We are beginning to get alot of interest from new potential customers and customers thinking about switching from "other" products.
We have several long time community owners who have begun to use FusionBB beta. There are a few people who have begun using it in a production environment.
Many of their comments have been in a private beta forum, but I'm going to ask them to state their impressions here.
Thanks!
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Edited by JoshPet on 07-08-07 07:26 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
Jason Stix Buckley FusionBB Fanatic Total Posts: 1884 Location: Concord NC USA Average Post Ranks%:
I for one am very happy with the FusionBB forum product.
My first online experience managing a forum was back in 1999, running a video gaming forum for a gaming network. At that time we used a popular licensed flat file html forum program. Soon thereafter, I ran forums for a top 15 internet company with millions of viewers ... we used cold fusion programmed forums.
When I started my own venture, I went back to the flat file program I was familiar with, then converted it to a databased 'threaded' version of that company's product. I used this until I discovered FusionBB.
I was immediately impressed with what FusionBB was shaping up to be, and immediately decided that I was going to switch products.
My 4 year old site Motorsports Lounge ( www.motorsportslounge.com ) was switched LIVE to FusionBB Version .1 Beta , and I couldn't be happier. My members also have enjoyed the switch as it has made it easier for them to navigate, register and post. My official forum clients (like race drivers Mike Wallace, Chrissy Wallace and Erik Darnell) are also impressed with the switch, and I have many more drivers interested in becoming forum clients because of how well these forums work.
FusionBB, still in beta, has exceeded my expectations already. With the features in there now and the features on the way, I definately made the right choice switching to FBB!
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment www.stixfx.com
Jason Stix Buckley FusionBB Fanatic Total Posts: 1884 Location: Concord NC USA Average Post Ranks%:
One other thing I forgot to mention was the attention the FBB staff gives to it's clients. I have never seen this kind of support and assistance from any other forum product company. The FBB team has worked great with myself and other beta testers to help fix problems we might have had or impliment ideas that we have wanted. In the industry of forum management over the last year or two, it seems the quality of the products and the staff that makes them is going downhill. Not with the FBB gang! They are DEFINATELY going up!
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment www.stixfx.com
greg FusionBB Fanatic Total Posts: 4956 Location: Tombstone, AZ Average Post Ranks%:
About 3 years ago I started a small forum dedicated to truck drivers and their families. I began by using another very popular product and for sometime was very happy with it. Then, along came Josh and his team with this new product called FusionBB. I took a look at it and decided it might be worthwhile exploring further. To make a long story short, one look and I quickly signed up for the beta team. This software is beating ANYTHING else I've looked at or ran and keeps getting better. It's the MOST configurable software I've seen and it's all done via permissions from the Admin Control Panel. While I've not switched my production site over to it, that will be happening in the very near future. Things that required either hacking the code of the other software or finding extra programs to try and interface with it are now included in Fusion, such as a very nice Main Entrance page and photo "albums", along with sub-forums. To sum it up, it's beating the other software hands down and will only get better.
On to the support. Simply, it's the BEST I've ever found! These guys respond extremely fast and it never takes them long to resolve your problem.
I started a small forum (700 members) a couple of years ago and went with the product I was dealt at the time. I started looking for ways to make it better and came across Josh. He has helped me with modifications to my current software for about a year and a half. His dedication to customer service is what attracted me to FusionBB. When they announced the software they were building I was one of the first in line for beta testing. What I see is amazing so far and I think they have just started to scratch the surface. They know they have a good thing and the customer support is second to none.
Although I haven't made the switch on my main forums yet because I just can't do without some of the modifications I have made to it, I have started another forum with FusionBB beta for a new venture and I am patiently (sometimes not so patiently ) waiting for them to start on some modifications so I can make the switch on my main site.
I have told Josh that even though my license is still good with the other product, I will definately be the first in line to pay for this one. Great job guys!!!!
In our 5th year we have grown to over 24,000 members. And have switched five times to different hosting providers and two different forum products.
