What are the must have Mods and Packages on a fresh SMF install?

[stinger_six]

So I am new to SMF, got the forum up and have finished tweaking the design.

I am very happy so far, but I am a bit overwhelmed with all the Mods and Packages you can add to the forum.  So I ask what are the basic Mods and Packages that you guys would recommend for anybody on a Fresh Install?  So far I have only added the Google Analytics package.

Thanks!

[Wellwisher]

These are must have, kick-ass Mods for SMF. I couldn't live without them.  All of them work on 2.0.11. Also I have learn't how to make custom modifcations
so I don't require additional mods.

01.    Add Social Media Icons To Profiles    
02.    YouTube BBCode    
03.    Bookmarks
04.    SMF Likes Plus    
05.    Default Avatar
06.    Ad Managment    
07.    Add Facebook Like, Tweet, and Google +1    
08.    GoogAd Mod
09.    @mention members    
10.    SimplePortal
11.    TopicRenamer
12.    Simple Audio Video Embedder

[Gluz]

I have only 2 of these MODs in my sites and only SimplePortal is actually a Must for me because my own MOD need it to publish articles in the front page, other than that there are no Must have MODs, only MODs you could probably like or that are usefull for your site topic.

The Default Avatar one depends on your theme, some themes come with a default avatar if user not specify something.

Maybe a Spoiler BBCode Tag is one of the few not default BBCodes that are actually a Must have, to hide content that really spoils some topic to others (TV show plot, book, movie, etc) or just to make a smaller content post for a good looking thread.

But as I said, it really depends on your forum topic, average user age, and things like that.

[br360]

Over the years of using SMF I think I have actually installed and tested practically every single mod to play around with on various sites. What one person likes and think would be a "must have mod" could be completely different than what someone else would want and use.

The best advice I could give would be to start to build a community on your forum to get members active. Once members start joining and they start creating content, you could then put up a thread asking for their feedback in what they would like to see added.

At the same time, you could also start cruising the mod site say a page or two at a time to read up on all the mods, see what they do, and see what interests you and what you think would work best for your community.

Installing a bunch of mods can get addicting, so I would also recommend creating a test site where you can go crazy with different mods you want to test out first before actually installing them on your main site. Try installing them, uninstalling them; see what ones work well with each other, what ones may not, etc.

[lurkalot]

My advice would be build a test site, either locally or hosted and try out any mods there before experimenting on your live site.  Things can very quickly turn into a mess if something goes wrong, and you don't want to drive your members away before you even get going.

There's so many mods nowadays. some are do the same job or similar, some do it better than others. So you really need to check out what works best for you.

Biggest tip I can give you is, decide and install the theme(s) you're going to use before installing any mods.  That'll save you a lot of hassle further down the line. 

[Ken.]

A test site is one of the most important tools that you can have in your tool box!
As mentioned already, there are loads of Mods for SMF, including portals, galleries and themes and you will have to make your own choices based on the needs of your forum.

The nice thing about a test site is that if you break it and you will, it's an easy reload without worrying about losing your content or member base.

[njtweb]

These are must have, kick-ass Mods for SMF. I couldn't live without them.  All of them work on 2.0.11. Also I have learn't how to make custom modifcations
so I don't require additional mods.

01.    Add Social Media Icons To Profiles    
02.    YouTube BBCode    
03.    Bookmarks
04.    SMF Likes Plus    
05.    Default Avatar
06.    Ad Managment    
07.    Add Facebook Like, Tweet, and Google +1    
08.    GoogAd Mod
09.    @mention members    
10.    SimplePortal
11.    TopicRenamer
12.    Simple Audio Video Embedder

Where do you get Likes Plus? I clicked the link and it's a help forum. I can't find the download and it's not on the official SMF mods site.

[Illori]

you have to register and then you can download the attachment.

[njtweb]

Thank you! 

[Wellwisher]

you have to register and then you can download the attachment.

Illori you made the Likes Plus system possible mate? Illori you're a true SMF pioneer, I am a huge fan of your Likes modication. When I began using SMF for the first time, you have no idea, how long I tried searching for a 'Likes' feature on SMF. I can't stress how important a likes system is for a forum. I spent a good two months maybe more searching for a solution and found a review about your mod. I just wanted something really simple, easy to use and manage. My members love it. It gets members interacting more with the sites content. It actually boosts actively and well coded, very light weight! Thank you so much tbh. It's also good to see 2.1 adopting this, it's probably your hard work and code.  .

[Illori]

i made some of it and had some help with the rest.