It's Time

[bfoot045]

I started a thread a couple months ago that got 12+ pages of responses, discussing Jelsoft's no info treatment. This is a thread just telling you guys that this is the perfect time to at least release some information about it. (You know, IPB is releasing 2.1 soon)

I do not see how we cannot get a feature list. It is time to start thinking about your customers more than the Invision Staff. IMO, you guys are great support, this is an awesome community, but you are all focused on making sure that Invision doesn't copy that x feature.

We all want information, and that is it, we do not need a release date, we want to know what is being worked on, we want to be informed. Microsoft copies Apple, MS copies Sony, Nike copies adidas and so on.

Here are just some general posts I found around the board that had to do with this:
I understand 3.1 is a big release, but it seems like work on it has been going really slowly. I would have figured it would have already been released a long time ago. We haven't seen any big new features in a long, long time...ever since I became a member almost a year ago, it seems. At the very least, it'd be nice to get some sort of very general timetable...it gets a bit frustrating.

When I went back and looked, the last several updates appear to be nothing more than bug fixes and security updates. Nothing of importance for most members has been added. And it appears I'm not the only one thats noticed this.

i dunno about the other guy but im not here to flame anyone, someone wants to flame me go ahead im wearing fireproof undies ;p

i dont think its too much to ask to be given an idea of what is being worked on and a "hopeful" date release, nothing set in stone or anything else of tthat matter

and always problems arise and things get pushed back and thats just how it is, but all that aside, the simple fact is:

its been over a year since any new improvements/features were added, and i for one would appreciate some information on what is happening here.

thanks :)


Who exactly is "everyone else"?

Heck, even VALVe have weekly newsletters giving some kind of update even if its just "we're working on 2 new weapons for HL2DM!!!!!!!!!!!".

This also felt like the best forum to put this thread in, because well, it is company feedback, not site or software. :p

[Andrew111888]

I doubt they're going to change their mind about releasing information.

To them, every time they've given information, people just keep wanting more and more, so they stopped giving it at all.

[JPT62089]

I am getting kinda sick of waiting just to know what some of 3.x features are going to be. And I do not think 3.x will be out anytime soon. And if Jelsoft waits and waits they will get behind their competition. They need to get some information out to get people excited about 3.x

Look at what IPB is getting:

Videos of new features,
New features along with the security flaws,
easy to use ACP
etc

If Jelsoft doesnt show that vBulletin 3.x will be any better than IPB 2.1 then vBulletin may start going down the drain. I am not trying to promote IPB in any way. I am just expressing how I feel. Jelsoft is being WAY too quiet. Its kinda like Area 51. The Government is being so hush hush that people are thinking that maybe they are doing illegal activities and stuff there.

So I as a customer suggest that Jelsoft at least give us hints. Rock solid hints at that. Not cheasy little hints that no one can figure out.

EDIT: PS also people will get tired of waiting for unique features they will resort to a new BBS

[AWS]

3.0.x has all the features I need, but, Invision is adding a couple new and unique things that is making me look in their direction for any future communities I might start. They already have a couple features that I like and aren't lacking anything I need. I've just been loyal to Jelsoft thus far. I am discouraged with the lack of a roadmap of future plans and the way everything is shrouded in privacy with only hints at what is coming in cryptic posts by devs and team members.
A vbulletin CMS was first discussed over a year ago. A new plugin system was announced about 6 months ago. Since we haven't heard a word about future plans.
Come on devs throw us a bone every once in a while. If for no other reason then to let us know development isn't stagnate.

[JPT62089]

Also you dont have to tell us every new feature. Just enough to get us excited for the future releases of vBulletin.

[MGM]

Perhaps now they won't even announce a 3.X release.... We've already scared them from announcing X.0.0 releases, let's not scare them from announcing X.X.0 releases too... I'm sure they have very good reasons for keeping things secret... outside of competition... what if they announced a feature for the next release but later realized it wasnt worth it (ie: too many bugs, server intensive, breaks vB, etc.) and removed it before the release... how many people expecting that feature would be pissed? A lot.

MGM out

[AlienSector]

It's easy to request a feature list, though you have to look at the plethora of threads dealing with this exact same topic surrounding these forums.

The more time they have to spend dealing with the exact same thread topic, the more time it takes away from development of the software at hand.

While I am sure everyone would love to see a press release with the new features listed, even in part, sometimes it's best to keep 'hush-hush' about what you have planned.

If anyone (and this is not directly specifically) is so uptight over their privacy decision to keep the feature list at bay until they are fully ready to release it, then it may be time to make a switch. No one here is specifically holding a (insert choice word here) to you head and making you stick around or wait for a feature press release, there are options to move on.

