messageboards - which, where, how

[Frank_Rizzo]

I'm thinking about installing a messageboard to create some stickiness. Here's a few questions.

1) Is the messageboard used for webmasterworld available for free or for a fee? I like the style.

2) I'm particularily interested in one which saves the pages as htm files rather than stored in a database as surely this is good food for search engines? If the messageboard discussions are based on the site theme then the messages will be content rich right?

Give me a good reason for not installing one!

[Bradley]

Check the very bottom of this page. Look for the BestBBS link: [bestbbs.com...]

[uslegacies]

I am looking for a new php & mySql message board for my site. I am using Phorum now and the search engines will not pick up the data in threads, so I would like to find a board that can be spidered. I know some boards can be used, via mod_reright, but since we are on a shared virtual server, we can not use that script to get the search engines past the questionmark in the url. So if anyone is using a good board and your threads are picked up by Google, please let me know what you are using.
Thanks

[Shakil]

ultraboard was good, then shut down, rumour has it they are back up and running.

vbulletin, ikonboard and a few others seem to be doing pretty well.

I was chatting to a senior message board developer last week, and told hime that when BestBBS launches, it will kick ASS,

Good Luck

Shak

[RussellC]

phpBB works well for me...and its free

[rcjordan]

>it will kick

It already does in the spider dept. Can't tell you how many times that I've used google or alltheweb on a search out some css or javascript info and ended up reading posts here.

[Frank_Rizzo]

not much information on the bestbbs site.

when is it due out? is there a beta version now?

[Ove]

I agree with RusselC

<phpBB works well for me...and its free>
And i think its a very easy admin area in it

/Ove

[Frank_Rizzo]

Is YaBB anygood?

[uslegacies]

Thanks for the input on phpbb. I was thinking of trying to write my own, but think I will try phpb first. I did a search on Google, using the names of various bb's and found wwwboard to have the highest hits, but don't like their design. Phpbb came in second in number of hits, so I will check it out. The most I can loose is time.

[Frank_Rizzo]

Ok, I'm going with phpBB for now. Hopefully the bestbbs will have a convertor!

One other question - traffic.

I've seen the logs of other sites, and heard horror stories of sites being charged penalties for going over quotas.

I know there are many variables but what kind of hits/day, bandwidth we looking at per user?

I'm only testing the phpBB setup today using 3 dummy users and about 30 postings and the hits today has doubled! Multiply that by 100 and I think the bandwidth will go through the roof.