[bbDev] GSoC 2008 Proposal: Web Forums Export/Import Standard

[Dan Larkin]

Hello, I'm Dan Larkin and I'm kind of new to bbPress, though I've been
around WordPress for a while.  I'm interested in the export/import
standard project for GSoC, and I wanted to get some community feedback
on my tentative proposal.  Any ideas of what you want to see as a part
of it, ways to improve it, etc. would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Abstract:

I aim to create a standard to import and export user data and content
from web forum software. The standard will be complemented by a suite
of importers and exporters for common software, as well as a
standalone validator for the standard.

Problem Statement:

It is extremely common for users to want to switch forum software or
even just to keep the same software but move to another installation.
Currently there is no standardized way to transport the data between
systems. This leads to either lost data or a great deal of work to
ensure that it is preserved. There should be an easier way to
accomplish these transfers.

Solution:

This can be done through the use of an XML standard. This standard
will initially provide a container for user data and common content
containers. Eventually it will be expanded to include extra features
added by the various software as well as plug-in data.

I will investigate the possibility of creating the standard as an
extension of RSS, as this could greatly simplify the parsing process
with the use of existing tools. I would like to base it on the
existing standard specified here.  I will also investigate the
WordPress WXR format as a sample RSS extension.

The format will focus first on bbPress then be extended to other
common forum software. The list of other software includes phpBB and
Simple Machines Forum. If the cost of vBulletin and Invision can be
overcome, these will be pursued as well. Time permitted, support will
then be extended further to other software.