# phpBB3 import script improvements

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/phpbb3-import-script-improvements/22935>\
**Category:** Migration\
**Tags:** phpbb\
**Created:** [December 7, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/phpbb3-import-script-improvements/22935 "2014-12-07T20:15:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrisalley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chrisalley/32/119703_2.png) [@chrisalley](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chrisalley)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/phpbb3-import-script-improvements/22935/1 "2014-12-07T20:15:08Z")

</div>

Over the last few days I converted an 11 year old phpBB 2 forum to Discourse, (going through phpBB 3 first). Overall I’m pleased with the result. Here’s some feedback that could be used to improve the phpbb3.rb import script (if you feel it is worth it):

1. Disabled members - the phpBB forum a number of members who had requested that their accounts be disabled. The intention wasn’t to delete their posts, just remove the ability for them to log in (and for the forum to send them emails). In phpBB, their name still appeared next to their posts, with the word “Guest” next to it. However when moving to Discourse these posts were assigned to the “system” user with no trace of the original author’s name.

2. Avatars and Emoticons - the forum had custom emoticons and uploaded avatars. The were copied from phpBB2 to 3, but not from 3 to Discourse.

3. Ordered Lists - one post had a multi choice list written in plain text like this:

```plaintext
1. Question 1
- Answer 1.1
- Answer 1.2

2. Question 2
- Answer 2.1

```

However, when converted to Markdown it produced the following list, which was not quite as expected.

```plaintext
1. Question 1
2. Answer 1.1
3. Answer 1.2

4. Question 2
5. Answer 2.1

```

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