function ssi_recentTopics($num_recent = 8, $board = null, $output_method = 'echo')
{
	global $context, $settings, $scripturl, $txt, $db_prefix, $ID_MEMBER;
	global $user_info, $modSettings, $func;

	$stable_icons = array('xx', 'thumbup', 'thumbdown', 'exclamation', 'question', 'lamp', 'smiley', 'angry', 'cheesy', 'grin', 'sad', 'wink', 'moved', 'recycled', 'wireless');
	$icon_sources = array();
	foreach ($stable_icons as $icon)
		$icon_sources[$icon] = 'images_url';

	// Find all the posts in distinct topics.  Newer ones will have higher IDs.
	$request = db_query("
		SELECT
			m.posterTime, ms.subject, m.ID_TOPIC, m.ID_MEMBER, m.ID_MSG, b.ID_BOARD, b.name AS bName,
			IFNULL(mem.realName, m.posterName) AS posterName, " . ($user_info['is_guest'] ? '1 AS isRead, 0 AS new_from' : '
			IFNULL(lt.ID_MSG, IFNULL(lmr.ID_MSG, 0)) >= m.ID_MSG_MODIFIED AS isRead,
			IFNULL(lt.ID_MSG, IFNULL(lmr.ID_MSG, -1)) + 1 AS new_from') . ", LEFT(m.body, 384) AS body, m.smileysEnabled, m.icon
		FROM ({$db_prefix}messages AS m, {$db_prefix}topics AS t, {$db_prefix}boards AS b, {$db_prefix}messages AS ms)
			LEFT JOIN {$db_prefix}members AS mem ON (mem.ID_MEMBER = m.ID_MEMBER)" . (!$user_info['is_guest'] ? "
			LEFT JOIN {$db_prefix}log_topics AS lt ON (lt.ID_TOPIC = t.ID_TOPIC AND lt.ID_MEMBER = $ID_MEMBER)
			LEFT JOIN {$db_prefix}log_mark_read AS lmr ON (lmr.ID_BOARD = b.ID_BOARD AND lmr.ID_MEMBER = $ID_MEMBER)" : '') . "
		WHERE t.ID_LAST_MSG >= " . ($modSettings['maxMsgID'] - 35 * min($num_recent, 5)) . "
			AND t.ID_LAST_MSG = m.ID_MSG
			AND b.ID_BOARD = $board
			AND $user_info[query_see_board]
			AND ms.ID_MSG = t.ID_FIRST_MSG
		ORDER BY t.ID_LAST_MSG DESC
		LIMIT $num_recent", __FILE__, __LINE__);
	$posts = array();
	while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($request))
	{
		$row['body'] = strip_tags(strtr(parse_bbc($row['body'], $row['smileysEnabled'], $row['ID_MSG']), array('<br />' => '&#10;')));
		if ($func['strlen']($row['body']) > 128)
			$row['body'] = $func['substr']($row['body'], 0, 128) . '...';

		// Censor the subject.
		censorText($row['subject']);
		censorText($row['body']);

		if (empty($modSettings['messageIconChecks_disable']) && !isset($icon_sources[$row['icon']]))
			$icon_sources[$row['icon']] = file_exists($settings['theme_dir'] . '/images/post/' . $row['icon'] . '.gif') ? 'images_url' : 'default_images_url';

		// Build the array.
		$posts[] = array(
			'board' => array(
				'id' => $row['ID_BOARD'],
				'name' => $row['bName'],
				'href' => $scripturl . '?board=' . $row['ID_BOARD'] . '.0',
				'link' => '<a href="' . $scripturl . '?board=' . $row['ID_BOARD'] . '.0">' . $row['bName'] . '</a>'
			),
			'topic' => $row['ID_TOPIC'],
			'poster' => array(
				'id' => $row['ID_MEMBER'],
				'name' => $row['posterName'],
				'href' => empty($row['ID_MEMBER']) ? '' : $scripturl . '?action=profile;u=' . $row['ID_MEMBER'],
				'link' => empty($row['ID_MEMBER']) ? $row['posterName'] : '<a href="' . $scripturl . '?action=profile;u=' . $row['ID_MEMBER'] . '">' . $row['posterName'] . '</a>'
			),
			'subject' => $row['subject'],
			'short_subject' => shorten_subject($row['subject'], 25),
			'preview' => $row['body'],
			'time' => timeformat($row['posterTime']),
			'timestamp' => forum_time(true, $row['posterTime']),
			'href' => $scripturl . '?topic=' . $row['ID_TOPIC'] . '.msg' . $row['ID_MSG'] . ';topicseen#new',
			'link' => '<a href="' . $scripturl . '?topic=' . $row['ID_TOPIC'] . '.msg' . $row['ID_MSG'] . '#new">' . $row['subject'] . '</a>',
			'new' => !empty($row['isRead']),
			'new_from' => $row['new_from'],
			'icon' => '<img src="' . $settings[$icon_sources[$row['icon']]] . '/post/' . $row['icon'] . '.gif" align="middle" alt="' . $row['icon'] . '" border="0" />',
		);
	}
	mysql_free_result($request);

	// Just return it.
	if ($output_method != 'echo' || empty($posts))
		return $posts;

	echo '
		<table border="0" class="ssi_table">';
	foreach ($posts as $post)
		echo '
			<tr>
				<td align="right" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">
					[', $post['board']['link'], ']
				</td>
				<td valign="top">
					<a href="', $post['href'], '">', $post['subject'], '</a>
					', $txt[525], ' ', $post['poster']['link'], '
					', $post['new'] ? '' : '<a href="' . $scripturl . '?topic=' . $post['topic'] . '.msg' . $post['new_from'] . ';topicseen#new"><img src="' . $settings['images_url'] . '/' . $context['user']['language'] . '/new.gif" alt="' . $txt[302] . '" border="0" /></a>', '
				</td>
				<td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">
					', $post['time'], '
				</td>
			</tr>';
	echo '
		</table>';
}