Wordpress and Forum Bridge

billybatz9

billybatz9

Active member
Hey guys,

For all of you guys who use wordpress and wish to bridge it with a forum.... I have been reading a lot about bridges and etc. and most of what I have been reading has been that bridges cause headaches, security holes, and rough times for most admins. Now we all know I have been in search of a bridge for god knows how long. I still have yet to find one that I like with a forum software that I like.

Now my question is, for security purposes, and headaches to be avoided...

Do you think it's best to just put both (your forum and wordpress) up separately?
I know members will hate registering twice, logging in twice, logging out twice, and etc, but will it be overall better? To avoid security holes, headaches, update issues, bridge supporters bailing on the softwares, and etc...

Whats everyones Point of View.?
 
A bridge should be thought of not so much as an add-on per say, but rather a "hack" to manipulate 2 independent system which we never designed to support one another, to talk to one another.

Resources are going to be a little higher with any bridge system. That's just the nature of things because you already have 2 independent projects running at the same time, now you're adding an add-on to connect those projects, and finally they're going to execute select commands & database queries at the exact same time.

There is always 3x the security concern because there is now 3 factors. There is project 1, project 2, and the bridge that connects them. This not to suggest that there will be security issues. All the above maybe incredibly secure, but it does raise the factor level.

Updates is where the headaches usually lie. Because any update from either project 1 or project 2 has the potential of breaking your bridge or even breaking one or both projects. This is where the concern really should be.

The odds go dramatically up of breakage if you add any outside 3rd party products to a system that is bridged together. The more you add the greater the risk. This is also where headaches can come from, but this part can be avoided by not adding any.

In the end, only you can decide what is best for your community. I've run bridges myself before and had no error or issues. And there have been other times where I just hated it beyond belief.

So I guess my question is, what is it about Word Press that you don't think the other 2 blog developments would offer? Because there are 2 blogging systems for XenForo.

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/xi-blog.713/
http://xenforo.com/community/resources/better-blogs.1055/

I currently use the 2nd option called, Better Blogs.

Of course if you really do want to take on the bridge route there are two options as well

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/xenscripts-wordpress-to-xenforo-bridge.604/
http://xenforo.com/community/resources/xf-wordpress-bridge.1833/
 
Last edited:
Adam,

well said my friend. That response was like woah :eek:

As for the blogs, I like wordpress because that's what I am use to, thats what I know, and thats all I have ever learned. That's what I made my whole site based off of. That's what all my pages are using. All my designs, pages, posts, and etc are all on wordpress... I dont know how to use anything else. When switching to other platforms... you have to do 3 things.
1) move all the data from wordpress to the other platform
2) learn to use the other platform
3) re-design your website

All that hard work creating your wordpress website and changing little things here and there all go to waste when you switch.

Not to mention, these types of forums don't offer any real 'classifieds'....
Wordpress on the other hand offers a variety of classifieds.
You have awpcp, classipress, sitemile, and etc... I like sitemile the best.

With a multisite installation, you can be running a wordpress blog and classifieds with one single login. Now, all that is missing is a forum. Which is where a forum software and bridge comes in.

However, most bridges leave you stranded because most developers usually vanish, which is why i am still contemplating on whether to use one or not.

Now if you run a big site with bridges, and the developer vanishes, your stuck in a situation that can make you commit suicide.
What to do next will be your biggest headache in the world.
 
Two reasons for choosing WP over a XF blogging software:
  1. WordPress blogs already exist (legacy)
  2. Multisite / multidomain capability does not exist in XF
 
Ive been on the look for bridges and forum softwares.
So far this is what I have...
1) Xenforo bridges:
xenscripts - seems like it hasn't been updated in a while
xF-Wordpress Bridge - seems good, but dont like the fact that when it's disabled, the passwords are users emails.
2) InvisionBoard bridges:
Wordpress IPS Connect - seems good, but quite pricey being $60 to purchase and $20 every 6 months
IPBWI - seems great, but even pricier then the first bridge, I believe $129 for purchase and $29 every 6 months
3) phpbb bridges:
Only one I know is wp-united. Works great. But not much word from the creator of the plugin, so Im staying away from that plugin.
4) mybb bridges:
wordbb - producer vanished, non working
5) smf bridges:
smf bridge - last updated in 2011


Thats all I have found....
 
Last edited:
To be honest, my decision right now is between...
Xenforo and IPP

They both have a nice build.

