Elxis with vBulletin vs SMF vs phpBB

[cfb1972]

Hi Guys,

I'd like to use Elxis as the skeleton for a community website (hence Elxis will be in the root directory) and I'd like to use an external Forum for discussions.
My questions as follow:

1. My first preference is vBulletin as I've used that forum software in the past. Question: is any bridge out there to make this integration flawless?
2. Is there any other bridge to integrate well with Elxis I mean any other capable forum software?
3. I see you use here SMF...is this good compared with vBulletin or phpBB? My community can grou up to couple of 1000s of users...
4. From your experience would be better to place my forum in a subdomain or alongside Elxis? If Elxis crashes will Forum crashes as well if placed under the same umbrella? I see you here at Elxis use the subdomain but I would like to know why? Is this just a personal preference?

Thanks for your support,

Bob

[Amigamerlin]

Any reason why you don't take in consideration to use ELXIS Eforum? I didn't see it mentioned .
I can understand your request if we, ELXIS Users, don't have any component forum but we have E-forum and it's native for ELXIS.
Who can warranty you better than that ?
Bye

[cfb1972]

I want a more advanced Forum component ...although eForum might be an option in the end as it will provide better integration with the Elxis CMS...

[Amigamerlin]

I want a more advanced Forum component ...although eForum might be an option in the end as it will provide better integration with the Elxis CMS...

I can undertand that E-Forum is early but for what I've seen it has all the feature that a forum should have. What option is missed in e-forum in your opinion?

[webgift]

First of all Elxis don't crash  .
Amigamerlin  beats me as i can see.
eForum take a look on that component here : http://wiki.elxis.org/wiki/Eforum and read carefully all of advantages here : http://wiki.elxis.org/wiki/Category:Eforum

[cfb1972]

Let's put it this way: eForum is a good product but I want something that I'm familiar with.
On the other hand the integration is not a parampount thing with this particular project as I'm going to do the writting and the users are gonna do the chatting   ::)so...

[speck]

1. My first preference is vBulletin as I've used that forum software in the past. Question: is any bridge out there to make this integration flawless?

Every forum platform is good. Depends what you want and what you search.

2. Is there any other bridge to integrate well with Elxis I mean any other capable forum software?

No, also because your security is a risk. Is better use a component native for Elxis than not native, or those extensions (components, etc) modified and after checked to be used under Elxis.

3. I see you use here SMF...is this good compared with vBulletin or phpBB? My community can grou up to couple of 1000s of users...

3. We use SMF because eForum is a new component, and times ago eForum don't exist, otherwise we used eForum 

4. From your experience would be better to place my forum in a subdomain or alongside Elxis? If Elxis crashes will Forum crashes as well if placed under the same umbrella? I see you here at Elxis use the subdomain but I would like to know why? Is this just a personal preference?

If u want use a forum in the same domine and integrate with elxis, use eForum, so you'll have many advanges that Elxis offers...in first time security and stability.
In any case you can use the forum platform more like you, but in a subdomain and his database separated from elxis database, so if forum crash, only the forum crash  and the Elxis security is not a risk 

[datahell]

We dont need registered users on elxis.org, that's why we use a separate forum here. Also elxis.org is better protected this way (elxis.org gets attacked many times daily).

If you also dont need to have registered users on the elxis site you can install a separate forum application (anyone you like) as a standalone forum.

But if you wish the forum users to have access also to the site then there is only one solution: eForum. eForum might not be the best forum comparable to standalone applications such as SMF or vBulletin, but it has all the needed features and huge advantages: fast and easy integration, one administration console, secure, bind to Elxis security/users regulations. Just one click to install and you are ready! Brigdes have been abandoned as an integration technic as they are extremely slow, hard to set up, low protection, depend on both applications versions, etc, etc. Never use bridges!

Conclusion: If you absolutely need integration use eForum, else use a standalone forum (installed on a second database).

[cfb1972]

Very clear now, thanks a lot Datahell.
I think I'll go with an external Forum as there is no need for the users to interact with the content of the website.
I need also a template to look "business type"...but I'm searching through the libarary to see what can I get.

Once again a big thank you.
Bob