phpBB is an open-source project and has some specifics as such:
The developers are volunteers from around the world. phpBB is an example of a successful open-source project. It has an impressive team list of about 50 people, when most open-source projects have two or three.
There’s a community of users who often convert into collaborators.
You might be wondering how the community and the open-source nature of phpBB can help its development. There are a lot of ways, but just to name the major ones:
Using and thus testing the software
Reporting bugs so they can be fixed by the developers
Contributing new features through MODs and hacks, and in this way extending the functionality
Contributing new templates for the other phpBB admins to use
Supporting other phpBB users with tips and advice
Advocating and promoting phpBB, in this way increasing the size of the community
phpBB is under constant development. The work for version 3 is well underway, and in the spirit of this open-source project, the work in progress is available for preview and comments as it’s developed.