Why should he get vBulletin...

[CFCParadox]

Hello,

I am trying to convince my friend to get vBulletin over SMF but I need some strong valid points! Money is NOT AN ISSUE!

Thanks,
Brandon

[InvolvingDesigns]

vBulletin is far better then any forum software in this planet.

thats why

[PsGalaxy91]

Because vBulletin 4 is bug-free, stable product with many great style designers, plus it's the fastest forums on the web! (Oh, wait a sec...)

If you're trying to convince him, the CMS is a good point, with its integrated articles and all that. If only it was fast now....
I used SMF and it was great, but I do vBulletin (well, version 3) is indeed better. If you're trying to get him to go for 3.8, I'd mention that the abundance of styles and designers, because SMF is lacking a bit there. And also the mods. There are bgillions of mods for vB 3.

[feldon23]

vBulletin 3.8 is excellent forum software. I recommend it. Although support may not last forever.

[hitmancode47]

Because vBulletin 4 is bug-free

If It was bug free, why would there be a bug tracker with open issues?

[beishe8]

If It was bug free, why would there be a bug tracker with open issues?

Note:

(Oh, wait a sec...)

[Mike Anime]

vBulletin is far better then any forum software in this planet.

thats why

maybe 3.8 is good but vB4 is not even close. hell they took some vb3 features out of vb4


imho ip content is more powerfull than the vb cms

[Vodkaholic]

Because vBulletin 4 is bug-free, stable product with many great style designers, plus it's the fastest forums on the web! (Oh, wait a sec...)

Hehe i lol'd at that
Nice one!

[a legacy reborn]

Alright the thing is vb3 is an older product so it will have less bugs obviously and vb4 is alot newer so it needs to be given time. Personally I prefer vb4 as it offers more skins and I do not have a big board so the bugs do not effect us.

How to Persuade Him

1.vbulletin has the best support
2.An easy to use admin panel
3.Many modifications at vbulletin.org
4.Many nicer skins at vbulletin.org than SMF
5.It far surpasses any other forum.
6.and much more!

[Ramsesx]

I'd tell him to wait one year more and than make a final decision.

[LiamHammett]

For reference, I am the person CFCParadox is trying to convince to move from SMF. I'll start off saying we've got the whole site set up on SMF at the moment and it's working well, I don't see what's wrong with it. We've got several separate pages set up using SMF's SSI.php, which is working perfectly and I see no need to change that. Anyway, moving onto each of your separate individual points.

vBulletin is far better then any forum software in this planet.

thats why

Sorry, that's a valid reason how? It isn't.

Because vBulletin 4 is bug-free, stable product with many great style designers, plus it's the fastest forums on the web! (Oh, wait a sec...)

If you're trying to convince him, the CMS is a good point, with its integrated articles and all that. If only it was fast now....
I used SMF and it was great, but I do vBulletin (well, version 3) is indeed better. If you're trying to get him to go for 3.8, I'd mention that the abundance of styles and designers, because SMF is lacking a bit there. And also the mods. There are bgillions of mods for vB 3.

The "Oh wait a sec" was neccessary there. vB4 was a big letdown and from what everyone's told me, it's buggy as hell. I'm on the http://ultimate-portal.net/ team for SMF, and that is much better than the default CMS included in vB. SMF may be lacking in designs, but I'm quite good friends with alot of the designers and customisers there, and aswell as being a designer and coder myself, that counters the reasons for me to move.

vBulletin 3.8 is excellent forum software. I recommend it. Although support may not last forever.

I repeat... valid reasons.

If It was bug free, why would there be a bug tracker with open issues?

Exactly, it's riddled with alot more bugs than SMF is, and even though vB4 is still in early phases, the developers released it way too early as a final version. Atleast SMF's devs have put it into proper BETA and RC stages.

maybe 3.8 is good but vB4 is not even close. hell they took some vb3 features out of vb4


imho ip content is more powerfull than the vb cms

As said before, vB4 was a big letdown. Not much else to say. SMF 2.0 has all the features of 1.1.X and a hell of alot more - it's easy to get used to coding, and the support is amazing. I'm not sure what "IP Content" is, but the CMS isn't too great for vB...

Alright the thing is vb3 is an older product so it will have less bugs obviously and vb4 is alot newer so it needs to be given time. Personally I prefer vb4 as it offers more skins and I do not have a big board so the bugs do not effect us.

How to Persuade Him

1.vbulletin has the best support
2.An easy to use admin panel
3.Many modifications at vbulletin.org
4.Many nicer skins at vbulletin.org than SMF
5.It far surpasses any other forum.
6.and much more!