As soon as I saw the announcement about a new startup company InteractivePHP was launching a new product FusionBB I did my research. It didn't take me long to make a decision that FusionBB WILL be our next forum engine.
The biggest factor in this decision was the people involved in this endeavor, they are not some corporate conglomerate but like many of us, users and hackers at heart.
They truly understand what it is that the users are asking for. They listen and welcome feedback no matter how grand the request may be.
I am extremely committed to going forward with FusionBB and can't wait to get feedback from my members. I am positive it will be the best upgrade we have ever made. I am confident that my users will be blown-away by the quality and features included in this product which will be a testament to the developers.
The design approach to FuisonBB follows the K.I.S. (Keep it Simple) principal. And this will make board admins and moderator's job easier cause they can focus their efforts on the content on their site and less in running a forum. This is best testimony when running a discussion forum is when you have 100's of members joining daily and newbies never have to ask How Do I [insert your question here].
Stephen Dolenski FileMaker 7 Certified Developer FileMaker 8 Certified Developer FM Forums.com Administrator
DreamersEmpire FusionBB Enthusiast Total Posts: 495 Location: Minnesota Average Post Ranks%:
When I first incorporated my biking web site into a discussion forum environment, I was thrilled to see the potential that good forum software could bring to my venture. With time, any forum administrator begins to think "Well, if you can do this, why cant we do this!".
That is what FusionBB is. The folks at Interactive PHP have used their experience and user feedback to create long awaited features in the discussion forum world.
Features and dedication to good fast running forum software set these guys apart from the rest. I've already started a new site using FusionBB that I've long thought about and cant wait to get some modifications done there.
Great features, fast streamlined coding, turn-key solution and costs next to nothing, really exciting
Chris Peterson FusionBB Fanatic Total Posts: 3758 Location: West Fargo, ND Average Post Ranks%:
I run a very small gaming guild site. My users range from the techno savvy to the "I barely know what a mouse is" levels and I want each user to feel comfortable using my boards without having to spend most of their time learning HOW.
Our boards have changed quite a bit over the past 10 years, from a simple email list, to free hosted solutions, then we purchased a dedicated board software on a dedicated server using a flat file solution, then finally to the same company's database board system.
In the past few years I feel I've gotten to know some of the Fusion developers as they were the same helpful folks who made the handy add ons and mods for our other software.
When I heard they were developing their own boards, I knew it would be good as they have a lot of experience and KNOW what a user AND an administrator want and need to be successful.
Fusion is only in Beta, but it's already full of the features that my users can really USE, not to mention myself as an administrator. These guys know what they are doing and as shown by their Beta cycle, they are dedicated to a good quality product.
You'll never find a more approachable group of developers anywhere and all other features of this software aside, that makes it the most worthwhile to invest my time AND money into.
Fusion really stands out already in a market full of other message boards. I look forward to a lengthy and full relationship with this software and the developers!
Chris Peterson
AKA Zackary
Nikos FusionBB Addict Total Posts: 846 Birthday: 04-22 Location: Thessaloniki, Hellas Average Post Ranks%:
My experience with FusionBB like any "new" software was sceptical at first. I looked at the product however very carefully and immediately realized the potential. From its infant stages .1 Beta that I was lucky to participate in everything seemed to be in place. The database design was really well thought of, the objects just right - not overloaded and not wasting resources.
FusionBB was created with great ambition and the capability to materialize all those ambitions - whatever those might be. The code is dead fast, it is very gentle to server resources and it allows other applications to easily interface with it.
Granted the modifications that other discussion forums offer are a lot more but looking at the package off the shelf it offers (even now at .5Beta) a lot more than anyone else.
Looking it from a user perspective, there couldn't be an easier forum software to work with. The graphics, placement of items on screen, navigation, everything seems to be in its place following a logical way of doing things.
The FusionBB team immediately encouraged administrators to start modifying the software so that additional features can be implemented. The beta testing is continuing really fast with suggestions for modifications and functionality being taken seriously and at times implemented almost immediately!
Kudos to the FusionBB team. I am really happy to see this product from its infant stages growing to be a serious contender in the discussion forum market.
