WebBBS is, as the name implies, a Web-based bulletin board. Unlike most other such boards, though, WebBBS stores messages as simple text files and creates HTML pages "on the fly." This means that the message index can be tailored by the user based on date and/or subject (via built-in keyword search capability), and can be viewed as threaded, chronological or "guestbook-style" lists. A wide variety of options are available both to the administrator and to the users, and "behind-the scenes" administrative tasks (editing and deleting of messages, etc.) are a breeze! WebBBS supports automatic quoting of message text and e-mail notification of those who want to know immediately when a new message has been posted. It also offers an archive-only option, the ability to run moderated boards, and "cookie" support!

WebBBS is shareware. If you use it, please register it! The registration fee is only $50 by US check or money order, or $57.50 by foreign check or credit card. Payment by check or money order should be sent to Darryl C. Burgdorf, Affordable Web Space Design, 3524 Pacific Street, Omaha NE 68105.

(Version 4.12; January 24, 2000)

Examples:

• The WebScripts Support Forums

• The Blackjack Review Network's Gambling Forums
• Combined Health Care Professionals' Health Care Discussion Board
• The Disney Music Discussion Forum
• Dune-Buggy.com's Dune Buggy Classifieds
• Jipes! Interactive Media's CGI Forum
• Kaleidoscapes: A collection of discussion forums for home schoolers.
• MacCentral's Forums
• NT Web Development BBS: Kevin Dearing's forum for discussion of NT CGI issues.
• Postforum: A collection of discussion forums relating to digital video resources.
• Top Secret Recipes' Secret Recipe Board

Files:

• WebBBS Documentation

• webbbs_basic.pl, webbbs_form.pl, webbbs_index.pl, webbbs_misc.pl, webbbs_post.pl, webbbs_read.pl and webbbs_rebuild.pl: These are the "pieces" of the main program file. You don't actually need to do anything with them; the appropriate segments will be called by the configuration script depending upon what specific action the script is supposed to perform.
• config.pl: This is the configuration file. Everything you need to change or modify is contained here. This is also the file that you will execute. (You can easily maintain multiple discussion boards just by keeping separate config files for each. You do not need multiple copies of the main script files.)
• webbbs_text.pl: A simple file containing the text of messages included on various pages by the program. They're separated to make alteration or translation a bit easier.
• history.txt: The complete version history.

• Compressed Archives: All of the above files in one easy download. Take your pick!
  • webbbs_files.zip (54K)
  • webbbs_files.tar.gz (46K)
  • webbbs_files.tar.Z (71K)
  • webbbs_files.tar (190K)

Extras:

• WebBBS Administrative Script: This script allows a WebBBS administrator to easily modify, "relink" or delete posts. It also allows administrative posting, even to "read-only" boards, and will flag such posts for special display in the main message index. (It is available only to registered WebBBS users.)
  • admin_files.zip (25K)
  • admin_files.tar.gz (23K)
  • admin_files.tar.Z (43K)
  • admin_files.tar (120K)

• Translated Text Files:
  • webbbs_text_german.pl: A German translation of the webbbs_text.pl file, provided by Andreas Jakl.
  • webbbs_text_german2.pl: This is a version of the above file which was edited by Thomas Buchhorn to remove what he called "various spelling and grammar errors." I don't read German, so I can't tell which is the better file. Read them both, and use the one you like.
  • webbbs_text_italian.pl: An Italian translation, provided by Giovanni Iachello.
  • webbbs_text_japanese.pl: A Japanese translation of the webbbs_text.pl file, provided by Dr. Satoshi Oka.

• Other Files:
  • webbbs_archive.pl: This script allows you to easily delete messages or move them to an "archive" forum when they reach a certain age or when the total number of messages on your forum exceeds a defined maximum count. The script can handle an unlimited number of such commands, so you can easily set up "cascading" archives, where for example messages are moved from your main forum to your archive forum after a certain time, and then even later are deleted from your archive forum.
  • webbbs_ck.pl: If your visitors have been having trouble with your cookies since upgrading from WebBBS v3 to v4, you can install this little script to allow them to "kill" their existing cookies. Doing so should take care of any trouble.
  • webbbs_converter.pl: This is a simple script you can run to convert your existing WWWBoard messages to the format used by WebBBS. Note that it is, of course, designed to work on unmodified WWWBoard files; if you've been using a modified version of Matt's script, you'll probably have to adjust the converter to parse your message files correctly.
  • webbbs_digest.pl: This script works in conjunction with WebBBS to send out "digests" of postings. You can run it however often you like, either manually or via cron. If your BBS is very busy, this is far more efficient than using the basic "as messages are posted" notification scheme built into the WebBBS script.

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