User Agreement

[DGAF]

What are the details concerning the use of the forums? I have read the user agreement (one instance installed on one server), but how does that work with networks?

Is a network (of multiple websites) able to use the same instance of the software under the agreement even though they in effect act as individual websites and individual forums? For example; Each website is indexed as at a subforum level of the "main index".

I pm'ed Wayne Luke yesterday, but have not received a reply. Can anyone answer this?

[Ace]

I am by no means any kind of authority on this subject but, from the agreement:

vBulletin licence grants you the right to run one instance (a single installation) of the Software on one web server and one web site for each licence purchased. Each licence may power one instance of the Software on one domain.

So, from what you say, I imagine the answer is 'No, you can't do that.'

[Steve Machol]

Is a network (of multiple websites) able to use the same instance of the software under the agreement even though they in effect act as individual websites and individual forums? For example; Each website is indexed as at a subforum level of the "main index".

No. This would require separate license for each individual forum.

I pm'ed Wayne Luke yesterday, but have not received a reply. Can anyone answer this?

Support personnel are very busy and providing forum, phone and support system support takes top priority. The best way to get an answer is to post here or send an email to [email protected].

[Kaelon]

Steve, I think that what Kall was saying was that a single installation of vBulletin might be used by a site that has a number of sub-sites, without the need for additional licenses. My reading of the License Agreement -- and the fact that dozens of commercial and non-commercial web sites already do this -- suggests that this is fine. Here's an example of how I interpret this:

Let's say we have a parent site called "Kaelon's Games", with sub-sections of the site for a different game -- such as "Kaelon's Ping-Pong", and "Kaelon's Golf". Those sub-sections, operating as semi-autonomous areas, still constituents of Kaelon's Games, could nevertheless have their own sub-forum without the need for each sub-site to have a unique installation. Right?

[Steve Machol]

Actually he said:

they in effect act as individual websites and individual forums

This definitely requires separate licenses.

[Kaelon]

Okay, I misunderstood his scenario, then. To me, it sounded like he was saying that these are different web sites, sharing the same forum (much like how Stratics uses a single central forum for all of its web sites).

[DarkCancerian]

Pardon me for interrupting, especially as I am not a support member of any type.

The way I have interpreted it, is like the previous poster did. It sounds like this person would like their operation to go similar to rpgforums.net. This means several (possibly related) sites have sub-forums in the main forum. So in all logic - although they are separate sites with separate domains, they are sharing ONE forum installation, using ONE database, and are on ONE server, therefore they should only require ONE license. No?

Remember, he said "in effect", so they are not "actual" separate forums. Each site probably would hide the other sub-forums, but they would all be part of the larger whole.

Once again, pardon my interruption, but that only made sense to me... Especially as rpgforums.net already has such a setup.

[Steve Machol]

License agreement:

http://www.vbulletin.com/order/license_agreement.php

vBulletin licence grants you the right to run one instance (a single installation) of the Software on one web server and one web site for each licence purchased. Each licence may power one instance of the Software on one domain. For each installed instance of the Software, a separate licence is required. Modifications to the software or database to circumvent the one-license-one-board rule are prohibited.

[DGAF]

Basically, the idea is that there are a handful of websites out there and instead of having everyone who visits them register at multiple, independent forums-everything goes to one main forum.

They would look like seperate forums, such as unique banners and whatnot, but everyone who visits the forums of any of those sites would basically just be visiting a forum that they all shared in common. It's a network of websites that use one forum to bring all of their members together, and all for common purposes

[Steve Machol]

Since you would need to modify the software for it to appear that these are separate forums, this would require a license for each one.

[DGAF]

I was planning on using a unique default style for each of the forums.

Now let's say that I installed the software on one server at one domain (in one instance) and everyone at those different sites was redirected to the forum. Would I be able to use unique default styles for each of the redirected sites? For example; when someone clicks a link at one of the independent sites, it changes the user's style via the forumdisplay.php?styleid=website link?

This would provide a unique look for each network site while being installed on only one server, acting as one forum. They would all share a common forum (with a common name), but look differently depending on where they last came from.

To take that further, would it be possible to use frames on those sites so that the users don't actually have to leave the website that they were visiting on the network while still using the unified forum? For example, all of the nagivation for each site would be contained on the page with a frame below it linking to the forum.

The idea is that I have everyone on the network to be a member of one forum that links to the network sites so that the members are consistant among the network, as well as avoiding the inconveniences of forcing people to register at multiple sections of a network to use it to its advantages of being a network.

[Steve Machol]

Sorry but it's late and I'm having trouble following you. There is no option for vB to use:

forumdisplay.php?styleid=website

This would require hacking. And like I said modifying vB to make it appear to be totally separate forums would require separate license.

There is no prohibition on using a distinct style for each forum, but that does not appear to be what you want to do.

[DGAF]

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/index.php?styleid=1

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/index.php?styleid=2

Both alter the user's style choice (to style #1 or 2).

This would make the forums appear as though they are individual forums (which it appears is where the problem is created).

I would like to make all of the sites on the network use the network's forum system while keeping the individuality of each of the sites. This is what I am looking to achieve

[Steve Machol]

Yes, you can use separate styles per forum. However these forums need to be part of the same overall board. You cannot modify the software to make it appear that these are entirely separate forums.

[Bema Jinn]

Yes, you can use separate styles per forum. However these forums need to be part of the same overall board. You cannot modify the software to make it appear that these are entirely separate forums.

wait. what?

as long as we are using one set of files and one DB installation what is wrong with making it look like a seperate forum. i'm sure there's nothing like that in the user agreement.

*goes to read*