Upgrading to vBulletin forum

[ian27]

Hello,

I currently have a Mambo site and a phpbb forum on the site which runs outside of Mambo. The forum is now becoming a lot more popular, and I am considering upgrading the forum for better search facilities and possibly admin control.

I wanted to know how easy is it to install vBulletin with Mambo? And how easy is it to upgrade from phpbb (ie. I want to carry all of the same graphics and MySQL information onto it. I can't afford to lose any data)?

Thank you.

Ian

[WoundedVeins]

Restoring all your data from your database of phpBB is easily done, I managed to do it.

vBulletin is your answer for great communitys. phpBB is ok but since I got vBulletin I never looked back thats for sure.

Mambo = portal system?

[xmitchx]

If your phpBB was seperate from your mambo, then you wouldn't have to "integrate" it persay. vBulletin provides ways to syndicate threads from specific forums if you wish to make a list of new threads or anything like that, but I have no experience with this so I am not the person to ask regarding this. If phpBB was built into mambo as a component then you may have to search to see if a vBulletin component was made, otherwise, you'll have to seperate forums from portal, or hire a programmer to create a vB component for you.

[WoundedVeins]

most web portal systems have a modified version of phpBB embedded into them.

[ian27]

Thanks guys for the quick responses.

So what would you then say are the main advantages of using vBulletin over phpbb?

WoundedVeins, I had a quick look at your website and forum, I really like the design, very futuristic and techy!

Thanks again,

Ian

[xmitchx]

Check out this thread for advantages to vB over other forum software (including phpBB):

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128151&highlight=vbulletin+phpBB

Remember, the search feature is your friend There have been tons of people out there wanting to know the advantage of vB over x forum.

[WoundedVeins]

thanks dude for compliment on site, its very basic to be honest. were actually a graphics group dealing in website design so we cannot afford to spend too long doing our own.

Anyway back on subject, there are 3 main software packages for forums Invision, phpBB and vBulletin.

I used all 3 now, phpBB being free will never come close to what vBulletin is, Invision is similar but the overall forum most ppl vote for is vBulletin, so if you decide to get vBulletin, you made the right choice.

Anyway i'll leave you to decide whether you want it, just sharing my thoughts.

Now as for your mambo thing, all the data for threads, posts, usernames, passwords etc should be all easily enough transferred to the new vBulletin board if you get it.

As for the skinning (graphics) I think you might have to re-configure it or start from scratch.