best Message Board Hosting recommendations?

Sovereign,
Thanks for the input. Question: Totalchoicehosting.com hosting (not free) utilizes an interface called ''CPanel'' that offers a choice of two of the best message boards, in your opinion, Invision Board or phpBB. But Invision or phpBB do NOT host? They are simply ''plug-ins'' for web sites? phpBB offers a choice of SQL database servers? Any recommendations on that front?

Below, I've cut and pasted phpBB's INTRO from their website, as an educational FYI for others for this thread. I appreciate the quick learning curve you're already providing. Thanks!!

http://www.phpbb.com/

What is phpBB?
phpBB is a high powered, fully scalable, and highly customizable Open Source bulletin board package. phpBB has a user-friendly interface, simple and straightforward administration panel, and helpful FAQ. Based on the powerful PHP server language and your choice of MySQL, MS-SQL, PostgreSQL or Access/ODBC database servers, phpBB is the ideal free community solution for all web sites.

Who are phpBB?
phpBB are a group of individuals based internationally who believe in Open Source software. The project has been stable since its creation in June 2000 without changes in licensing, leadership or corporate associations. Our goals remain unchanged and clear, to continue developing and supporting a stable, free, Open Source forum system.

Key Features
Supports popular database servers
Unlimited forums and posts
Multiple language interface
Private or public forums
Powerful search utility
Private messaging system
Complete customisation with templates
See the complete feature list...

phpBB version 2 has been completely re-written since the first version. Version 2 focuses on a professional-quality modular design, high security, multiple-language interface, support for a multitude of databases servers and complete layout customisation, all with a low execution overhead.

phpBB is based on PHP, the fastest growing server-side scripting language on the web, which results in one of the fastest, feature-rich bulletin board systems available anywhere.

In addition, phpBB is open-source software so it has no fees, no subscriptions, and no restrictions on modifications. Couple this with a thriving and friendly phpBB community and you have a killer solution for creating communities on your site!

Installation
* Simple installation that will have you up and running in minutes
* Complete upgrade from V1.x

Database Server Support
* phpBB uses a database abstraction layer to enable seamless support of several database servers:
** MySQL 3.2x,
** PostgreSQL 7.x,
** Microsoft SQL Server 7/2000
** Microsoft Access (via ODBC)
** ...with more databases available in the future.

Security
* Designed with security as a priority
* Powerful and extensive authorisation system
* Strong encryption to keep passwords safe in the database
* Support for both cookie and URI-based sessions

Unlimited Forums & Categories
* Unlimited forums can be organised into as many categories as you like
* Private forums and those only for specified user groups
* Powerful search facility

Posting Messages
* Message formatting with various font styles and sizes as well as allowing quoting, code display, image posting and automatic URL linking
* Support of standard and extended BBCode tags and controlled HTML tags
* Polls can be simply added to posts
* Email notification of replies to your topics
* Powerful topic subscription capability
* Original emoticons to portray emotions

Versatile User Groups & Forum Permissions
* Powerful forum, user and group permission management
* Control forum access to specified user groups
* Control all aspects of the posting experience
* Allow limited access to viewing, posting, replying and many other options

Member Features
* Unlimited members
* Personal profile creation
* Post counting and administrator-definable ranks for users
* Email-like private messaging system
* Supports local, remote and uploadable avatars

Moderation Features
* Topic editing
* Mass delete/move/lock/unlock of posts
* Topic splitting
* Option of auto-pruning of old or unanswered messages on a per-forum basis

Easy to Use Administration Centre
* General configuration
* Forum & category setup
* Easy database backup and restore
* Disallowed usernames
* User authorisation
* Word censoring
* Complete member management
* Emoticon setup
* Optional account verification
* Extensive ban management, ban by email address, username or single/multiple IP address or hostname
* IP tracking of posts and posters
* Mass emailing of groups and users by the administrator

Style and Customisation
* Multiple styles available for the user to choose from
* Templates separated from the PHP code so that new layouts can easily be created or integrated with your current site design
* Complete control of fonts and colours with cascading style sheets (CSS)
* Active community creating addons and specialised modifications
* Default style compliant with XHTML 1.0 and HTML 4.01 recommendations from the W3C

Support
* All this is supported by an increasingly large, thriving and friendly community of members from all over the world ready to help with any problems, suggestions or just for general discussion!

You need a host. phpBB is a script that you can install on many webhosts (but not all- it depends on if they have PHP enabled etc). So yes, they are "plug-ins". Don't be concered about the database server... most hosts (the ones you pay for) meet all the requirements to install a message board. To make sure you can always ask them. So it depends on how much you want to "play" with the board... how much control. In my opinion, I always recommend my clients phpBB because it is easier to maintain... with Invision Board you have to spend much time playing to see which settings exactly changes what.

I am truly a novice at programming, etc but have been able to create a successful website which receives over 12,000 pagesviews per month. Part of the site includes a phpBB message board. Last night, the board was hacked... it appears to be only the index.php page. How do I undo this mess??? Are there any companies which can assist in programming?

Could you point to some phpBB message boards... to provide a first hand look and feel for their format, features? And for that matter, point to some Invision Boards as well??? Thanks.

go here http://www.phpbb.com/styles/demo.php and then on the top select different styles. This will show you various of different message boards with a different GUI.

For Invision Board sample follow this link http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=powered+by+invision and just keep browsing... there are many samples.

I should point out that I just recently setup a message forum with Dreamhost. You can find it at http://www.notmiracle.com then click on the Message Forum link. Note that I had this entire site up and running in under 30 minutes, including the design of 3 web pages to go wtih the message board. The board itself took about 5 minutes to install (sit and wait after clicking a button) and another 5 minutes to setup the discussion group and do all of the configuration. It's about as simple a process as it can get.