I remember ezboards- fuck, that seems like forever and a day since I've been near it.
Jcink is like the higher-up version of Invisionfree, actually. As an admin, the Admin Control Panel is a lot easier to navigate than IF, the security features is a fuckton better, along with a few other features. I've never built a forum from scratch; I'd probably make a mess of things and break the game/ But Jcink works for me, with terms of organization/layout/security. I'm not prepared to spend money on a free-host, ala build and manage a website/forum.
Lulz, the icon problem. Icon drama on journal servers make me head-desk. Too many players get worked up over not having enough, quality issues, etc. A 100x100 icon (or larger) is the last thing I look at in any thread, damn it. Admittedly, I like filling up my 100 icon-space on one or two accounts, but I can live without it. If the feature/space isn't there, it's not a deal-breaker.