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Internet Brands

Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with ragefrom a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
edited November 2009 in H.Q. Reception Desk
This is cross posted from another forum where they are switching away from vBulletin for reasons that should be obvious in the post:
So the company that owns vBulletin (Internet Brands, they bought it from Jelsoft back in 2007) has apparently decided that they don't need customers. First they changed their licensing scheme from a higher one-time fee and lower yearly renewals to a much higher one-time fee and no renewal good for that major version of vB. While this new license seems to be a little better on the surface they also announced that they plan on releasing major versions of vBulletin every 12-18 months rather than the 2+ year cycle AND that as soon as a new major version is released they'll stop providing any sort of updates on the old version (including security updates). So in essence the new license becomes a yearly fee to use vBulletin.

Now this isn't necessary a bad thing by itself if it meant that each major revision added new features or significant benefits but vB 4.0 from what I can tell offers only two new things over vB 3. The first is a new skin for the forums that's XHTML compliant and the second is auto-embedding of media (IE, youtube links get transformed automatically, like that hack I had installed for a bit). That's it. Now there is a new 'package' of software called the Community Suite which also adds a CMS (Content Management System, IE, a front-page) to the mix but the cost of getting this suite is nearly $100 over the forums and while I had originally pondered this for GoonFleet other events made my decision for me.

vBulletin started to pull a lotka.org in a way lotka.org administrators could only dream about. As you can imagine the new licensing scheme generated quite an outburst of anger from the vBulletin community, especially since vB 4.0 hasn't even been released yet, won't be released for at least a month or two, and any discount prices being offered on upgrades expire tomorrow. Rather than address these issues or even offer some sort of explanation people speaking out against the new licensing fees have found themselves banned from vBulletin's forums and their licenses and support revoked without comment or reason. For more information on this see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/28/vbulletin_controversy/

So, with the licensing changes and recently demonstrated insanity I've started seriously looking at alternatives to vBulletin and that search has lead me to... (((Blah blah snipped technical stuff)))


My question is this: Is the new licensing going to affect us much, and if so are plans being made to deal with it?

...and when you are done with that; take a folding
chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
Just_Bri_Thanks on

Posts

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    That register link is broken.

    BahamutZERO on
    BahamutZERO.gif
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2009
    fixed.

    Just_Bri_Thanks on
    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • ronzoronzo Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Solo seemed pretty annoyed at IB for that shit.

    As it stands, aren't we kind if caught between a rock and a hard place? We need secuirty updates that they might not provide, and we have so much custom code, upgrading might be a problem. Obviously alpha or ramius would know better of course and I'm sure they're ontop of it

    ronzo on
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Yeah, whatever security issues do arise I imagine Alpha & Ramius will be more than capable of dealing with them.

    Zilla360 on
  • ÄlphämönkëyÄlphämönkëy Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    We've already talked about it.

    The money isn't really an issue, so much my concerns about their project management.

    That said, vBulletin sucks less than the alternatives.

    There are no Python/Ruby implementations that are ready for prime time. FUDForum is pretty rad, but we have enough custom mods here that rewriting everything would be a chore. Also, they claim to have some plans to help "big boards."

    Älphämönkëy on
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2009
    That said, vBulletin sucks less than the alternatives.

    Pretty much agree with this statement. All the forum softwares are pretty bad, vBulletin just sucks less consistently.

    Really annoying too, when you have forum software with great APIs like Simple Machine Forums and then the actual forum software is poop on a stick, or something like phpbb3 where the forum itself is decent but the APIs and modifying it is like trying to re-deck a ship in the middle of a hurricane.

    FyreWulff on
  • NotASenatorNotASenator Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    You should switch to a .NET solution. :p

    NotASenator on
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2009
    Yeah, like .net has ever solved anything.

    Just_Bri_Thanks on
    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    The only consistent thing I've seen in .NET-based web apps is the frequent error messages.

    MKR on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    NotACrook wrote: »
    You should switch to a .NET solution. :p

    No, no they shouldn't.

    My god man.

    Jasconius on
    this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz

    we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
  • NotASenatorNotASenator Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    After more strenuous contemplation, I'd like to alter my suggestion, and say that we should move to Sharepoint.

    NotASenator on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Google Groups mailing lists imo

    Jasconius on
    this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz

    we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
  • distractabledistractable Registered User new member
    edited November 2009
    NotACrook:
    After more strenuous contemplation, I'd like to alter my suggestion, and say that we should move to Sharepoint.

    You, sir, are cut~

    distractable on
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    NotACrook wrote: »
    After more strenuous contemplation, I'd like to alter my suggestion, and say that we should move to Sharepoint.

    ITT NaC reveals he's a sadist.

    fightinfilipino on
    ffNewSig.png
    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    wow. after reading the Register article and doing a little digging, this sounds a lot like contract breach on the part of vBulletin/Internet Brands, plain and simple. they should be refunding the customers who did not agree to this change in the licensing scheme/had originally purchased a "lifetime" or annual license.

    fightinfilipino on
    ffNewSig.png
    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2009
    Depends on what is defined as "lifetime"

    Kinda like how Steve Jobs pushed out Mac OSX 8 to kill off the clones, because the license terms specifically said Apple was obligated to license 7.x.x, so he was just "okay, it's now version 8"

    FyreWulff on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    We've already talked about it.

    The money isn't really an issue, so much my concerns about their project management.

    That said, vBulletin sucks less than the alternatives.

    There are no Python/Ruby implementations that are ready for prime time. FUDForum is pretty rad, but we have enough custom mods here that rewriting everything would be a chore. Also, they claim to have some plans to help "big boards."

    Hopefully the new releases don't fudge things up to where you have to do rewrites every time they come out.

    Henroid on
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