General What's the software that introduced you to Forums?

[AjayJunkies]

Started kind of late, never got with the free forum software which all look outdated at this point. Started and staying with Xenforo!

 

[TwitchisMental]

Started kind of late, never got with the free forum software which all look outdated at this point. Started and staying with Xenforo!

But how do they look outdated if you don't mind me asking? I've heard this before but haven't gotten a real answer.

 

[Sinistra]

@Matt M should know about this I don't know how many people know of Ikonboard it was a CGI-based forum script and was the first forum script I ever used till a friend of mine that worked on Ikonboard told me about Invision Board

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

I don't know, lol. I was an avid UseNet user in the 90's. I've heard UseNet still exists on the dark web, and it a cesspool of illegal activity these days.

A number of early 2000's forums I was on used IPB, SMF, VBulliten, and a handful of others I don't necessarily recall. A lot of freeware scripts that eventually got abandoned. When I started my first forum in 2006, I chose Phorum because I was addicted to the threaded presentation. But it fell out of favor and my community wanted linear, like what we have here. Eventually Phorum was abandoned and we had to migrate to IPS. Now all my communities are on IPS.

 

[Matt M]

Board Master (written by a Greek dentist), then Board Power, then I wrote my own.

 

[ten thousand]

Board Master (written by a Greek dentist), then Board Power, then I wrote my own.

I won't derail the thread too much but I wanted to tell you that IPB was a huge inspiration for me as a kid. Creating IPB mods was some of the earliest code I wrote and it created in me a life-long love of the web and internet communities. Playing with your software laid the foundation for me to become a professional software engineer. :)

 

[Matt M]

I won't derail the thread too much but I wanted to tell you that IPB was a huge inspiration for me as a kid. Creating IPB mods was some of the earliest code I wrote and it created in me a life-long love of the web and internet communities. Playing with your software laid the foundation for me to become a professional software engineer.

That's lovely, thank you so much for taking the time to post that.

 

[AjayJunkies]

But how do they look outdated if you don't mind me asking? I've heard this before but haven't gotten a real answer.

1. Clean, skeumorphism / neumorphism / materials design
2. Dark mode

 

[TwitchisMental]

1. Clean, skeumorphism / neumorphism / materials design
2. Dark mode

1. So your a flat design fan I take it.

2. Fair enough. A lot of downloadable themes do come with a dark mode though.

 

[zoldos]

Which software did you started with on your first forum?

I started of with Forumotion. Reason why I prefer it because it has multiple versions you can use and change back-and-forth: phpBB2, phpBB3, PunBB, Invision, AwesomeBB, ModernBB (Currently using AwesomeBB)


I've also tried Vbullentin and Invision.

Oh wow! Go back to like 1998-1999. I used a forum script that had no admin, no database, etc. You just picked a name, and posted. So everyone could past as anyone. It was a disaster. lol

I then moved to phpBB once I got decent hosting.

 

[Heatman]

It was vBulletin for me. I started out with it on a workout forum called Musclemascluine years ago around 2011.