What is MyBB?
With so many message board options available, MyBB stands out as particularly easy to work with. Not only does the software have all the needed features of a message board right out of the box, the software is especially easy to customize. Although the default installation is a straightforward, no-frills style board, themes and plugins let you make your message board as elaborate or specialized as you need.
MyBB and MyCode
MyBB utilizes MyCode, a variation of BBcode, to format posts. This means that anyone who has spent time on a message board in the last twenty years will feel right at home when it comes to formatting posts and adding extras to what they want to say. It’s a simple markup language that makes it easy not only to style the posts themselves, but to make simple edits to the presentation of your message board.
Extending MyBB
For more complex changes, be they cosmetic or functional, MyBB offers a wide variety of options. A thriving community of developers have created hundreds of free and paid themes and plugins, allowing administrators to customize and add on to their sites just by installing a few pieces of software. If you’re up for a little hands on web development, MyBB’s adaptable PHP based design makes the process of building out custom themes yourself straightforward as well.
Get Started and Secure Your Message Board
You could start running your MyBB message board as a full, thriving discussion forum as soon as you finish the installation process in Softaculous. Chances are, though, you’ll want to do some design and customization work before you want to deal with moderating a forum. With a few simple changes to the default configuration, you can cut down on spam registrations and risky attachments in the early stages of your site while you’re still deciding how to proceed.
Customize Your MyBB Board
MyBB offers customizations both large and small. Everything from personal touches like new smilies, to major cosmetic overalls are just a few clicks away. Once you know how to install new themes and plugins, you will be able to arrange your MyBB message boards however you wish.
Optimize and Troubleshoot
If you run into any trouble, MyBB’s extensive documentation makes most fixes easy. While it’s good to get some optimization out of the way early on, just knowing you can easily back up and restore your site will give you the freedom to experiment with the design.
