List of forums using phpBB

[JLA]

Anybody remember Big-Boards? They “were” one of the best sites to track PHPBB boards.

http://web.archive.org/web/201305300643 ... oards.com/

Fixed

[Malactind]

The method of searching through google will not show the exact number of sites because there may be duplicates

[warmweer]

The method of searching through google will not show the exact number of sites because there may be duplicates

... which implies the number reported will be too high.
In fact the number reported will almost certainly be too low.

[trekz]

Anybody remember Big-Boards? They “were” one of the best sites to track PHPBB boards.

http://web.archive.org/web/201305300643 ... oards.com/

Ah yes! So nolstalgic... what ever happened to them?

[vfwgmg]

So I checked a couple of topics here, one dated back to 2007, and also used that Google search tool link provided in one of the topics, but as somebody noted there were a fair number of duplicate listings (no surprise) BUT it was a very 'iffy' results list from Google. Lots of tech sites and such and many with like about one or two topics/forums with maybe 10 posts total and if one were to not dig deeper one might think that for a "standard" discussion platform on something like current events in a phpBB format simply doesn't exist?

Sorry, that "question" got way long.

Just wondering if there is some sort of list available that can provide results of phpBB sites that are still "alive"? Something like this site right here?

Thank you for any assistance.

[Paul]

No.

[vfwgmg]

Thank you for taking the time to respond, Paul. I made some extra time today to poke around and used your country's fine search tool 'StartPage' and it was helpful in a way that raises it a notch or two above Google.

Found a very large and active Russian site using the phpBB platform. And a very incomplete list of others, but the "incomplete" isn't a big deal. I'll devote some time to this as the results seem promising, if one is patient and has the time.

Then I remembered a site/company where I know one of the founders from some time ago and they analyze all sorts of data from/on the Web, and he seemed surprised when I pointed him to where I was first checking into this (here, where I started) because he pointed me to this URL: < https://www.phpbb.com/showcase/ >. Paul, isn't that a sort of list? And isn't it in some manner connected to this site where I am posting now?

But, on the other hand, I'm in my 8th decade on the planet and maybe my brain has things all twisted around and I should apologize for bothering you because I have things all twisted around.

[EA117]

What crosses my mind is that any one of the bot networks phpBB owners are frequently observing accessing their sites would probably have a pretty good idea how many sites they're crawling which are phpBB-based. But those bot networks aren't necessarily in the business of giving out that information, at least not for free, except perhaps indirectly like when we query Google web page results for identifiers we know would be phpBB-specific.

In short looking around, I did find https://rescan.io/technology/phpbb/ which claims to be updating their list daily, and lets you download the entire list (in exchange for cash), and also lets you see totals for other forums (https://rescan.io/category/message-boards/). For what its worth.

[vfwgmg]

Thank you, EA117. Actually, my acquaintance of many years ago and his company also require cash for any sort of list and I was allowed a bit of a look primarily at his surprise that I was still alive. He'd picked up news of my medical troubles from our mutual Google acquaintances ... Well, yes, money does the trick.

But I have time to put together a list and am wondering if it is legal here to post such a list?

Maybe other members will see a list in the making and wish to add their own site.

By the way, the number that company has in their files at present is there are 7,800 sites using the phpBB platform. That Russian site sure was a busy looking community. And I ran into some discussions on some sites as to why some folks are shifting away from phpBB to other platforms. That had me wondering if such a discussion existed around this community. I keep running into time restrictions with projects and don't always have time to be checking all I should. I kind of stumbled into this project by accident, as I have to change servers for a phpBB based forum.

[KevC]

I don't get what the point of a list of phpBB forums is.

People don't join them because of the software, they join because of the subject. The software is utterly irrelevant.

Only a tiny fraction of actual owners come to this site and why would they add their own when google etc do a much better job of finding it.

[vfwgmg]

I don't get what the point of a list of phpBB forums is.

People don't join them because of the software, they join because of the subject. The software is utterly irrelevant.

Only a tiny fraction of actual owners come to this site and why would they add their own when google etc do a much better job of finding it.

