BuddyPress.org

At present it is easier to add blogs to phpBB, and build community, than add a discussion forum to BP.

It seems to me that this strikes at the heart and tradition of what WordPress is … as in one way broadcasting (single blogs) … rather than discussion.

I think WordPress is the best blogging platforms but I would argue that real community building happens around discussion, not one way broadcasting.

Imagine the different between

100 people standing in the street all talking aloud to themselves about their thing … and now and then being heckled by a passerby

100 people sitting down at a conference having a managed, or group discussions, about various topics ….

The first example is a WordPress blog farm.

The second is a phpBB discussion forum … and a community.

I am not exactly sure yet where Buddypress fits in or what its roadmap is.

If you want to add an integrated blog, which is picked up by a site search, you can do so to phpBB via a blog MOD. Imagine the above “conference” attendees having somewhere to be able post their conference speech papers.

The real problem is, BBpress was a badly starved project, as a discussion forum, before it was chosen to be integrated into WMPU and Automattic do not, seemingly, have a strong interest in integrating it.

I am wondering if it was a wrong choice and they should have gone with something mature like a bridge to phpBB.

A few folk liked BBpress because it was so slim and minimal … but then a few folk also like playing with 68k Apple Macs and Ataris too.

I hope that helps …

Please try not to derail. I was not complaining about BBpress.

I was asking the plugin author specifically for clarification of specific functionality in his plugin, which extends the default BBpress toolset we’re working with.

Yes, it is “by design” that BBpress/BP Forums cannot do all the things normal users would expect from a forum.

I am not sure what design that is but it is a little depressing.

BBpress was already the prematurely born poor cousin of the Automattic stable before it was integrated into Buddypress.

I’ve asking to see the roadmap of where ever this is all going but it does not seem that, despite the corporate funding now, there is one.

And I think it is just all too much work for just one developer and open sourcers.

Against my wishes, I’ve pretty much given up hoping and would rather see phpBB3 integrated with WPMU, as per http://www.wp-united.com. With WP3 coming up soon … they may be hope on the horizon.

Sorry to be so honest.

I use the bpGroups plugins (“forums” subdomain of the BP site) but the plug-in required some updating to get everything working smooth (activity notifications, public/private/hidden/ready only stuff)

@nuprn1, what did you modify? I noticed that posts in bbpress don’t show up on the activity notifications, and the public/private/hidden stuff doesn’t seem to work either…

Also, the plugin is looking for an Authorized Buddypress Username, or “the user that BuddyPress uses to access bbPress.” Is there actually still a user, or was that part of the older BP/bbpress integration method?

Used this in WP installation and is working in WPMU/BP

https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bbpress-latest-discussion/

WordPress = CMS / blog

BuddyPress = Community

bbpress = Forum

So yes, WordPress/BuddyPress is not yet a true forum like phpbb, which was just designed for the purpose.

This is getting bbpress topic. Please remember this forum is for BuddyPress.

@beeza you know you can always change the looks by themes. Google and/or visit bbpress if you want to learn more about bbpress vs phpbb.

I was finally able to reproduce some of the redirect conflict issues raised here and elsewhere.

The problem (or at least the problem chembro303 describes) arises when Forum Attachments (0.2.1) and Forum Extras (0.1.5) are installed and you click on the Groups tab in bp-default. If you comment out line 26 in bp-forum-extras.php

do_action( 'bbpress_init');

then the conflict no longer happens. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help much – tons of things are hooked to bbpress_init, so it’s kind of tough to narrow them down. I’ll keep thinking about this, but Rich, hopefully this little bit of info will spark an idea on your part!

The problem I have with the forums in buddypress is, it does not have a forum layout. At the moment when I post topics it is does not flow very well! It would be easier if it was in the standard format, something like: Board name/ Categories/ Forums / Topics. This way all the topics could be kept much more neat.

with buddypress – everything is wrapped into groups – so you won’t see the traditional layout unless you rework the templates as such. (or install an external bbpress which links up with the groups)

Hi socialpreneur, so you mean standard wordpress install, then install bbpress, then add buddypress!

