Adding a forum to WP
It appears that WordPress by default has three kinds of content: blog posts, static pages and links. My magazine site will need some other features, notably a forum and the ability to manage a mailing list. Let’s see what is involved in putting up a forum.
First, this exercise confirms that the WP documentation is somewhat challenging to use. There is a lot of it, but it lacks a clear structure and a comprehensive index. I have had to go to the WordPress.org forum to find out about adding a forum (!).
I gather that a separate script will be needed. It seems that WP has a ’sister’ system, bbpress. Other options mentioned include Simple:Press, which appears to be a plugin. Both claim to share user data with WP.
From a WP forum post:
Other solutions are Simple:Press, Simple Machines, WP Forum, MiniBB, PunBB and some more that offers either a plugin or a manual solution for synchronization with WP.
One interesting solution is from the developer of TDOMF that made a skin for WP and use WordPress as a forum.
This points up how curious it is that a blog-based system does not automatically include a forum system. The two are closely related.