Xenforo is more user friendly and better in pricing. Only thing i believe IPS has over Xenforo is the fact that they have user blogs and galleries and maybe better wordpress bridges (that I think).
 
If you don't have a website already built, that is there is no legacy, then simplify the site. "News" and "Articles" can be handled via XenPorta and Showcase can handle the gallery.
 
I actually do have a website already built (wordpress).... Ive been working on it for the past few months. Only thing I am missing now is a forum. Thats my biggest headache.

Out of all the bridges I have used (free) lol wp-united was by far the best....
It allowed users tooo...
1) Register through wordpress or phpbb and copy the member on over to the other platforms database. So the user can register on either platform
2) Login/logout through wordpress or phpbb and be logged in/logged out through the other other platform. So the user can login/logout on either platform
3) Change the password using either platform, and the password changes on the other platform as well. So the user can change the password on either platform
4) If you delete the plugin, passwords are the same.... It doesn't change passwords to emails like xF-Wordpress Bridge does. (i think thats a security risk)
 
WP-United is an excellent plugin. Sadly their site is being heavily spammed right now and it's spamming their twitter account too.

I've actually looked at parts of the code in wp-united to see how they were doing things. I love the modular approach (easy turn on and off).
 
I wish I new coding and all that to create all these plugins and bridges... Id make one for each forum software and make some $$ lol But unfortunately I dont soo I just wait for people like you to come along to buy them from lol
Spam indeed. Idk how he got his twitter spammed though. phpbb forums usually get spammed a lot.

I once contacted him to make a bridge for xenforo and he said he was thinking about it and that it would cost anywhere from 2 to 3 thousand dollars to create it for me....

I was like see ya lol jk I didnt say that, I just said that was out of my budget and that I figured it would cost about that much. That seems like it's a lot of work.

I just dont get why he would give something like that away for free. Not to mention, why waste all that time to create something so awesome then no longer support it?

I dont get it.
 
And the reason I am looking for a wp-united type bridge for my future forum software bridge is beacuse I need these four things that I said...
1) Register through wordpress or phpbb and copy the member on over to the other platforms database. So the user can register on either platform
2) Login/logout through wordpress or phpbb and be logged in/logged out through the other other platform. So the user can login/logout on either platform
3) Change the password using either platform, and the password changes on the other platform as well. So the user can change the password on either platform
4) If you delete the plugin, passwords are the same.... It doesn't change passwords to emails like xF-Wordpress Bridge does. (i think thats a security risk)
Click to expand...

My classifieds theme that I have points all login, registrations and logouts to wordpress logins, logouts, and registrations. So I would need my users to be able to do all that through both wordpress or the forum software.
Not just the forum software which most bridges ask for...
 
billybatz9 said:
To be honest, my decision right now is between...
Xenforo and IPP
Click to expand...
billybatz9 said:
2) InvisionBoard bridges:
Wordpress IPS Connect - seems good, but quite pricey being $60 to purchase and $20 every 6 months
IPBWI - seems great, but even pricier then the first bridge, I believe $129 for purchase and $29 every 6 months
Click to expand...

Having come from IPB, I can not stress the cost factor. And from your own comments I believe you've noticed this trend as well.

If you're anything like me.... I thought that maybe the investment cost was maybe just a shock factor at the sticker price and that once I jumped in it wouldn't be so bad. Believe me, I was wrong.

The majority of everything and everyone that I encountered over this... From even your fellow community members (over there) have a price tag... ie... My personal experience was asking for help on their support forum, unlike here where people freely give support, I ended up getting PM's with price quote for answers. :eek:

I'm not just speaking my personal opinion, but also my own first hand experience.

I recently wrote a full detail review where I compare my experience between XenForo vs vBulletin & IPB. It maybe a good read for you :)

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/my-2013-review-of-xenforo.51078/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Subi888
XF to WP Bridge
Replies
11
Views
1K
Subi888
Subi888
asprin
  • Solved
XF 2.1 Creating a category node and forum node as a one time activity
Replies
1
Views
537
asprin
asprin
tjpeco
Add-on Thread and Forum Watch Email behavior change Add-On
Replies
2
Views
974
tjpeco
tjpeco
T
XF 2.2 Using XenForo as authentication for other subdomains
Replies
6
Views
2K
techguy12
T
B
XF 2.2 Thread ID and Forum ID for use in Advertising slots
Replies
8
Views
1K
Marcus
Marcus
Back
Top Bottom