BlackHatWorld is one of the most exceptional forums on the Internet for many reasons. It's one of the only forums that deal with SEO, as well as Black and White Hat methods. Additionally, it's certainly one of the most unique-looking forums. In fact, the site has gone through many visual and functional changes over the years. Of course, those changes were only possible due to the underlying software that keeps it running smoothly: XenForo.
XenForo is a commercially available forum software that’s written in the PHP programming language. Internet communities that are gathered around different interests all use XenForo. IGN’s forum runs it, as does TheForce.net, the BMW FAQ Club, and many other forums all over the world.
How Has BHW Adapted the Basic XenForo Platform to Suit Its Needs?
Out of all the forums that use XenForo, BHW has implemented the most changes to the original structure of the platform. Obviously, there are plenty of visible differences between the original software and the way BHW currently looks. For one, the white and blue color scheme is black (or, rather, dark gray), yellow, and white on BHW. Of course, XenForo does have platform themes that can have a similar look. However, the BHW forum has likely been manually changed, from the banner down to the sizes of the usernames and the profile photos. In fact, for those who don't like the dark gray version of the site, there's also a light gray version available.
Additionally, BHW also played around with the placement of different page elements. For example, XenForo naturally has the Main Menu, as well as the Forum Statistics and the Members Online section on the right-hand side of the main page content. On the BHW site, the Menu is on the left, while the Forum Stats and the Members Online are at the very bottom of the home page, in the form of two tabs.
The BHW forum also has a refined search feature as well as a rating system that is completely innovative. Users receive thanks, replies, likes, and follows from other users. They can also follow and ignore other users.
If BHW Really That Unique?
In addition to the XenForo software, the forum is also running JQuery JavaScript library and CloudFlare security. However, as most people are aware, a forum isn't just a mixture of software. So what else makes BHW so special? It probably has something to do with the reason for its existence.
Internet marketing is a thriving industry, and the people of BHW have kept it growing for years now. The forum actually contains threads on all sorts of topics. So people can post about their businesses in the Marketplace, talk about their methods in the Black Hat SEO section, and discuss alternative financial plans in the Making Money section.
Not many other sites offer the same mix of experts and novices in one place. TMCnet comes to mind, although BlackHatWorld probably has a more approachable look.
Ultimately, the reason why BlackHatWorld is so popular isn't only because of the underlying concoction of software that keeps it afloat. That part is important, for sure, but it's the people that keep the site running — from the mods to the users. Still, this short dissection of the way BHW adapted the basic XenForo platform to suit the needs of its user base is a great example of how to work with the basics to make something unique.
