to run an efficient and captivating community. Through plugins and themes, you can extend MyBB's functionality to build your community exactly as you'd like it."
Now, let's get into the meaty stuff shall we?
Pros:
- Ease of use. Yes, if you are a beginner to the forum world MyBB is very ease to use and modify once you have it installed and everything is configured. Unlike other forum softwares such as PhpBB, mods and plugins can be installed within five to ten minutes, if you know what you are doing.
-Clean design. The stock or default theme that comes with MyBB is very sleek and modern, you could run your community off of it for a few months without changing themes even. They also make it very easy to customise, if you do choose to keep it (though I do not recommend that- more on that in a later post).
-Privacy. MyBB has many default features, and even plugins, that allow you to have complete privacy over your board. For instance, I have a plugin installed that let's members limit who can see their profiles. I also have it set up so guests can not see any users profiles or signatures.
Cons:
-Slow or non-existent support. Yes, the support at MyBB is often times terrible. I have support posts from 3-4 months ago just sitting after pages of new threads, ever to be answered. Oh, and a simple question about how to change the footer? That might take up to a week.
-Security. MyBB is infamous for having a lot of hacking attempts. They have recently stepped up their game in MyBB 1.8.4 by adding in the option to have 2FKA (Two factor authentication). While pretty much all bugs get fixed over time, they take a while to fix and patch them. Passwords are also very easy to crack because of the way they salt and hash them (more info on those two terms here).
-Mods, themes, and graphics. Part of the reason a lot of people stayed on version 1.6 is because there is a large lack of modifications and theme available on the current version of MyBB, 1.8.4. A lot of people can't, or don't want to spend a huge amount of money on plugins or themes so they are left with a few small pickings. I luckily hired a theme design company, Norm Designs, to make a custom theme for my forum and it turned out great.
**MyBB stand for My Bulletin Board if you did not know.
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