Comparison of Internet forum software
Encyclopedia
This article outlines the general features commonly found in various Internet forum
software packages.
Note: These comparisons do not include remotely hosted services (such as Proboards
, ZetaBoards, ...) which use their own proprietary software
, rather than offering a package for download which webmaster
s can host by themselves.
, not as an add-on
, plugin, etc.
.
Themes may simply be a different set of colors and graphics, or they may involve a different layout to the forum, such as one optimized for small-screen devices.
.
to images hosted on image hosting service
s.
One major usability issue is whether images can be uploaded to a forum and displayed inline in message postings easily (or at all). The presence of "image attachment uploading" does not imply that in-message display of images within the flow of message text is possible (or if possible, easy to achieve).
CAPTCHA
s are a common feature used among most internet forum software and are often used to prevent automated registrations.
Banning or deleting membership should come as standard, with the ability to blacklist the username, email address or IP address
for variable time spans.
Reference to an anti-forum spam database can be built into the forum software, or offered as add-ons for specific databases.
and instead contain only the path of the topic. A user-unfriendly URL contains may contain cryptic parameters, numeric IDs, or file type extensions (e.g. .php) that do not matter to the user and could change if the forum is reimplemented using a different programming language. User-friendly URLs are easy to remember and to type, and may enhance search engine optimization
.
In most forum software packages, human-friendly URLs are an afterthought implemented via web server rewrite rules
, and URLs often contain a numeric ID which represents the thread, while the remainder of the URL can in reality be any string:http://example.com/forum/12345/lets-use-friendly-urls and http://example.com/forum/12345/bogus-path-actually point to the same thread, http://example.com/forum/12345/ .
The only non-controversial counter-argument to using clean URLs is that they would be leaked in the HTTP referrer header field when a user clicks on an external link from a post, which is undesirable for private (sub)forums, since a URL derived from the topic title could convey sensitive information. This issue can be resolved by rewriting external links to point to a redirection page that performs referer hiding.
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
software packages.
Subarticles
This article is a comparison of some of the major features of the various Internet forum software packages currently available. This page highlights major features that the manager of a forum might want and should expect to be commonly available in different forum software. The subarticles below provide more detailed comparisons of specific software packages within categories defined by the software's architecture (ASP, PHP, etc.).- Comparison of forums written in ASP and ASP.NETComparison of Internet forum software (ASP)This is a comparison of the features of various Internet forum packages written in ASP, ASP.NET, and variations thereof.-General information:Basic general information about the forums: creator/company, license/price, etc.asp.net fourms-Features:...
- Comparison of forums written in PHPComparison of Internet forum software (PHP)This is a comparison of the features of various Internet forum packages written in PHP.- General information :Basic general information about the forums: creator/company, license/price etc.- Features :- Data storage :...
- Comparison of forums written in other languagesComparison of internet forum software (other)-----Comparison of Internet forum software...
Note: These comparisons do not include remotely hosted services (such as Proboards
ProBoards
ProBoards is a free, remotely hosted message board service that facilitates online discussions by allowing people to create their own online communities.-Ownership and Service Statistics:...
, ZetaBoards, ...) which use their own proprietary software
Proprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
, rather than offering a package for download which webmaster
Webmaster
A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...
s can host by themselves.
Feature explanation
Below is a brief explanation for each of the features compared in the subarticles. For a forum to qualify for a feature, the functionality must be available out of the boxOut of the box
Out of the box is the term used to denote items, functionalities, or features that do not require any additional installation. In addition to being used for tangible products, the phrase is often used in a less literal sense for software, which may not be distributed in an actual box but offer...
, not as an add-on
Add-on
Add-on might mean:* Plug-in , a piece of software which enhances another software application and usually cannot be run independently** Browser extension, which modifies the interface and/or behavior of web browsers...
, plugin, etc.
Flat vs. threaded
- A flat forum is one where each message is added onto the end of the discussion, with no set relation to any prior messages (other than being on the same discussion topic — except in case of Off-Topic posting). But, there is normally a feature to 'quote' another user's post, to allow referencing back to other posts.
- A threaded forum is one where users can specify their message is a reply to an existing message. Threaded forums can display relationships between message topics and associated replies, such as by indenting replies and placing them below the post they reference. Threaded forums are most commonly used for discussions where individual messages tend to be short, such as on social newsSocial newsA social news website is a type of website that features user-submitted stories that are ranked based on popularity.-Slashdot:Slashdot, started in 1997, was one of the first social news websites. It focuses mainly on science and technology related news. Users can submit stories, and the editors...
sites (e.g. SlashdotSlashdotSlashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
or redditRedditreddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page.Reddit was originally...
), or in commenting systems like DisqusDisqusDisqus is an online discussion and commenting service for websites and online communities that uses a networked platform. The company’s platform includes various features, such as social integration, social networking, user profiles, spam and moderation tools, analytics, email notifications, and...
.
