Where is Vbulletin going in the future?

[Firestar.CHKN]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a proud owner of Vbulletin, and I really love this forum software. However, I've been thinking. I'm up for renewal of my license in the next couple of months, and I'm just wondering where Vbulletin is going to. What is it's future?

I've been reading up a bit on the forums to try and get an answer to this question, but I'm not really finding an answer. I'm seeing new startup forums such as the Blursoft Metaforum, and websites like digg, and I wonder if Vbulletin will take a simular outlook to forums as these websites have taken.

I guess my real question is... is Vbulletin going in the right direction and is there more planned for the future than just implimenting user suggestions?

Thanks for your answers.
Firestar

[TheMusicMan]

I guess my real question is... is Vbulletin going in the right direction and is there more planned for the future than just implimenting user suggestions?

I guess that very much depends on your definition of... "the right direction". Yours could be North, mine South and vB's West - does that make it right or wrong?

Perhaps you might like to post what you feel would be the right thing for vB to do and then you may get some pragmatic responses.

[Firestar.CHKN]

Well, that's just it. I'm not sure exactly what the right direction is. I guess I just want to know what's planned for the future. I'd like to see much more use of Ajax in the forums. I'd like to see threads popping to the top automatically and posts automatically adding new posts to the top as they are posted. I'd like to see viewed and reply counts automatically updating as the threads are read and replied to. I absolutely fell in love with digg and this metaforum looks incredibly nice (yet very immature still, and by no means an option for my forums at this stage).

I know there are downsides to Ajax, especially in a bandwidth hungry country like South Africa, but I still feel that Ajax could make the forum experience so much more enjoyable.

Any ideas or comments on this?

[Onimua]

If you look around the vBulletin 3.5 Suggestions and Feedback forum, you'd find posts from the developers on how vBulletin is doing.

But you would have to look at exactly what you are looking for, and then figure out where to go from there. Something like instant updates like that really drive a server up the wall, especially considering if theres many users.

Lately people have been saying "AJAX this, AJAX that..." and it's getting a bit redundant and annoying. View this thread to see what I mean--Scott also puts in a bit of his input about using and implementing AJAX technology.

In terms of the right direction... is it going somewhere you like? Are the features that are being added to your liking? What is it that you're looking for to add to your site to make it better? "Right direction" is a relative term I think, so it depends on your general opinion of the software.

[Firestar.CHKN]

OK, I see what you're saying. Look, I'm not saying Ajax this and that, but rather just curious as to where VB is going in the future.

I do like what I'm seeing, and I don't really have doubts as to whether I will renew or not (I surely will), but I'm just interested to know what VB has planned for the future.

[Onimua]

I'm not sure if you've seen this yet, but this thread may help: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184044

[Scott MacVicar]

The next immediate thing is vBulletin 3.6 which will look to extend features within 3.5, especially what had to be removed or halted due to development time.

[Mark.B]

If that Blursoft thing is the future of forums, count me in the past.

[the_host]

Never heard of Blursoft, looks interesting.
I think vBulletin will still remain the leader regardless of the new competition.

[Dark CMX]

No matter, how good other Forums may become. I can guarantee you, vBulletin will always be the best. However, everyone has they're own personal opinions on which Forum is better. Some say phpbb, because of all the Mods. Others say Invision Power Board. I say, vBulletin. That's my opinion. Another free version I've heard of that's close to vBulletin would be eBulletin. That, in my opinion, doesn't compare to any of the three I just mentioned, yet anyways. Anyways, till next time, farewell. Thank you.


-Dark CMX

[Firestar.CHKN]

Well, I have to say that the new version of vBulletin is pretty nifteh. I already have it running on my test server and I'm VERY impressed.

Thanks for the effort, guys. And excuse my doubts

[Ohiosweetheart]

No matter, how good other Forums may become. I can guarantee you, vBulletin will always be the best. However, everyone has they're own personal opinions on which Forum is better. Some say phpbb, because of all the Mods. Others say Invision Power Board. I say, vBulletin. That's my opinion. Another free version I've heard of that's close to vBulletin would be eBulletin. That, in my opinion, doesn't compare to any of the three I just mentioned, yet anyways. Anyways, till next time, farewell. Thank you.


-Dark CMX

I'm wondering how some people can say that phpbb software is better because of the mods, when most of the mods they offer, is already standard vB features. That's why I switched from phpbb to vB. I was like... wth am I busting my butt to hack my board, when this all comes with vB??

[Floris]

No matter, how good other Forums may become. I can guarantee you, vBulletin will always be the best. However, everyone has they're own personal opinions on which Forum is better. Some say phpbb, because of all the Mods. Others say Invision Power Board. I say, vBulletin. That's my opinion. Another free version I've heard of that's close to vBulletin would be eBulletin. That, in my opinion, doesn't compare to any of the three I just mentioned, yet anyways. Anyways, till next time, farewell. Thank you.


-Dark CMX

Thanks for the kind words, I hope you soon make a purchase

[Floris]

I'm wondering how some people can say that phpbb software is better because of the mods, when most of the mods they offer, is already standard vB features. That's why I switched from phpbb to vB. I was like... wth am I busting my butt to hack my board, when this all comes with vB??

Not only standard features, but with vBulletin they are actually completed, enhanced, come with global and usergroup permissions and tweak-options. That and written with performance and security in mind. Balanced against the overall performance and usability and userdemand.

[Ohiosweetheart]

yeah, what you said ^