Well, I fully realize I am an old fart and way past my prime and probably a bit dense, BUT I have some confusion here.

First I am told a flat "No." there is no list by a team member here. But when I start poking around I find out there is a page with the tag "showcase" and I reckon that is a "showcase" of phpBB sites.

Now another team member comes in here and seems to be indicating that "showcase" page is useless.

Y'all don't have to work so hard to make this old fart so confused.

THEN, I read this:
..........

The software is utterly irrelevant.

I reckon those that might be in jobs associated with marketing of software could handle that line a whole bunch better than some old fart who is plenty confused already. Actually, I'm still having a hard time believing that was posted by one of the team members here. And don't nobody try and come in here and make the case that as this software is free it don't make a hill of beans if positive thoughts, ratings and such are leveled toward the good and the bad of this software. Or are you folks already in that "We're Giving Up." mode of thought? More than twenty something years I have been extolling to others how cool the phpBB platform is and now I read that from one of the team members here!?

[KevC]

The showcase is just a small example of some sites using phpBB to give a little inspiration if you want to make it look a bit different.

You're talking about a list of every site. I didn't say phpBB was irrelevant. I said a list of sites running that software is, because people don't care what the forum software is, they're joining a site because of the subject it covers.

[vfwgmg]

The showcase is just a small example of some sites using phpBB to give a little inspiration if you want to make it look a bit different.

You're talking about a list of every site. I didn't say phpBB was irrelevant. I said a list of sites running that software is, because people don't care what the forum software is, they're joining a site because of the subject it covers.

Well, I suspect I came on a fair bit too hardcore in my last post here, and I apologize.

But I think the looks of a landing page upon first sight is a biggie when people are choosing a community for whatever subject they may be interested in, so I totally disagree that looks aren't important. And there are a whole lot of folks that are not on the Net for any other reason than to just check out communities they may stumble upon or may have been told about; not because of a specific subject.

Now, the last decade or so it seems that a cute style on a landing page has been in fashion. How I would define 'cute' would take a lot of writing, but just one example is so many popular sites are not even clear about what folks are discussing until a person clicks on this and that to get to the heart of a discussion. Whereas a phpBB style is many times so easy to grab the essence of what's going on in the community just by looking at the landing page. And I think that is a style that is returning. I think as the younger folks gain a bit of age they also get tired of 'cute' and like communities that are more on the 'plain' side in layout.

As for that list I was referring to, I'm not at all interested in every site that is using this platform. I'm thinking/aiming more for maybe the top 20 or so. Now I get that idea of the 'showcase' list, but wish to take that just a tad step or so further. I'm actually a bit surprised it hasn't already been done already on this platform; in this community.

I think in one of my posts here in this topic I was posting something about if the rules here allow for me to produce and show that list here? If I haven't already asked that question, my error. Then I'm asking now?

[Mick]

The original topic title has been answered. And, before you pull out the old fart trump card (he he) again, I’m probably older than you so not an excuse.

I was posting something about if the rules here allow for me to produce and show that list here?

If you can produce it yourself go for it but I’d be surprised if such a list would be allowed here as it could be deemed as advertising or spam but, you never know.

[vfwgmg]

Thank you for the feedback. I hadn't thought about that. Yep, definite food for thought. But now my curiosity has picked up on this, especially earlier today when I accidentally ran into quite a list using the StartPage search engine while looking for information about a certain browser and the phpBB platform.

Yep, that 'No Spam' rule could be a stop sign. I'll think about that one down the road. I've gotten all behind on this project here. Well, two projects, actually.

Oh yes, and that aging thing, seems to me that after about 70 it doesn't really matter how much further one gets as all the age type problems don't go away as you get older. And my case I'm being stuffed with quite an array of pills because of the cancer and the twisted up backbone. Even feeding me some sort of bone marrow stuff. I decided a couple years ago to simply view this as a new adventure. Fact is, so many decades ago when I was on active duty I never dreamed I'd make it this far. As many close ones I had makes this a sort of gift.

Yep, 'Old Age' the 'Last Adventure'! Have fun doing it!!