vB5: Windows 8, Facebook or YouTube?

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  • EliasAlucard
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2009
    • 101
    • 4.2.5

    vB5: Windows 8, Facebook or YouTube?

    It just doesn't feel like vBulletin, AT ALL. How much compatibility does it have with vB3 and 4? While vB4 brought some major improvements over vB3, it lost some of the classical vBulletin touch, but it still felt like vBulletin in many ways. vB5 on the other hand, feels so remote and alien from vB3/4. It no longer feels like we're using vBulletin here. Did you write the code from scratch or something?

    I just get this Windows 8 modernism vibe to it, which I hate. No rounded corners makes it look cheap and simple. How's the plugin compatibility? Will post thanks work, for example? Do plugins need to be coded from scratch? It seems to be a complete rewrite of the vBulletin code. What about PHP 5.4.x? Does vB5 support it? What are the actual improvements, benefits and advantages of vB5? I'm probably not going to update to vB5 anytime soon, if ever. It all depends on the advantages though, and if the modding community supports it with great plugins, themes and if there's any actual improvement in security/stability/performance.

    One thing I really did like though, is the new Gmail-like PM thread view, which was an important feature in IP.Board that was sorely lacking in vBulletin. Now, PMs will become more interesting and coherent.

    Chances are I just may ditch vBulletin altogether if it continues like this. You're removing what's good about vBulletin, and what was great about its looks and style. Now it just feels like any generic forum software, as opposed to the feeling of quality that was there with good old vB3.

    I can't even find the usercp.php in this modernistic mess (btw, I like the fact that it specifically ends with "php" and not just "/usercp/").
    Last edited by EliasAlucard; Thu 21 Feb '13, 8:37am.
    “Human beings are animals: very unusual animals, to be sure, but nevertheless animals. In origin, we are not fallen angels, but apes arisen.” — Michael H. Hart
  • Deimos
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2002
    • 1517
    • 3.8.x

    #2
    Feels like more was taken away, than anything.
    And yea, it's very bland and boring looking, a bit like Lithium.
    I can understand the need to start from scratch when code reaches a certain age, but you should at least code it to the same feature level as the previous, old version.

    Comment

    • Wayne Luke
      vBulletin Technical Support Lead
      • Aug 2000
      • 73981

      #3
      The entire presentation layer of vBulletin was written from scratch. New templates, new API, new way of doing things. Feature Parity with 4.X is one of the long term goals though. vBulletin 5 also uses different concepts in the database so while you can upgrade from vB3 or vB4, the data isn't really compatible. The upgrade is more of an import than a traditional upgrade. These changes were made so that the software can continue to grow beyond just forums and provide solutions to more people. At least once the kinks are worked out.


      Translations provided by Google.

      Wayne Luke
      The Rabid Badger - a vBulletin Cloud demonstration site.
      vBulletin 5 API

      Comment

      • Ramsesx
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2005
        • 3254
        • 3.8.x

        #4
        Because quoting doesn't work for me (Opera):
        "How's the plugin compatibility? Will post thanks work, for example? Do plugins need to be coded from scratch? "

        vb3 & vb4 addons don't work.
        .......

        Comment

        • EliasAlucard
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2009
          • 101
          • 4.2.5

          #5
          Originally posted by Wayne Luke
          The entire presentation layer of vBulletin was written from scratch. New templates, new API, new way of doing things. Feature Parity with 4.X is one of the long term goals though. vBulletin 5 also uses different concepts in the database so while you can upgrade from vB3 or vB4, the data isn't really compatible. The upgrade is more of an import than a traditional upgrade. These changes were made so that the software can continue to grow beyond just forums and provide solutions to more people. At least once the kinks are worked out.
          So it's not possible to upgrade from vB4 to vB5 using the traditional built in upgrade feature?

          I have three years of post thanks history which I don't want to lose. I see that vB5 has a native "Like" button, which is good. Is there any way to convert the post thanks to the like button? I'm also working on a vB4 browser/OS plugin I call UADisplay (that's the vB3 version, but the vB4 one is quite stable and soon to be released), it'll be GPL v3 licensed, and so you can include it in vB5 if you don't have any issues with the GPL. I just don't want to lose it in vB5. It's quite an awesome plugin as far as I'm concerned.

