Thanks to Jason Warner for taking the time to answer our questions!



How/When did you first start coding and why?

I started coding around the age of 10 when I got my first computer. I got bored of the DOS games and decided that it would be fun to try to make my own.


How did you get involved in creating forum systems?

Around the year 2000 I started getting involved with the Ikonboard community, which was thriving. At that time, their software began becoming bloated and extremely slow. I then enlisted the support of Mark Elliot and a few other volunteers and decided we would try our hand at creating a PHP board. PHP was only beginning to catch on in the forum community at the time.


What is your main roll as a team member?

To design and develop products with my team. I am Project Leader, so I give the MercuryBoard project a direction and goals as well.


What do you enjoy most about Mercury Board

Its simplicity and efficiency.


What do you feel the best features of Mercury Board are?

Speed (although it?s not technically a feature) and our permissions handling system.


What do you think users should get out of a forum system and why?

Users should be able to communicate effectively using a forum system, and there should be tools to make that easier, more intuitive, and friendlier.


What advice would you give to somebody who is starting his or her own community?

Define a target audience.


How has Mercury Board changed over the years?

The project scope has increased tremendously. We?ve overhauled a lot of code many times, but we?re happy with its current structure and function.


How does Mercury Board compare with some of the other forum systems available?

We like to present ourselves as the lightweight, fast, and secure option.


How many people are now in the Mercury Board team?

We?re open-source so we receive contributions from many sources, but our core team is around 8 members.


If you were going to start an online community, which forum software (excluding your own) would you use, and why?

Invision Power Board. Matt Mecham has been working with forums for years, and he knows what he?s doing.


What would you consider more important; user interface or masses of features?

User Interface


How long does it usually take the Mercury Board team to make a stable release?

We?ve had releases anywhere from 1 week to 1 year apart.


How do you think forum systems in general will change in the future?

I think we?ll see a general shift toward dynamic interfaces using DHTML and improved standards compliance.


What does the future hold for Mercury Board

Who knows? I?d like to see an expanded user base, but that?s what everyone will say. A self-sustaining product would be the ideal goal.


Thanks Jason!




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