The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Free Forum Software
Aridhol
Daddliest CatchRegistered User regular
Daddliest CatchRegistered User regular
I'm trying to get a project approved at work but I need a proof of concept.
The main idea is that it will be a forum to post troubleshooting steps and tips, with pictures and links. As well as some limited company discussion and surveys.
I need a forum to do the following.
Allow users to post topics and follow up posts with administrator approval only. For example x user creates a post, clicks submit and I get an email with a link to click on and view, then approve the post. Only then does it appear in the general forum. Is this possible? I would need notification via email for each and every post not just new topics.
It must have a good search function. We do not have a concern for resources as this will be internal only and a max of abour 50-60 users at a given time (usually far less).
As all forums support themes I'd like one with a considerable base to choose from. We're looking for something clean and easily readable.
The ability to have a sidebar or top bar on each page with links or pictures would be incredibly useful but this is not a deal breaker.
Good management options. The team responsible for moderating and approving posts is about 3 people so easy and quick is good.
Must be free and must use mysql
Any recommendations to start me looking would be appreciated.
The main idea is that it will be a forum to post troubleshooting steps and tips, with pictures and links. As well as some limited company discussion and surveys.
I need a forum to do the following.
Allow users to post topics and follow up posts with administrator approval only. For example x user creates a post, clicks submit and I get an email with a link to click on and view, then approve the post. Only then does it appear in the general forum. Is this possible? I would need notification via email for each and every post not just new topics.
It must have a good search function. We do not have a concern for resources as this will be internal only and a max of abour 50-60 users at a given time (usually far less).
As all forums support themes I'd like one with a considerable base to choose from. We're looking for something clean and easily readable.
The ability to have a sidebar or top bar on each page with links or pictures would be incredibly useful but this is not a deal breaker.
Good management options. The team responsible for moderating and approving posts is about 3 people so easy and quick is good.
Must be free and must use mysql
Any recommendations to start me looking would be appreciated.
Aridhol on
0
Posts
I would also recommend using Wiki for something like this, but that's just me.
SC2 NA: exoplasm.519 | PA SC2 Mumble Server | My Website | My Stream
I think most forums will do this; there's usually an option to have posts be moderator approved. That is, anyone can post but it won't show up until approved. Whether or not you'll get an email will be specific to the forum software though I believe...
Also not sure if they would then be able to reply to that thread once approved, or whether each post needs to be approved every single time (at which point email spam becomes less intuitive)
edit: apparently phpBB 3 does not have this option and I see several people online looking for a plugin for this with no success. phpBB 2 does have a plug for it, I may try it.
I'll also look at a wiki but I don't know how that can be moderated, is it basically the same way?
FWIW, though: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Sysadmin_hub
SC2 NA: exoplasm.519 | PA SC2 Mumble Server | My Website | My Stream
Careful with PHPBB2: if you use it on a "live" server (on a public website that's accessible from the Internet) you'll get spammed into oblivion. That is, if you don't get hacked, first. PHPBB2 requires a whole bunch of plugins and tweaks to make it "secure". PHPBB3 is still new enough that the spammers haven't found any important exploits for it yet (and it's designed more securely...)
Check out my new blog: http://50wordstories.ca
Also check out my old game design blog: http://stealmygamedesigns.blogspot.com
All phpBB3 is lacking is the email notification. I am going to see how phpbb2 performs for what I want and try the email notification mod.
It would meet your non-forum needs as well as your forum needs, and has the ability to maintain sprawling interconnected library of support documentation.
It really works great as a documentation with comments type thing. Though the forum isn't as powerful as phpbb.
It's not the greatest looking but can be customized with a bit of hard work
It also has the all important feature of email post notification.
Thanks everyone for your help and advice.