ee forum + Scaffold vs non-ee forum software

Question

I am intending to have a separate section of a hugh(000's threads) discussion forum for my website but have a dilemma. Either I purchase/free download a non-ee reputable forum software such as 'ip.board review'/'phpbb', or to purchase EE Discussion Forum v3.x and improve it with devot-ee's 'Scaffold'.

Option 1: I should be needing with most/all of the advanced features of non-ee software mentioned but I will loose the smooth integration my ee-developed website. e.g. A member may have to logon to ee-developed website and forum separatly. This is not what I want to see.

Option 2(preferred): Stick with ee + devot-ee solution, this is a full integration of website and forum. But I worry the ee forum features will not be as competitive as a non-ee solution.

Please someone shine me some lights.

cheers donnie

Answer 1

It depends on your sites primary purpose. Either you have content that is supported by a forum to discuss the content or you have a forum that has some additional content to support the forum.

If the later then the forum is more important that the content and the functionality of the forum will be paramount. In that case the EE forum might not be the best option.

If the forum is there to support your content then the EE forum is plenty fine for doing the job and yes do use scaffold - it will make getting the forum looking right a whole lot easier.

Either way whatever forum set up you go for you will have a shed load of work to do to get it just right.

Best of luck.