Overview
So I wake up this morning and find our web person has gone.
We need to look after ourselves and PHPBB2 although used for 5 years doesn't have enough standard features and was never ugraded to BB3 because of calendar limitations and lack of HTML support.
VBulletin Publishing Suite looks promising as a replacement but costs money and requires a migration and although I have administered both BB2 and BB3 sites I haven't set up a forum from scratch.
Today
A quick look at where we are today shows we have BB2 2.0.23 with a calendar add on (no name or version that I can see as Admin).
Happy with Forum although would like more, Google spellchecker used extensively. HTML used in Forum descriptions by Administrators.
Deficiencies are seen as lack of integrated calendar, lack of integrated front page for key messages that allows specific information for members and different informatiion for non members. Inadequate protection from spammmers.
Where we would like to be?
Simple lead in pages HTML pages that shows different information for different groups ie public, basic members, subscription members.
Integrated Calendar with security
Good Flexible easy to use forum BB3 Vbulletin both look OK
Integration with Facebook in such a way that drives traffic i.e. users from Facebook to BB
Smartphone integration (Tapatalk looks fine)
Simple Admin interface so it can be maintained by people other than developers (BB2 and BB3 are Ok)
Some questions
VBulletin Publishing Suite appears to match our needs does it?
How complex is it to migrate, is there a script, where can I read a simple overview?
How much technical expertise do we need to run?
Where do I look to see examples of functionality, calendar for instance?
Purchase cost looks like $285, what add-ons and ongoing costs are there, where can I see a summary?
How do I evaluate? Is there a sand box or test site, can I download an evaluation kit for longer than 24 hours to show others?
What if we cannot get conversion to work?
Why doesn’t Google Toolbar spellchecker work on Vbulletin, how do people spellcheck?
So I wake up this morning and find our web person has gone.
We need to look after ourselves and PHPBB2 although used for 5 years doesn't have enough standard features and was never ugraded to BB3 because of calendar limitations and lack of HTML support.
VBulletin Publishing Suite looks promising as a replacement but costs money and requires a migration and although I have administered both BB2 and BB3 sites I haven't set up a forum from scratch.
Today
A quick look at where we are today shows we have BB2 2.0.23 with a calendar add on (no name or version that I can see as Admin).
Happy with Forum although would like more, Google spellchecker used extensively. HTML used in Forum descriptions by Administrators.
Deficiencies are seen as lack of integrated calendar, lack of integrated front page for key messages that allows specific information for members and different informatiion for non members. Inadequate protection from spammmers.
Where we would like to be?
Simple lead in pages HTML pages that shows different information for different groups ie public, basic members, subscription members.
Integrated Calendar with security
Good Flexible easy to use forum BB3 Vbulletin both look OK
Integration with Facebook in such a way that drives traffic i.e. users from Facebook to BB
Smartphone integration (Tapatalk looks fine)
Simple Admin interface so it can be maintained by people other than developers (BB2 and BB3 are Ok)
Some questions
VBulletin Publishing Suite appears to match our needs does it?
How complex is it to migrate, is there a script, where can I read a simple overview?
How much technical expertise do we need to run?
Where do I look to see examples of functionality, calendar for instance?
Purchase cost looks like $285, what add-ons and ongoing costs are there, where can I see a summary?
How do I evaluate? Is there a sand box or test site, can I download an evaluation kit for longer than 24 hours to show others?
What if we cannot get conversion to work?
Why doesn’t Google Toolbar spellchecker work on Vbulletin, how do people spellcheck?
Comment