Try this...
Create a new empty text file and name it simple_slash.asp. Paste the code below into it, save it and upload it to your forum directory. I think this should work. Let me know if there are any errors.
<!--#include file="config.asp"-->
<!--#include file="inc_func_common.asp" -->
<%
'---------------------------------------------------
' Simple Slash MOD
' Simply displays the last intTopicCount topics
' From ForumID (Use ForumID = "ANY" for all Forums)
'---------------------------------------------------
Const intTopicCount = 5
Const ForumID = "ANY"
Const CharsToDisplay = 200
'------------
' Get Topics
'------------
strSql = "SELECT "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.TOPIC_ID, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_SUBJECT, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_MESSAGE, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_DATE, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_AUTHOR, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "MEMBERS.MEMBER_ID, "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "MEMBERS.M_NAME "
strSql = strSql & " FROM ((" & strTablePrefix & "FORUM "
strSql = strSql & "INNER JOIN " & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS ON "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "FORUM.FORUM_ID = "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.FORUM_ID) "
strSql = strSql & "INNER JOIN " & strTablePrefix & "MEMBERS ON "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_AUTHOR = "
strSql = strSql & strTablePrefix & "MEMBERS.MEMBER_ID) "
If ForumID <> "ANY" Then strSql = strSql & " WHERE " & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.FORUM_ID = " & ForumID
strSql = strSql & " ORDER BY " & strTablePrefix & "TOPICS.T_DATE DESC "
strSql = strSql & "LIMIT " & intTopicCount
Dim objConn, objRS
Set objConn = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
objConn.Open strConnString
Set objRS = objConn.Execute(strSQL)
Response.Write " <table border=""0"" cellspacing=""1"" cellpadding=""0"" bgcolor=""" & strTableBorderColor & """ width=""100%""><tr><td>" & vbNewline
Response.Write " <table border=""0"" width=""100%"" cellspacing=""0"" cellpadding=""2"" align=""center"" bgcolor=""" & strForumCellColor & """>" & vbNewline
Response.Write " <tr><td align=""center"" background=""imgs/headbg.gif"" bgcolor=""" & strHeadCellColor & """ colspan=""3""><font face=""" & strDefaultFontFace & """ size=""" & strDefaultFontSize & """ color=""" & strHeadFontColor & """>Latest Topics</font></TD></tr>" & vbNewline
While Not objRS.EOF
strSQL = "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM FORUM_REPLY WHERE TOPIC_ID = " & objRS("TOPIC_ID")
Set objRS2 = objConn.Execute(strSQL)
Response.Write "<tr><td background=""imgs/catbg.gif"" bgcolor=""" & strCategoryCellColor & """ colspan=""3"" align=""center""><font face=""" & strDefaultFontFace & """ size=""" & strDefaultFontSize & """> <B>" & ChkString(objRS("T_SUBJECT"),"title") & "</B></font></td></tr>"
Response.Write "<tr><td background=""imgs/catbg.gif"" bgcolor=""" & strCategoryCellColor & """ align=""center"" rowspan=""3"" valign=""top""><font face=""" & strDefaultFontFace & """ size=""" & strFooterFontSize & """> Posted by: <br><b>" & objRS("M_NAME") & "</b><br> on <br>" & strToDate(objRS("T_DATE")) & "</font></td>"
Response.Write "<td bgcolor=""" & strForumCellColor & """><font face=""" & strDefaultFontFace & """ size=""" & strFooterFontSize & """ color=""" & strForumFontColor & """><br> " & Left(RemoveHTML(FormatStr(objRS("T_MESSAGE"))),CharsToDisplay) & "...</font></td></tr>"
Response.Write "<tr><td bgcolor=""" & strForumCellColor & """ colspan=""3""> <a href='topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=" & objRS("TOPIC_ID") & "'><font face=""" & strDefaultFontFace & """ size=""" & strFooterFontSize & """>More >></a> Replies(" & objRS2(0) & ")</font></td></tr>"
Response.Write "<tr><td bgcolor=""" & strForumCellColor & """ colspan=""3"" height=""5""></td></tr>"
objRS.MoveNext()
Wend
response.write "</table></td></tr></table>" & vbNewLine
objRS2.Close()
Set objRS2 = Nothing
objRS.Close()
Set objRS = Nothing
objConn.Close()
Set objConn = Nothing
Response.End
Function RemoveHTML( strText )
Dim TAGLIST
TAGLIST=";A;B;IMG;CENTER;FONT;PRE;BLOCKQUOTE;"
Dim nPos1
Dim nPos2
Dim nPos3
Dim strResult
Dim strTagName
Dim bRemove
Dim bSearchForBlock
nPos1 = InStr(strText, "<")
Do While nPos1 > 0
nPos2 = InStr(nPos1 + 1, strText, ">")
If nPos2 > 0 Then
strTagName = Mid(strText, nPos1 + 1, nPos2 - nPos1 - 1)
strTagName = Replace(Replace(strTagName, vbCr, " "), vbLf, " ")
nPos3 = InStr(strTagName, " ")
If nPos3 > 0 Then
strTagName = Left(strTagName, nPos3 - 1)
End If
If Left(strTagName, 1) = "/" Then
strTagName = Mid(strTagName, 2)
bSearchForBlock = False
Else
bSearchForBlock = True
End If
If InStr(1, TAGLIST, ";" & strTagName & ";", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
bRemove = True
If bSearchForBlock Then
If InStr(1, BLOCKTAGLIST, ";" & strTagName & ";", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
nPos2 = Len(strText)
nPos3 = InStr(nPos1 + 1, strText, "</" & strTagName, vbTextCompare)
If nPos3 > 0 Then
nPos3 = InStr(nPos3 + 1, strText, ">")
End If
If nPos3 > 0 Then
nPos2 = nPos3
End If
End If
End If
Else
bRemove = False
End If
If bRemove Then
strResult = strResult & Left(strText, nPos1 - 1)
strText = Mid(strText, nPos2 + 1)
Else
strResult = strResult & Left(strText, nPos1)
strText = Mid(strText, nPos1 + 1)
End If
Else
strResult = strResult & strText
strText = ""
End If
nPos1 = InStr(strText, "<")
Loop
strResult = strResult & strText
RemoveHTML = strResult
End Function
%>