W-agora forum program

I am not someone who likes limitations. I also do not like having to impose limitations on my site members based on design limitations in programs. While there are dozens of PHP/MySQL forum programs, most are copies of the Vbulletin linear format. Only a few differ from that format, leaving few choices for the site admin who prefers a threaded format.

Assumptions and inaccuracies about the threaded format can be found on many a linear format development site. They ignore realities such as the threaded format being found on the largest forums and also overlook the reasons why so many people prefer a threaded format. The issue of forum programs is one I have done much research on over the years and I have helped develop a perl forum program via a multitude of suggestions and hacks.

In the PHP/MySQL arena,there are two known threaded programs. One is Phorum,which can be configured as either linear or threaded. Its developers are committed to keeping it a simple, fast and light program. In other words, it lacks all but the simplest of features and will remain feature light. Any additional features will have to be made by modification to the program. This renders Phorum unsuitable for many people who would just as soon not have to build a forum program and who would prefer one already assembled as they want it.

The other program is W-agora, a most unique program. It is a truism in software development that there is a scale that ranges from easy to learn and use but limited in design and flexibility on one end, to extremely flexible yet requiring of more time to learn it at the other end. W-agora is at the latter end. It does not follow the heavily traveled road that so many other programs have taken but struck out on a different path, one that has no other travelers on it.

W-agora is easy to install and do basic configuration, such as the appearance of a forum. It gets more complicated implementing certain features as code snippets must be added in the desired location. The infinite flexibility in design and function requires a greater knowledge of the program in order to produce the desired effect.

With W-agora, an admin can satisfy all members of a site. Only WA can allow both threaded and flat formats. Some linear programs (Vbulletin 3, UBBThreads, etc.) have added threaded views while some open source programs have hacks to add threaded views, but it takes more than a threaded view to make a threaded program. Only W-A allows for fully threaded operation, including NT posts.

Lacking the existence of The Ideal PHP/MySQL Forum Program, W-agora is the closest in many respects. While it is a stand alone program, a registration and login interface was recently developed for PN and will be made available to MDP users as soon as its conversion has been tested. It lacks many of the features associated with CMS integration and its ranking is indicative of that fact. As a stand alone program with no consideration of integration, I would rate it much higher.

Added:  Thursday, July 15, 2004
Reviewer:  Duster
Score:
Related Link:  W-agora
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Language: eng