Forum Moderators: rogerd
(PLEASE - Only respond with recommendations that fit with what I'm looking for).
#1. Gotta be Perl - the site I plan to use this on is 100% perl, no PHP, and I want to customize the software to match everything else and integrate with other scripts in use. I don't want to get into a "PHP v. Perl" discussion, so if PHP is all you have to offer, thanks, but no thanks.
#2. Gotta produce Static HTML - the site is indexed well and I don't want to have to jump through hoops to get the forum content spidered --- I prefer using scripts that actually produce static HTML pages versus scripts that require mod_rewrite to make it "appear to be static".
#3. CSS friendly - the site uses one style sheet for a majority of the content and some conditional statements to format HTML using inline CSS in other areas --- I am thinking of moving to a "skinnable" site design and want to be able to have everything on the site be styled by referencing a user's CSS settings.
#4. No SQL / MySQL needed - prefer plain text database structure, DBI, or other format that doesn't require third party services.
#5. Everyone Can Read / Must Register to Post - I don't anticipate any "private" forums, I'd like all indexes, threads and messages to be world readable, but have it so only registered users can post. (I don't anticiapte charging for access as the site is a large established non-commercial community so no payment fuction is needed). Simple "self serve" email address verified registration will be best.
#6. Reasonable Price - for initial software and ongoing support / licensing plans)... I don't mind paying what it's worth.
#7. Large Installed User Base - not too interested in new software, need something proven, and active user community to exchange ideas on customization and user management with.
Note: I am looking for recommendations, but if someone already suggests using (or NOT using) a particular package, PLEASE jump in with a vote for or against and any reasons.
Thanks in advance -- I know I can count on WebmasterWorld users to help me decide.
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#8 Multiple Moderator Control - need overall "admin" control with easy to manage / assign moderator controls on a "by board" basis. Mods should have enough control to not need much admin help.
Thanks again.
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It is written in Perl, has a template system (you'll probably have to write your own theme if you want to use CSS), uses flat files rather than a database, has a registration system, is a free download for the basic package (you can pay for copyright notice removal and such) and has been around for a good few years. Having said that, I haven't used it so I can't really comment on how good it is.
The other caveat is that it doesn't have static-looking URLs and I can't see a pre-written mod for them at first glance. As you specifically wanted Perl, I assume you have enough experience to be able to hack the source code and implement them yourself, though (it shouldn't be too hard).
It's a free download, so it's worth testing! Check their licencing though if you alter the package to add the static URLs - you may need to pay for that.
I downloaded YaBB earlier this afternoon, read the DOCs, but didn't install/test.
The software is now a couple of years out-of-date - which is why I moved away from it - but a new version is supposedly imminent (the test version of this can be tried out but not downloaded).
Not free, but cheap ($50 for a lifetime licence), so it might be worth a look.
