Bottom line though is if you can't afford it, then you can't afford it. We can give you all the information in the World but if you don't have the money for it then we're not going to be able to assist you in that department.

There are alternatives if you have to go down that road but if you're new at this type of software you'll find it difficult at best to get it going and keep it going beyond a VERY basic board.

No. I am more of a Pro on Bulletin Boards than you think. I am sure I know more than you about this. Just because the price is over $200 doesn't mean it is better.

You guys don't like newbies asking here (like in phpBB you said), that is a very stupid attitude. Well, I will see if I will buy UBBThreads, will let you guys know then.

Hi Alexander -

Perhaps we're trying too hard. I don't think there's a "general attitude" against newbies here at all. Joking around here and there, maybe, but probably with the intent to convey that because this product is less mainstream (and not free), it seems to attract a bit more sophisticated customer base.

Only you can decide was is right for your site. You've taken it for a spin here, and are encouraged to continue to see all that Threads has to offer. If you'd like to check out the Admin area, you can ask for a demo here. I think you'll find it to be very user-friendly and much more powerful than many other products.

As for the cost, sure, it may seem* like more than most others. But having tried almost all other BB products out there (like you), I've found that you usually get what you pay for. And to me it's rather moot considering the value (to me) of the community that I've built, and the helpful community here. And it doesn't hurt that my sites are reasonably profitable so I'm still way ahead of the game.

*Let me quickly compare some key points of Threads vs another popular alternative:

"$149.99" is cheaper in the short term, sure. But that's good for "6 months of support/upgrades". Add another $25 for another 6 months. Now you're up to $175. "2 business day ticket response" can seem like a lifetime when your forums are down. I've gotten help here sometimes in minutes, and certainly within an hour or two. If you want "1 business day turn around" yet still only "6 months of support" you're now up to "$299.99" for a "Business License", plus another $50 for the next 6 months. That's $350. I like their product as well, but when I add it up, to me it doesn't compare, IMHO.

But as I said, whatever's right for you is, well, right for you. Good luck on whichever solution you decide upon!

JG

Hello jgeoff!

Thanks for your answers. I know that you mean IPB, but how do you think UBB Threads compare to FusionBB and vBulletin?

I registered for the demo for like 3 days ago, yet no email.

The email is automated and should come immediately after you sign up for the demo. Since it's only available for 24 hours, the original has expired already. Go ahead and sign up for another one, if you don't receive an email (check your spam folder as well), then let me know and I'll give you the URL once it's setup.

Thanks Rick.

It was in the Spam filter. I will check it out.

I have nothing against other comparable products - But if you take a look at this comparison chart, for instance, keep in mind that some of those "NO's" under Threads should be "YES's", and most others are currently under development for a near-future release (as far as I know). There are also features that they don't list there that Threads already provides, like the Shout Box, and will likely provide in the future (blogs).

They all have their pros/cons, but as I said, UBB was right for me.

Okey, I tried out the admin control panel! Pretty neat. I love the style of UBB.

Some questions, what are post islands?

Can I get RSS news to a specified forum?

Can I search inside a topic?

I have put member ratings and topic ratings on, where do I rate a topic? I have turned it on in the ACP, but I don't see any "Rate Topic" nor "Rate Member".

Can I get more stuff to show beside each post? Such as MSN/AIM or something simular or custom profile fields or fields that user has edited?

Can I make custom profile fields?

How to for example hide avatars for guests? Where do I find that permission system?

Also is there a rating system for user's post? Can I show the rating/karma beside each post?

Post islands are basically small blocks that contain recent posts or topics. You can see one in use here on the left side entitled "Recent Topics".

Yes, you can create an RSS feed for a specific forum or for multiple forums.

You cannot search inside an individual topic at this time.

Rating a topic is under the "Topic Options" dropdown. Rating a member is done from their profile screen.

To add more things besides each post would currently take a template modification, would be fairly simple and could be requested at UBBDev.com.

Yes, you can make 5 custom profile fields. These can be setup on the Registration Settings -> Registration Screen Tab in the control panel.

Show user avatars for anon users is set under Display Options -> General -> Topic Display Options.

You can't rate individual user posts at this time. Only the user or the topic itself.

So much for saving Rick some time...

Some questions, what are post islands?

Post Islands aka content islands are the boxes you see on the left and right - you can create your own and put whatever content you'd like in them. See my forum for an example of placing Google or other ads. See: CP > Custom Islands

Can I get RSS news to a specified forum?

You can set up RSS feeds for any/all forums. See: CP > RSS Feeds

Can I search inside a topic?

You can search specific forums or all forums. Also search by Member. You might be able to search a particular thread if you include the thread title with your search term. I think Search needs a little more work, but I'm hoping it'll be fine-tuned as the software grows.

I have put member ratings and topic ratings on, where do I rate a topic? I have turned it on in the ACP, but I don't see any "Rate Topic" nor "Rate Member".

At the top of each thread you'll see a "Rate this Topic" pulldown. I don't have "Rate Member" enabled, but I assume it'd be in the pulldown when clicking on the person's name next to a post. (There are a few neat shortcuts in those pulldowns, actually)

Can I get more stuff to show beside each post? Such as MSN/AIM or something simular or custom profile fields or fields that user has edited?

All those fields are displayed in a person's profile. You can pretty easily add them under their names in posts with edits to the appropriate templates.

Can I make custom profile fields?

There is space for a few extra fields already built in. Check out your own profile options and preferences.

How to for example hide avatars for guests? Where do I find that permission system?

Hmmm... can't seem to find that for only Guest users. I thought it was in an earlier version. But you may be able to set that in Group permissions?

Also is there a rating system for user's post? Can I show the rating/karma beside each post?

Just Topics and Member Ratings at this point. I don't even use Member Ratings because it could cause ill-will and hurt feelings. I'm sure the same about Post Ratings, if it was an option.