What BBs have you tried as an owner/administrator/moderator

[deadnewton]

Please vote and post your comments and give reasons for using one or leaving one, briefly....

[H]

I tried out a whole load of alternatives before finding SMF. I used WWF (web wiz forums) for a bit when it was 'more free' than it is now.

[karlbenson]

When i was looking for forum software I tried all the so called 'top rated' forum software.

With criteria of security, design, customization, and security.
Price was less of a factor.

After testing each one, I chose SMF.  After discounting the others one by one.

This is of course my own opinion and not on behalf SMF, but
Needless to say, my second choice was vBulletin. (and if i'm asked for an alternative to SMF, thats the one I usually send people to.)

[shadow82x]

There should be an option for all of above.

haha I tried all those if not more bbs before using SMF.

[perplexed]

I tried a few before using smf and experimented with a couple more on test sites after I set up with smf just out of curiosity, and honestly I don't care for any of them.  There are either issues with security, customisation, or I just don't care for the layout.  I really dislike vbulletin despite its reputation.

[redone]

I think I have tried most and SMF always for me comes on top. To be fair vB is good and phpBB has come along way but none of them are SMF!

[Neol]

PHPBB, IPB, vB, WowBB, UBB Classic, MyBB, Joomlaboard and Fireboard. Well the most of the forum softwares

[vbgamer45]

I tried nearly all of them. phpBB then a little vBulletin but now just install SMF.

[Skuzzy]

I ran vbulletin for a long time.  I tried phpBB and just did not care for it.  SMF, with some mods, ended up being smaller and faster than either vbulletin ot phpBB and with very little compromise in features.

There is an intangible I cannot wrap my finger around, but something about this site that has made the decision to go with SMF a good one.

[ApplianceJunk]

SMF is the first and only one I have tried.
I see no point in giving any other one a try now.

[Oldiesmann]

YaBB SE is the only other one I've really used as an admin/board owner (although I have played with most of the other well-known systems at some point). I developed an early hatred for phpBB due to its popularity (every forum I visited was using it) and IPB never really interested me for some reason. I did try a few hosted systems before settling in with a hosted YaBB SE forum at boardnation (at the time, they only hosted YaBB SE and there was no "points" system or option to display ads). I never looked back and "migrated" to SMF with a large crowd of YaBB SE users.

[aishaweb]

SMF is number one out of the free ones.

vBulletin is a close second, 2 things annoy me, there isnt a "Show unread posts since last visit." button, and obviously the price, but warez therez a will therez a way. 

[Oldiesmann]

Don't download illegal copies from warez sites (or anywhere else). Would you want someone doing that to your software if you had worked hard to produce something like that?

As a reminder, vB does provide free demos through their website, so if you want to play with it, do it that way.

[louislam123]

I have to agree with karlbenson, I'm pretty much stuck between vBulletin ad SMF.

[Tony Reid]

Was trying out YaBB Gold and IkonBoard - then some folks on Yabbs site were talking about a new php version of YaBB and then YaBBSE was born... which I followed all the way to SMF

I've also had to manage a couple of PHPBB installs and really didn't like it.

If I were to chose an alternative to SMF then it would be vB.... although I dont like vB's admin side that much.

[louislam123]

actually, some parts of the vB admin is actually easier, like the ability to edit the files.

[danurve]

I am currently using Mbbs (Megga BBS) and looking at alternates.
Good friend of mine who runs another well used forum uses simple machines and seems pleased.
Mbbs is an asp based forum and uses an Access database.
For the most part it's features and administrative abilities are quite adaptable. But it's development and support seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.
A switch could be quite cumbersome. I have a main site that has a sort of portal interface, alot of time went into custom work. And then there would be the data. Access is no gem, but I am familiar with it as well as some asp. Now I've combed through some of the conversion posts I didn't see but 1 post about Mbbs and the poster vanished. I was impressed there is support and attemps to help though.
Oviously asp - access, guys are probably thinking oh no - windows server. Sneers aside it actually runs smooth. I've had other Linux based hosting, Cpanel makes it a snap, MyPHPadmin for the wiki sql, that kind of jazz.
And so I guess I'll lurk for a bit. 
Seems like a nice forum system, simple machines. Need to check out some options like rss, how firefox users might adapt, calendar options, the usuall.
Cheers. 

[Kindred]

lol...  I started with dialup forums (BBS)
Mustang Wildcat and WWIV
I eventually switched to Yahoo and MSN Groups and then tried phpBB.

SMF is the best of all, so far (although WWIV was pretty sweet for the time.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

I have tried a few, but mainly have come to know phpbb and SMF.
SMF has been an easy choice, since it is so easy to customize, it is in active development,
it is free, I like the functionality, look and feel a lot more than phpbb's, and the support here is awesome.