Again, I understand that it's been a while and other companies may send out newsletters every day, though in comparrison, compare VALVE's corporate staff size to that of Jelsoft -- I am sure VALVE out-weighs them and hence they have staff to ready such newsletters.

As long as the developers are focusing on development and security is a focus they are managing well, I don't see the fuss about having to wait. If the software was so full of bugs, security flaws and such and they were not releasing anything, even bug & security fixes, sure, then you have a reason to be mad, anxious and so forth.

Honestly, it's time to give these threads a break.

[squall14716]

It's been 1 year, 1 month, and 19 days since vB 3.0.0 was released. What's the harm in 5 more minutes?

[ManagerJosh]

It's been 1 year, 1 month, and 19 days since vB 3.0.0 was released. What's the harm in 5 more minutes?
Plus it took over a year to develop vBulletin 3.0 and go gold.

[Vtec44]

Damn, people take the feature list so seriously. LOL

[KimmiKat]

Maybe add that to the order page

.. Leased: $85.00
.. Owned: $160.00
.. Feature List for next version of vB: $600.00

:D

[chrispadfield]

Maybe add that to the order page

.. Leased: $85.00
.. Owned: $160.00
.. Feature List for next version of vB: $600.00

:D

Knowing the date of the next release ... priceless.

[p.s. before anyone gets the wrong idea, thats a joke - I certainly know of no date].

[JPT62089]

hahahaha good one :P lol

[squall14716]

Plus it took over a year to develop vBulletin 3.0 and go gold.
Yeah, of course if you go back to last really major release before 3.0.0 was vB3 Gamma, which was December 4th, 2003. Of course don't forget vB3 Beta 3 which was released on July 13th, 2003. The reason everyone wants to know about the next release is because it has been a very long time since the last major release - and we knew of those features all the way back in August 2002.

What I am curious about is why a lot of people believes some release of 3.x.0 is anytime soon (and posting about it)? It seems several people, at around the same time, keep making guesses that it will be very soon. What is so special about now? :p

[MGM]

Yeah, of course if you go back to last really major release before 3.0.0 was vB3 Gamma, which was December 4th, 2003. Of course don't forget vB3 Beta 3 which was released on July 13th, 2003. The reason everyone wants to know about the next release is because it has been a very long time since the last major release - and we knew of those features all the way back in August 2002.

What I am curious about is why a lot of people believes some release of 3.x.0 is anytime soon (and posting about it)? It seems several people, at around the same time, keep making guesses that it will be very soon. What is so special about now? :p
Perhaps they think Jelsoft will release vB as a late mother's day gift? :D

MGM out

[Mike Anime]

Knowing the date of the next release ... priceless.

[p.s. before anyone gets the wrong idea, thats a joke - I certainly know of no date].

for everything else there is mastercard........................


i for one dont care if they give a feature list. they come out with whatever they come out with. going to IPB just because they give a feature list witch may or maynot be accurate by the time of release or for first time features witch may bring security holes IMHO isnt worth it. vB is tried and true and has been around longer than IPB. ( i only brought up IPB as it was mentioned in this thread i am not bashing them)

comparing vB to a video game co isnt good eather you might as well compare tv news to printed news. sure both will bring the news but tv news has a bigger staff same goes for video game companies and vB.


EDIT before anyone digs and finds i sold my licence and takes that out of context too........ i only sold it to a friend who has a simalar site and a more stable job and online schedule while i have a part-time-seasonal job and i often end up offline for months on end making owning a forum almost impossible.

[_| () R | Z]

i for one dont care if they give a feature list. they come out with whatever they come out with. going to IPB just because they give a feature list witch may or maynot be accurate by the time of release or for first time features witch may bring security holes IMHO isnt worth it. vB is tried and true and has been around longer than IPB. ( i only brought up IPB as it was mentioned in this thread i am not bashing them)

they dont only released a roadmap (http://www.invisionboard.com/?ipb21roadmap) they today added a video page showing of thier new features: http://www.invisionboard.com/?ipb2new

[Floris]

........
AlienSector, please contact me on floris [at] vbulletin.com as soon as possible if you haven't been in contact with Jelsoft today yet. I can't press you enough how serious I am about this request. I can't seem to catch you in private and this is my last attempt.

[Ogden2k]

I agree that Jelsoft should be giving us more information on what's going on. vB3 is great, but there have been many features we have requested that should be implemented. IPB is looking good on the new features... I just wish Jelsoft would give us more information, hire more devs or something...

Here are some examples of very popular requests:

User group controllable signature options
Multi Quote
Warning System
Gallery
CMS
There's more others can add I'm sure...

[HappyPike]

I am glad you brought it up, bfoot. I too think Jelsoft should be a bit more open about the features that are planned for the next major release.

