Installing PhpBB 3 forum

Today I installed PhpBB 3 forum on my linux hosting with MySQL database. Here are the quick steps:

1. download the package from www.phpbb.com/downloads
2. upload the contents of the package to the server
3. write-enable certain directories:
   chmod 777 cache chmod 777 files chmod 777 store chmod 777 images/avatars/upload chmod 666 config.php
4. open installation script in the browser:
   http://site.com/forum/install/
5. fill in the preferences and db connection details
6. delete the install directory
7. proceed to administration control panel (http://site.com/forum/adm/)
8. walk through all the settings, create categories and forums...

Links

PhpBB 3 Quick installation (original documentation)
PhpBB 3 users home

User interface design for web-based applications

In this article, I will summarize the general rules that I learned during years of designing web application user interfaces.

• Keep it simple and clear.
  Users need to solve tasks efficiently and quickly. The interface should be as simple and straightforward as possible. Each component should have it's clear purpose and the visual structure should reflect the logic behind it.
• Make it intuitive
  Don't make user stop and think about how it works. Let the layout and appearance of the components speak for themselves.
• Know the rules.
  Users expect a certain visual layout as well as functionality of the components. If you break the rules and make things look or behave differently, you should have good reasons for it and make sure user understands it.
• Use hints where necessary.
  When you are not sure, create hints that will explain the purpose and how it works.
• Look through user's eyes.
  Try to look at the interface from user's perspective. Think about what is the important information for the user and what is not so important. The most common tasks should be always at hand.

Related articles

User Interface Design for Web Applications (by Jean Tillman)