Big news at vBulletin.com...

We don't all have "expertise" like we majored in something. I provide general support. We don't support custom styles or custom PHP coding but if we did I certainly have a big history with coding vBulletin plugins. I try to pickupup Facebook tickets since I have some experience with them because of my various "Share" mods on vBulletin.org. Just yesterday I cleaned up someone's Facebook App that was giving warnings on PHP 5.4.

If I am trouble-shooting and find an issue is due to a 3rd party mod (even though officially we don't support 3rd party mods) I will try to at least narrow down which mod is the cause for a user since I have a pretty good feel for which hooks are being called where.

Issues I've worked on recently include a problem with CMS templates (customer had no grid assigned to a layout), The FB App I mentioned, someone who forgot their Admin password, someone trying to move from a sub-directory to a root installation, and a bunch of email change requests and several VB3/VB4 license transfers.

Guy, I'm not making myself out to be the savior of anything. I see someone or something getting a raw deal and it's my nature to stick up for them when they are getting attacks not deserved. Like I said, there are certainly reasons I would understand people have to have problems with vBulletin - even if I don't agree - but we both know when there's a mob mentality like exists here people pile it on- and they pile it on beyond the point of fairness. When I see that I need to say something.

It's not limited to vBulletin, believe me- this just happens to be a vBulletin themed forum so it's always seems like I stick up for vBulletin.

Yesterday I started a petition on whitehouse.gov "we the people" asking for President Obama to pardon someone who got a raw deal IMO.

 

@BirdOPrey5

I guess it is easier for you to justify your participation here by writing off the majority of peoples opinions here as "mod mentality". You might even be considered part of that mob mentality ( and be written off by the government) with your petition to get someone pardoned who you think got a raw deal.
There are many here who in their opinion got "a raw deal" from vB/IB. Have you sent a petition to vB/IB in their defense or is your scale of justice imbalanced by your subjective defense of vB?
Do you honestly believe that people are getting what they pay for that vB/IB advertises in there promotional campaign?

 

He can't go against the company he works for, that would be like digging your own grave.

 

If that is the case, would it not be more prudent to do as @BamaStangGuy suggested in another post, "So shut up"? It does little for peoples opinion of him gallivanting around here acting like the dedicated Templar of vB/IB?

 

As more experienced vB users exit the platform and flog their licences to people that probably don't know how badly the ship is holed.

 

That's the thing, I think objectively people have gotten a viable product for what they paid. People who bought during the presale got a very good deal on software that has been stable now for years (I admit though it was not great at the start. It took to about 4.0.8 to be what Id call stable.) So while they had the worst time to wait for a quality version they also paid substantially less than someone like me. To me that kind of evens out. Yes I would have preferred 4.0.0 was perfect and stable from the start but no point in dwelling on that which you cannot change.

Nice try- but transfers have been happening from even the height of the 3.x days. And no, I have no figures from which I can make a valid comparison.

 

He cant do that either he is in it, he is between a rock and a hard place. He worked him self in between vBulletin and customers and he is actaully thinking he is up for the job trying to expose customers and protect vBulletin. What he is forgetting like i said before that when vBulletin does not need him people will leave him on there left.

What i dont get why people would work for a company like vBulletin has become, you either want to work there in hope you can change the company or you need the work. Either way what vBulletin has become is now know with many companies its not like you will name it on your Curriculum Vitae and open doors for you.

 

That didn't answer my question but was a not so well choreographed dance around it.

 

Your only legitimate question "Do you honestly believe that people are getting what they pay for that vB/IB advertises in there promotional campaign?" was exactly what I answered. It actually answers both questions. No dance found.

 

I dont get why vbulletin still gets never ending pages of topics of people telling everyone how to fix vbulletin. Attacking the contractors who post here like they have any clue of whats going on or the ability to change anything. They are as worthless as the customers when it comes to changing things. Everyone has the right to make an honest living without having to deal with the non stop bullshit everyone puts these people through.

Heres a bit of info: it has been years since IB has taken over. Not a single thing has changed for the customers favors. Your constant non stop bitching and moaning have not fixed it. If anything its prolonged the death of it.

Let it die already. I cant fathom why anyone so unhappy with the direction of it still group up for IB bashing. Move your sites to XenForo or IPB or whatever and move on.

 

This is what i can't fathon? Someone telling others what they should do when they them selves have no vested interest in the topic? Keep out of the kitchen if you don't want to cook the food.

 

What if you somewhat like drama? I've long since moved every one of my projects to non vBulletin scripts, but damn it's still fun to see how much lower the company can sink.

Goes quite well along with my daily dose of 'this gaming company is probably doomed because the internet says so' and reading about PublishAmerica's awful practices on sites like Writer Beware.

Besides, everyone likes seeing bad things get torn apart. It's why the likes of the Nostalgia Critic and Angry Video Game Nerd are popular. Why sites (like Irate Gamer Sucks or CWC Wiki) exist purely to rip apart terrible authors and creators and micro analyse every aspect of their life. Why the likes of Encyclopedia Dramatica never seem to go away. It's also why so much reality TV is literally car crash television and why those consumer TV shows about similar stuff (think Watchdog/Rogue Traders and Cowboy Builders) are still pretty popular.

Indeed, it makes me almost wish for someone to start a bad forum software web video series or something, or perhaps an hour long expose of Internet Brands. Or to see some TV camera crew go up to the people in charge and ask why they've let the software go to hell and treated their customers so badly.

 

And let's not forget the one obvious, more positive thing.

Many people originally liked vBulletin. And many people at least secretly hope IB eventually get a clue and made a genuinely good upgrade with useful features, a nice new style, etc. Keeping on top of what's going on lets you know quite quickly whether an actually great version of the script might be released sometime soon. So you can give it a try if you think it's going to live up to its promises.

Or slightly more cynically (but still positively), it helps you know whether IB have finally sold the script to someone willing to do a good job with it, at which point everyone can be optimistic and discuss the good things that might come as a result. Think about it. If tomorrow they said they'd sold everything to XenForo or something, surely that'd be some good news you'd want people to know about? By trying to silence the critics, you're also theoretically turning away those who once had the most investment in the product and who could well become fans if things truly get better. The same people willing to put in hours ripping you to pieces can also be the same ones willing to promote your brilliant product to the masses if it truly does get better (and reach a point where people want to use it).

 

It is my opinion that vBCloud is a vBJoke.
It's proboards and free forums all over again!

 

I do wonder if this is a last ditched effort to try and punt vb5 to users, that things are that bad?

 

Could well be that.

That's probably what they should have done, instead of limiting it only to their most hated version of vBulletin 5.

 

A staff member announced that you could get a copy of the database by emailing them

They could not let people choose between versions that would have meant that they needed to support multiple version in support and development. When you have a cloud service you expect that software is to date that is one of the main reasons why you choose cloud hosting. VBulletin is hoping to get yearly payments and not to do anything else, but if people take monthly and issues or support is slacking they will go somewhere else. Cloud hosting is a double edge sword you need to provide everything from good uptime to maintained software and support.

I bet that xenforo, IPB and WBB will do a dance if vBulletin makes the same mistake as with vBulletin 4 and 5.