That’s option 2. Try both, use the one you feel the most comfortable.

If you have searched the forum, developers (from the navigation on top), and google you have two options:

1. Install bbpress from the one click installer by BuddyPress

2. Install bbpress alone and connect to BuddyPress

You’ll have total freedom customizing the forum if you choose option 2, but thanks to the community, there’s a plugin for option 1 too.

https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/forum-attachments-for-buddypress/

Get a testing environment, try the both and explorer the bp world!!

Take a look at bbpress before you start phpbb

I am just about to move from phpbb to bbpress/buddypress

and converting it is major pain

so take a look before you decide

Yes! I totally agree!

I am struggling with the same problem!

I have opted for Groups forums.. but every so often I wish there was proper Index, just like normal forums (bbpress for example) because users are used to that!

My only solution – something what I am planning to do untill proper solution is out,

I will create manually a table / index with the most important forums, or featured forums

And I guess will try to place is above ‘all/my topics..’ OR just create a new page

If anyone comes up with a proper solution (code) or plugin,. please post here

kind regards

Kris

BuddyPress.org uses bbPress, the same forum software that comes with the BuddyPress download. However, the forums on BP.org are site-wide forums (using an external install method) and are skinned to look like the rest of the site. They are not group-based forums as you get with a standard install of BuddyPress.

To learn more about external bbPress installs, read this:

https://buddypress.org/forums/topic/create-a-site-forum#post-36466

This is due to the bbpress database installed as latin1_general_ci

There’s a trac entry, but not sure when it’s going to be fixed properly.

You should probably look at the “Auto Join Groups” plugin:

http://brentandmary.net/2009/10/24/bn-auto-join-group-plugin/

It does what you want it to do, but automatically from the admin area.

Haven’t tested this in BP 1.2 though.

Might want to contact the dev of that plugin if it doesn’t work.

—

Also it is quite easy to modify DJPaul’s Welcome Pack plugin to auto-join groups as well.

See my post here:

https://buddypress.org/forums/topic/bbpress-and-buddypress-1#post-43925

—

Update:

Just came across a plugin called “BP Registration Groups”:

http://hardlyneutral.com/wordpress-plugins/

Purports to do exactly what you want, Bowe.

You could create one group that all people join when they register.

Use DJPaul’s Welcome Pack plugin for that:

https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/welcome-pack/

Otherwise go the external bbPress route, and yes, you’ll need to theme it.

[EDIT]

Forgot that Paul changed his plugin so it sends out group invites, instead of auto joining groups.

If you want to make Paul’s plugin automatically join groups.

Change the following lines in the Welcome Pack plugin from:

groups_invite_user( array( 'user_id' => $new_user_id, 'group_id' => $group_id, 'inviter_id' => $group->creator_id ) );

groups_send_invites( $group->creator_id, $group_id );

to:

groups_join_group( $group_id, $new_user_id );

I should say I haven’t tried this, but it should work.

New issue: I clicked the “x” to delete the uploaded file.

It did delete the file from the server (I checked) BUT after that it loaded a white page at:

{buddypress site} /wp-content/plugins/buddypress/bp-forums/bbpress/topic.php?id=7#post-34

instead of where I’m guessing it should have gone:

{buddypress site} /groups/ {groupname} /forum/topic/topic.php?id=7#post-34

Yes, you can install bbPress separately and link it to BuddyPress. That is how this site works. There is information on the bbPress site, and many other places. A google search should be fruitful.

If anyone is interested in porting the Live Comment Preview plugin for bbPress (poke @etiviti Rich!), here’s where to look:

i’m not a huge fan of this plugin that since it pings the server on each keystroke. (personally, i use markitup on bbpress)