Well the problem with converting to another forum is not so much as transferability but rather interopability. If it came down to it here is a list of items that would be needed just like phpbb.

1. Forum management
2. Blog management
3. Newletter management
4. Gallery management
5. Communication management
6. Easy add-on management (no core file hacking)

Those are just a few of things that places like PRO need in a software. Now, if we had to hack core files to ensure that all of these items worked together without requiring different logins or basically recoding several files then it would really not be worth the time.

But, if you take one system (ExpressionEngine) and it combines all of the above plus adds modules, plugins, add-ons, and extensions as one integrated system; then that is a where PRO needs to go.

However, that is not to say there are not other systems out there that combine all of this. It is just the fact that this particular application does more than everything and is fairly priced.

We can't just think of PRO as a forum any more. We have blogs, galleries, newsletters, and much more that has to transfer over as well. And that is the overall idea behind moves like this. Not thinking about what we need "now" but what is better for us "now" and "later".

Just be patient with us as we transition over and you will see a much better system indeed.

jbullard wrote:

However, that is not to say there are not other systems out there that combine all of this. It is just the fact that this particular application does more than everything and is fairly priced.

So I checked out this Expression Engine and I thought that it looked really amazing and I figured that it was exactly what I needed for this one site I've been working on. But I didn't realized it cost money... I guess you just come to expect that these things are open source, like phpBB or WordPress that it just is surprising when it's not free.

But other than that, the core version looks pretty sweet and I definitely think that that sounds like a cool upgrade for PRO.

It really is incredible. I've been converting HSO over to it for the last three weeks now, and the things I'm able to do... wow. It's not always easy figuring out how to do certain things, but ultimately it IS possible - and that's the key. With phpbb we had so many roadblocks that were impossible to overcome, even when we hacked the files. And believe me, we've hacked PRO's php files to pieces over the years.

EE has not required me to hack a SINGLE php file yet. That's just incredible considering what all I'm doing. It took me less than a week of using EE to realize its potential here at PRO. In fact, I am hoping we'll be using it at my "real" job too. The folks there have been impressed with it thus far too.

It's going to take time... but it'll be worth it.

Yeah, ExpressionEngine is actually amazing!

It integrates forums, blogs, and much more easily without hacking!

Which version are you planning to get?



Good Luck!

It'll be the latest version... I think licensing is all that differs. PRO can probably get by with a personal license, but I have the professional license for HSO already.

thats great :D!

The more I work with EE, the more I realize how much phpbb sucks for what we've been trying to do with it.

Appreciate the patience folks... we're making progress and hopefully we'll start moving the pieces over really soon.

I agree that vBulletin offers the best of what forums have to offer -- surely the price would be worth it!

I get scared when people start mentioning "alternatives" like this "EE" which I've never heard of. I've been to many-a-forum and can tell you horror stories just because the owner won't pay for a forum / or makes a bad choice for a free alternative. Surley ProNET can't be hurting for cash

Although I trust that whatever option you choose, You guys will make sure it's set up right. Or at least assure me you won't do anything like let the search remain broken for over a year.

P.S. PLEASE whatever engine you go with, make sure it has the ability to search either "Subject" only, or "Message text only" and ability to search posts STARTED by user, not all posts the user has ever posted in. The search is definentally most lacking at PRO-Net

P.S. Oh i forgot to read page two, you're going with EE? Please assure me there's a good explanation to why I've never heard of it before. Ever.

Let's put it this way. First, EE isn't free. It has licenses; the one we need is more than vBulletin, but barely. It also has fantastic support. Ironically they call it the "PRO Network." I, like you, had never heard of EE before most of this post. So I was a skeptic too. You play this game long enough you know to be cautious.

BUT... I'm pleasantly surprised with something I'd never heard of.

EE can do just about anything you can think up. Seriously, I've yet to find something it can't do. Usually it's my own knowledge that has hindered me. This mainly is bc php can be executed in the EE templates, allowing endless possibilities. EE is different in that it's a lot more than tempaltes, files, and a database. It's about GROUPS of content in a database, templates that run them, and beneath it all files that do the work (that I never have to hack, bc the templates are the workhorse). Plus there are lots of people writing modules, plugins, and extensions for it - all that expand functionality either a little or a lot.

www.Hawaii-Guide.com is running EE and I've spend the last month converting it. PRO will be even more powerful in EE because of what EE can do that phpbb, VB, etc cannot. They are mostly forum based systems. EE is a Content Management System, and is extremely flexible.

So while you may not have heard about them yet... trust me, you will as they grow. A system like this doesn't stay silent for long. The main complaint I hear about EE is that is does MORE than most bloggers need. So that may be why it hasn't grow into popularity in that market. But for sites the size of PRO, it's a perfect fit.

Folks I assure you this project is in good hands. Jason is personally handling the conversion of our data into EE and Jason is the most talented coder I've ever known. On the server side Eric has done a wonderful job of already setting up our new server (I doubt many of you even noticed the switch). I've been doing this stuff for 11 years now, so I have some experience myself.

Trust us... it'll be worth it.

OK, reality check. EE is going to offer us LOTS of things we can't do now. We'll be able to split content up and display it in ways that make our current methods look silly. Plus it'll all be SEO friendly and completely (and easily) search-able. That'll include down to the very comments of various entries (like guides, etc). A lot of our site will no longer be inside a forum environment.

The current forum of EE is about the equivalent of what we have now plus a few perks (like subforums, RSS feeds, etc). Plus, the forum and the rest of the site (news, blogs, guides, etc) will all share a common user base. Overall I'd say the forum move is a lateral move. So why do it?

EE 2.0 is on the horizon and unlike the phpbb guys, they actually meet their milestones. So we should have EE 2.0 by the end of summer or early fall at the latest. That should mean phpbb3 functionality in a much better CMS system.