I again want to add that the FBB team is the best development team I have ever dealt with. A good example.
Tonight in the beta group features forum, there was one specific feature that I wanted a certain way, and another beta member mentioned he would like the same feature but a different way. So, rather than one of us getting what we wanted and the other one not, the FBB team said they will put options in for both our needs, so we can choose ... and not only that, make it completely variable for the individual needs of the clients.
This is what I am talking about folks. BEST client customer service and support I have seen in the forum management world of the internet!
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment www.stixfx.com
greg FusionBB Fanatic Total Posts: 4956 Location: Tombstone, AZ Average Post Ranks%:
Jason, it's odd you should mention this. I was just talking on the phone with one of my staff last night and the one thing I brought up was the way the dev team here listens to us and if the suggestion will make Fusion better, they either incorporate it right away or put it on a list for a future release. They don't just outright say, "No, we are NOT going to do this" with no explaination as to why not. It's refreshing and encouraging.
Oh, yah, what about Fusion? It's the best darn new software out there. With what is being talked about, it will soon surpass all it's competitors.
I hosted a 10,000+ user forum with another common forum product. Since it became unreliable, I tested and purchased licenses for the top 4 forum products available.
After testing them all, I had the best results with Fusion. My forum is now 100% reliable, faster and easier to use. Without doubt this is by far the best software available. Not only am I testing a beta, but it already surpassed all the others.
Wow! Very nice setup! It's always nice to see what others have done with a product. I have no regrets about going live, even with it being an early beta product.
As I've gotten deeper into the beta testing in the past few weeks, I've seen more and more of the functionality and features of FusionBB.
I wanted to stop back and add to my feedback here by saying the following:
My current board by another company has flat out refused to offer any type of sub-forum option. And I was always "OK" with that because I didn't see what the big deal was with not having sub-forums. It didn't affect me and I couldn't see a use for them in my boards.
Now that I am participating in the FusionBB beta and have had an opportunity to port over information from my live site and started organizing the forums, it hit me... Sub-Forums are AWESOME!
I've struggled with an archive section of my site for a couple years. Making the forums read only so the information was still there is great and all, but having all those forums make the page look HUGE and can be intimidating to users.
Now I can move all my archives into handy subforums and with the inheritance permissions features offered by FusionBB, setting the forum permissions takes about 1/10th of the time as it used to!
Thanks for making this such an impressive feature guys. I know this is going to make my life as an administrator and my user's experience much MUCH easier.
Dave FusionBB Zealot Total Posts: 8909 Location: Iola, Wisconsin Average Post Ranks%:
I have only been running my forum for about a year now and with only 300 odd members. In the past month I have switched to Fusion, upgraded to the latest beta and switched servers. At any point there was a member of Fusion willing to help me with what ever little problem I had.
Same deal, fully running Fusion, occasional glitch here and there but always helpful people to find a solution and it is SO much better than what we had even though this is still a beta. As I often say I can't wait for 3.X or so, if beta is this good it will be amazing by then.
We have a great community that's been running for about 2 years (our main site went up in 1999). I had fits trying to keep our users database from crashing and the boards from bogging down.
We switched to Fusion a few days ago (with help from Nikos, the Greek god of message board integration) and our users have been singing praises. I thought there was going to be some resistance and fear of the unknown, but they have been digging in to the new features. The mods love it as well.
One of my favorite functions is the portal, which Nikos customized to display our list of the Top 10 songs of the day and week. This rocks hard, since it draws traffic to our main site and makes use of code we've already developed. You guys need to check it out: Songfacts Boards
I'm glad to hear others are also having positive experiences.
"I have moderated and managed discussion boards since 1999 for various sites and networks, including a message board with millions of viewers for a top 25 internet company. FusionBB is shaping up to be one of the most feature rich and flexable message board programs available on the market. I am very excited to see the future of FusionBB, and convert over my two forum sites to FusionBB when available to the public!"
02-28-05 01:05 AM - 
02-28-05 07:52 PM - 
OUTSTANDING 