The fact vB3 is older doesn't mean anything, vB4 should've been directly based off of it and all bugs fixed on the way. Admitedly SMF 2.0 had alot of bugs but they were patched very quickly.

1. No it doesn't.
2. SMF's ACP is by far the easiest-to-get-used-to-and-use ACP I've ever seen in a website software at all. 'Nuff said.
3. Many modifications at SMF, and a recent surge of them is making it even better.
4. Examples of the nicer vB skins please?
5. How?
6. Like what?

I'd tell him to wait one year more and than make a final decision.

That'd be a more sensible decision, but a year on, surely I'd be more set on SMF.

[Zachery]

The "Oh wait a sec" was neccessary there. vB4 was a big letdown and from what everyone's told me, it's buggy as hell. I'm on the http://ultimate-portal.net/ team for SMF, and that is much better than the default CMS included in vB. SMF may be lacking in designs, but I'm quite good friends with alot of the designers and customisers there, and aswell as being a designer and coder myself, that counters the reasons for me to move.

I believe you just said, just saying its much better isn't much of a reason.

Most of the rest of your post seems to be opinion, and you're welcome to it. If vBulletin isn't the software for you for any reason I wouldn't recomend it for you.

For number 4: http://www.vbstyles.com/vb4/forum.php

Fanboys and Naysayers aside I stand by the current release is fine for most production websites. Even if vB4 had been amazing and no bugs, I believe it would still have taken time for people to start moving over. The coding, html, css, etc are all considerably different and modificiations don't work on it from old releases. This means people have to take the time to rewrite their own modificatiosn, or wait for authors to update theirs.

Best of luck with your website and your community

[LiamHammett]

vBulletin is far better then any forum software in this planet.

thats why

I believe you just said, just saying its much better isn't much of a reason.

Most of the rest of your post seems to be opinion, and you're welcome to it. If vBulletin isn't the software for you for any reason I wouldn't recomend it for you.

For number 4: http://www.vbstyles.com/vb4/forum.php

Fanboys and Naysayers aside I stand by the current release is fine for most production websites. Even if vB4 had been amazing and no bugs, I believe it would still have taken time for people to start moving over. The coding, html, css, etc are all considerably different and modificiations don't work on it from old releases. This means people have to take the time to rewrite their own modificatiosn, or wait for authors to update theirs.

Best of luck with your website and your community

Sorry, I really am trying to keep my replies based on fact, not opinion. I agree that my opinion throws my reasoning right over to SMF for myself, but I'm personally sure SMF is that bit better, and want to find out why on the opposite side, people think vB is better.

I did say that saying "its better" isn't a good reason - because it isn't, that is simply opinion with no reasoning.

Yeah, some of vBStyles themes are pretty amazing - then again I can just as easily link to http://demo.dzinerstudio.com/ which have some bloody amazing themes aswell.

I'm on the same track of 3.8 to 4, as SMF is on the track from 1.1.X to 2.0, there sure is a big difference in coding between the versions - 2.0 has alot less modifications and themes, but it's being taken across smoothly so most people don't notice. Thing is, SMF is doing it alot smoother so that mods/themes can be updated, and it hasn't been laid down and people happy-slapped into that being the new version. To be honest, there are plenty of issues on both softwares, but the recent prevails of the team here basically telling people with 3.8 that they won't have any support updating to vB4, or any moneyback, kinda ticks me off.

[Zachery]

but the recent prevails of the team here basically telling people with 3.8 that they won't have any support updating to vB4, or any moneyback, kinda ticks me off.

Can you tell me who on our staff has said anything of the sort? We provide support for all of our customers, they get support for updating their software period. If they're upgrading from 3.8 to 4.0, 1.0 to 4.0, or anything inbetween. We are only not supporting 3.6 and lower (as in offically providing support). This also doesn't mean we won't anwser questions or do our best to help them. But if there is a bug our first suggestion is going to be upgrade to the latest stable verison for your major version and see if the issue has gone away (possible pug in 3.5, we'd ask them to upgrade to 3.8.5 first to see if it had been addressed).

Refunds are handled on a case by case basis, and always have been. Its nothing new.

[Mark.B]

Hello,

I am trying to convince my friend to get vBulletin over SMF but I need some strong valid points! Money is NOT AN ISSUE!

Thanks,
Brandon

vBulletin remains vastly superior to SMF. Yes, even vB4.

If your friend is starting out from scratch, then go straight to vB4 (not vB3.8 - that just invites upgrade issues in the near future), don't even consider SMF.

vB4 has many issues but on a new site these tend to be less of a problem, particularly if styling isn't a major concern. But even with those issues, you'll still get a site that's easier to use for the end user and more customisable, than you'd ever get with SMF.