PunBB is a rapid and efficient forum software.
The idea behind PunBB was born out of the frustration of not being able to find a discussion board that fulfilled specific needs. The developers of PunBB were looking for a board that was fast, had a simple design, easy to manage, produced non-huge non-valid XHTML pages, and had readable source code. Finding no such product, they decided to create PunBB, previously referred to as Pun.
Creating software to cater to a specific group of people can be a challenging task. As opposed to developing for the masses, where all features are crammed in to satisfy everyone, designing for a specific group of people requires making difficult decisions regarding what features to include and which to exclude. PunBB has chosen not to implement features such as private messaging, file attachments, polls, linking to off-site avatars, and advanced text formatting controls, among others.
While the jury is still out on some of these features, PunBB offers third-party mods that can deliver some of these functionalities to users. PunBB's strategy is focused on a compact software package that delivers speed and efficiency while maintaining simplicity in design and user experience.
Version 1.3.4: N/A