Duplicate thread prevention
Many users do not bother to search a forum and directly create new threads to seek an answer to a question. On some forums, when the user types a new thread subject, the forum software brings up similar threads automatically on the side. This helps keep the number of redundant threads (or the overall forum pollution) to a lower level as users who neglect to search for a topic and are posting a thread may find the answer to their question as they are creating the new thread. Instead of having to search the forum, and then creating a thread if there is no satisfying answer, duplicate thread prevention allows the user to go and seek the answer to a topic. An example is Stack OverflowStack overflow
In software, a stack overflow occurs when too much memory is used on the call stack. The call stack contains a limited amount of memory, often determined at the start of the program. The size of the call stack depends on many factors, including the programming language, machine architecture,...
.
User-selectable themes
Most forums provide an option for the forum owner to customize the look and feel. Some forums also allow the administrator to create multiple styles or themes, and allow the user to choose which one they wish to view.Themes may simply be a different set of colors and graphics, or they may involve a different layout to the forum, such as one optimized for small-screen devices.
Calendar
Some forums provide calendar functionality for storing events and appointments, either per-user or as a forum-wide shared calendarCalendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
.
Image attachments
Most forums provide the option for a user to upload an image along with a message posting. This is usually accompanied by a space limit (e.g. 1MB per user) to prevent users from filling up the forum host's webspace. Some forums also allow other types of files to be uploaded. Some allow inline linkingInline linking
Inline linking is the use of a linked object, often an image, from one site by a web page belonging to a second site...
to images hosted on image hosting service
Image hosting service
An image hosting service allows individuals to upload images to an Internet website. The image host will then store the image onto its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view that image....
s.
One major usability issue is whether images can be uploaded to a forum and displayed inline in message postings easily (or at all). The presence of "image attachment uploading" does not imply that in-message display of images within the flow of message text is possible (or if possible, easy to achieve).
Unread message tracking
Unread message tracking refers to the way that is used by forum software to track and display messages that have not yet been read by the current user. This can be one of the following:- Session — when a user's session starts, this method relies on the user's "last visit time" to display all messages created since that date as unread. Everything that was posted before "last visit time" is considered "read" regardless of whether the user has actually seen it or not. Until the user's session expires, this method properly tracks read/unread messages, starting with messages that were selected as "unread" when the user's session started. This method is broadly used, due to the simplicity and speed benefits of only storing and checking against a single database value.
- Full — forum software which properly tracks what messages have been read or unread by each user, regardless of user session expiration. Some forum software also allows the user to 'mark as unread', so that they can come back to a message later.
Forum spam defenses
Most forums are at risk of continuous attack by forum spammers, largely promoting websites with no relevance to the forum's niche. Systems vary in how they are geared to defense, and checking the offering is an important consideration before selection. A forum cannot succeed unless there is an effective system of defense, and an efficient set of tools for spam removal.CAPTCHA
CAPTCHA
A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure that the response is generated by a person. The process usually involves one computer asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade...
s are a common feature used among most internet forum software and are often used to prevent automated registrations.
Banning or deleting membership should come as standard, with the ability to blacklist the username, email address or IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
for variable time spans.
Reference to an anti-forum spam database can be built into the forum software, or offered as add-ons for specific databases.
User-friendly URLs
Human-friendly forum URLs do not have a query stringQuery string
In World Wide Web, a query string is the part of a Uniform Resource Locator that contains data to be passed to web applications such as CGI programs....
and instead contain only the path of the topic. A user-unfriendly URL contains may contain cryptic parameters, numeric IDs, or file type extensions (e.g. .php) that do not matter to the user and could change if the forum is reimplemented using a different programming language. User-friendly URLs are easy to remember and to type, and may enhance search engine optimization
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
.
- Unclean URL example:
http://example.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&th=120029 - Clean URL example:
http://example.com/usability-issues/user-friendly-urls
In most forum software packages, human-friendly URLs are an afterthought implemented via web server rewrite rules
Rewrite engine
A rewrite engine is software that modifies a web URL's appearance . Rewritten URLs are used to provide shorter and more relevant-looking links to web pages...
, and URLs often contain a numeric ID which represents the thread, while the remainder of the URL can in reality be any string:
The only non-controversial counter-argument to using clean URLs is that they would be leaked in the HTTP referrer header field when a user clicks on an external link from a post, which is undesirable for private (sub)forums, since a URL derived from the topic title could convey sensitive information. This issue can be resolved by rewriting external links to point to a redirection page that performs referer hiding.
See also
- Comparison of Internet forum software (ASP)Comparison of Internet forum software (ASP)This is a comparison of the features of various Internet forum packages written in ASP, ASP.NET, and variations thereof.-General information:Basic general information about the forums: creator/company, license/price, etc.asp.net fourms-Features:...
- Comparison of Internet forum software (PHP)Comparison of Internet forum software (PHP)This is a comparison of the features of various Internet forum packages written in PHP.- General information :Basic general information about the forums: creator/company, license/price etc.- Features :- Data storage :...
- Comparison of internet forum software (other)Comparison of internet forum software (other)-----Comparison of Internet forum software...
External links
- Forum Software Reviews Forum Comparator, Reviews and Demonstrations.
- Online Comparison of Forum Software at Forummatrix.org
- Forum Software Resources, Help & Advice @ Admin Forums
- Forum Software Discussions at The Admin Zone
- Forum Software Comparison & Discussion
- The largest Message Boards and Forums on the web Forum software used is listed.