In short I would like to know as much as possible so that I can make a clone myself.
You'll learn more by downloading the phpBB software and installing it on your webhost/etc and then figuring it out. I've used most flavours of forum software over the years, but the best way to see how it works is to get get stuck in to it. Especially if you plan use default skins. I'm not good with PSP/Gimp which is my biggest let down when it comes to forum design, but if you are happy with the common or default themes, it really isn't too hard to get a basic handle on.
Delving deeper obviously the learning curve changes more steeply, but that applies to most things.
Fancy style is ok, but usability should not be lacking (it sadly almost always does when visiting a custom made forum). Same thing with blogs, I love the accepted design and get irritated when I have to solve the logic puzzle just to get to the content.
Though I am very used to graphic software I prefer recognition so that users feel at home directly. Just recently I have had bad experiences with very modern, advanced and beautiful forums, search problems, finding your old posts, settings etc.
I like that this forum has View unread posts | View new posts | View your posts in the upper right area (I have never seen "ego" search before, clever) and I have never seen bookmark for threads either and I miss it in other forums. Are those functions default in phpBB or do they come with add-ons?
Style name: subsilver2 Based on style: subSilver (the default phpBB 2 style) Original author: subBlue ( http://www.subBlue.com/ ) Modified by: psoTFX and the phpBB team ( http://www.phpbb.com ) This is an alternative style for phpBB3 for those wishing to stay with the familiar subSilver style of phpBB version 2.x
Its proSilver (avatars on right) or subSilver2 (avatars on left) themes, depending on which one you choose, proSilver is the default.
Not much customizing done. It used to have more mods, but after a restore awhile ago, none of the mods were reinserted (like email PM notification with PM content). It is 99% stock phpBB3.
The ego Search is just modifying the template to add that line. It can be found in the Index listing, was just copied to other headers.
Yoh-dah originally set up the forum in 2004 on phpBB2. I took over admin'ing it in 2007, until I quit in 2012. No one really maintains it anymore, OOM-9 might do a drive-thru, but no stable management now.
