Abstract
This report examines three text-based conferencing products: WowBB, Invision Power Board, and vBulletin. Their selection was prompted by a feature-by-feature comparison of the same products on the WowBB website. The comparison chart painted a misleading impression of WowBB's features in relation to the other two products; so the evaluation team undertook a more comprehensive and impartial comparison using the categories and criteria for online software evaluation developed by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). The findings are summarised in terms of the softwares' pricing, common features/ functions, and differentiating features.
Highlights
Asynchronous text-based conferencing, known as bulletin boards, provides a flexible medium for online discussion and collaboration
The comparison chart painted a misleading impression of WowBB’s features in relation to the other two products; so the evaluation team undertook a more comprehensive and impartial comparison using the categories and criteria for online software evaluation developed by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
Text-based conferencing software can be attained as standalone products, or as a component of a larger software application such as a learning management system
Summary
Asynchronous text-based conferencing, known as bulletin boards, provides a flexible medium for online discussion and collaboration. It is relatively inexpensive, as it does not require a high bandwidth or extra hardware. The following evaluations use the ASTD software assessment criteria: see report # 7 This product markets itself as user-friendly and fully customisable forum software. In spite of all the features it offers, its best feature is its simplicity This is evident in the website forums, where topics started by customers looking for assistance over the last three and a half years is low compared to the other two bulletin boards evaluated in this report. The price information given on the product website is vague in relation to the likely price of future major upgrades to the software
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