          Don't get me wrong though, there are some good improvements with vB5, it still has a long way to go however, before I'll consider upgrading to it. It took me around 3 years to upgrade to vB4.
          “Human beings are animals: very unusual animals, to be sure, but nevertheless animals. In origin, we are not fallen angels, but apes arisen.” — Michael H. Hart

          Comment

          • Wayne Luke
            vBulletin Technical Support Lead
            • Aug 2000
            • 73981

            #6
            Originally posted by EliasAlucard
            So it's not possible to upgrade from vB4 to vB5 using the traditional built in upgrade feature?
            I never said that. Upgrade scripts are provided and your data is maintained and converted to the vBulletin 5 format. It is stored in a very different format though.


            We can't include GPL code in vBulletin. The GPL has problems with commercial software ventures. We don't have problems with the GPL. In fact, I don't think you can even use the GPL legally with vBulletin Addons. We would need BSD or MIT style licenses which allow commercial distribution and do not infringe on the rights of the original copyright holder.
            Translations provided by Google.

            Wayne Luke
            The Rabid Badger - a vBulletin Cloud demonstration site.
            vBulletin 5 API

            Comment

            • BirdOPrey5
              Senior Member
              • Jul 2008
              • 9613
              • 5.6.3

              #7
              If you upgrade without uninstalling your "Thanks" mod the thanks data will remain in the database but you'd need some kind of custom solution to import the data into VB5 Likes.

              Comment

              • EliasAlucard
                Senior Member
                • Nov 2009
                • 101
                • 4.2.5

                #8
                Originally posted by Wayne Luke
                Originally posted by EliasAlucard
                So it's not possible to upgrade from vB4 to vB5 using the traditional built in upgrade feature?
                I never said that. Upgrade scripts are provided and your data is maintained and converted to the vBulletin 5 format. It is stored in a very different format though. We can't include GPL code in vBulletin. The GPL has problems with commercial software ventures. We don't have problems with the GPL. In fact, I don't think you can even use the GPL legally with vBulletin Addons. We would need BSD or MIT style licenses which allow commercial distribution and do not infringe on the rights of the original copyright holder.
                Okay, I may have to convert it to 2-clause BSD or something then, we'll see how I proceed with that. Licenses are a pain in the ass anyway.

                Could you fill me in why the GPL doesn't allow use in vBulletin?

                Originally posted by Joe D.
                If you upgrade without uninstalling your "Thanks" mod the thanks data will remain in the database but you'd need some kind of custom solution to import the data into VB5 Likes.
                Yeah, I'm sure such a solution will become available later on.
                “Human beings are animals: very unusual animals, to be sure, but nevertheless animals. In origin, we are not fallen angels, but apes arisen.” — Michael H. Hart

                Comment

                • Wayne Luke
                  vBulletin Technical Support Lead
                  • Aug 2000
                  • 73981

                  #9
                  Originally posted by EliasAlucard
                  Could you fill me in why the GPL doesn't allow use in vBulletin?
                  vBulletin isn't open source software. It is commercial software under a commercial license. While GPL allows you to sell software, it also gives the right of distribution to anyone who uses the software. This conflicts with our license.

                  Translations provided by Google.

                  Wayne Luke
                  The Rabid Badger - a vBulletin Cloud demonstration site.
                  vBulletin 5 API

                  Comment

                  • EliasAlucard
                    Senior Member
                    • Nov 2009
                    • 101
                    • 4.2.5

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Wayne Luke
                    Originally posted by EliasAlucard
                    Could you fill me in why the GPL doesn't allow use in vBulletin?
                    vBulletin isn't open source software. It is commercial software under a commercial license. While GPL allows you to sell software, it also gives the right of distribution to anyone who uses the software. This conflicts with our license.
                    There are plenty of commercial, proprietary software using GPLed components. Mac OS X and Spotify are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. Okay, you can't include my plugin as part of the vBulletin package, but I don't see how I'm prohibited to use GPL-licensed plugins in my vBulletin setup? That's like saying you can't use FOSS on Windows.

                    Anyway, back to topic... what's the intended direction of vB5? It seems very Facebook-like, is that the general idea here?
                    “Human beings are animals: very unusual animals, to be sure, but nevertheless animals. In origin, we are not fallen angels, but apes arisen.” — Michael H. Hart

                    Comment

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