I am sure many of you play computer games, and you guys know the game developers and publishers are pretty good at releasing info and screenshots to generate hype and excitement both among their existing fan base as well as potential customers. Most games take 2 to 3 years to make, and the game publishers usually start releasing info about the game a year before the game's release. The last thing game developers/publishers want to see is the game is 5 months to release and no one is talking about the game or are excited about it. That would be a clear sign that the marketing strategy has failed.

For release dates, Jelsoft doesn't need to give the exact date. A tentative release date such as Q3 2005 would be good enough.

[Ogden2k]

I was just over @ IPB checking out how they handle their roadmap and like how they go about doing it.

I think Jelsoft should tell us upcoming features and an estimated time, but stress that it's estimated.

[cirisme]

3.0.x has all the features I need, but, Invision is adding a couple new and unique things that is making me look in their direction for any future communities I might start. They already have a couple features that I like and aren't lacking anything I need. I've just been loyal to Jelsoft thus far. I am discouraged with the lack of a roadmap of future plans and the way everything is shrouded in privacy with only hints at what is coming in cryptic posts by devs and team members.
A vbulletin CMS was first discussed over a year ago. A new plugin system was announced about 6 months ago. Since we haven't heard a word about future plans.
Come on devs throw us a bone every once in a while. If for no other reason then to let us know development isn't stagnate.

I agree entirely. I like vBulletin, but IPB has all the same features that I feel are essential, lacking nothing, and is going in the same direction I've been thinking about hacking my vB forum into. If vB doesn't have anything compelling by the time 2.1 is out, then switching is really a no-brainer for me, as I already have the license and will have less porting to do going from vB -> IPB then I would from vB3 -> vBx, and will get more out of it.

[mrlister]

My only frustration is, every day I expect vB x.x.x to come out and I'm trying not to do too many mods on my site before then.

[Mike Anime]

the biggest problem with giving an ETA is a LOT of ppl think those are set in stone no matter how much you stress its ESTIMATED.

[bahbah]

A roadmap would be nice.

I too have been getting frustrated as of late - particularly with the lack of news about the CMS which I would REALLY love to have as it will integrate with my forum.

I also have been looking at the competition - particularly invision.

[Floris]

We will have some information for the community soon. ;)

[AWS]

We will have some information for the community soon. ;)
Now that is the exact type of response we have heard many times before. Never gets followed up on. Don't give hints. Just post the announcement when the time comes. Too many time these hints and messages lead to nothing.

[Freddie Bingham]

Soon, as in today or tomorrow depending on your time zone.

[MidnightPyro]

If you notice, Freddie, Jerry, Mike, Scott, and Kier were all alive at the same time. It's almost the entire dev team ;) Draw your own conclusions though.

[Jerry]

We are chatting about the clement weather :)

[MidnightPyro]

You guys will get us all hyped up, and then there will be an announcement saying, 'vBulletin 2.3.8 released' and we'll all be sad again :D

[Freddie Bingham]

There will be nothing about 2.3.8 or 3.0.8 unless someone gives us a big security issue in the next hour.

It will be a start to what everyone is asking for, detailing the 3.X release.

[greywolff]

i a day ahead of most of you anyway can i get it early hehehe

[MidnightPyro]

Somehow I don't think they're releasing 3.X yet ;)

[HappyPike]

There will be nothing about 2.3.8 or 3.0.8 unless someone gives us a big security issue in the next hour.

It will be a start to what everyone is asking for, detailing the 3.X release.
Thank you!!!

[Floris]

Somehow I don't think they're releasing 3.X yet ;)
I used a new [xray] BBCode and saw you got all overexcited about 3.x :)

[Mike Anime]

I used a new [xray] BBCode and saw you got all overexcited about 3.x :)

lol cute :D

[cirisme]

If you notice, Freddie, Jerry, Mike, Scott, and Kier were all alive at the same time. It's almost the entire dev team ;) Draw your own conclusions though.
Does this effectively kill the rumor that all the devs are really multiple personalities of the same person?

No, I don't buy it until I see all of them in the same room at the same time... ;)

[Floris]

Well, they could be 6 different browsers using each their own profile :)

[Mayers]

Kier is on and is making a new thread right now :D!

[Floris]

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138543

[cirisme]

Wow, I'm looking forward to trying out 3.5. I'd love more info on Hooks feature, as that sounds quite nice.

Thanks for the update!

(now was that so hard? ;))

[ManagerJosh]

apparently we need to deem tamarian the official vBulletin groundhog.... He (or she) was right...


see: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138354

[squall14716]

Close, but not quite. Only information was released, and it was 3.5 and not 3.2. ;)

[ManagerJosh]

hey it was closer than anyone else :p...