Kier's new forum software: XenForo

Discussion in 'XenForo Discussions' started by Nick, Jul 28, 2010.

  1. GTB

    GTB Regular Member

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    Don't get me wrong, nor am I that impressed by XenForo right now. For me it's nice on the front-end with lots of fancy effects taking place to make it seem very modern and different. But I'm spotting some lacking also, like them using TinyMCE as the forum text editor. They may change that in the future, who knows? But I'm getting the slight impression they won't be doing after I started a thread about it.

    I do get the feeling there are certain areas in XenForo where Kier and Mike have taken "the easy route" because there's so much development work involved creating their own custom version, such as the forum text editor.

    A few people have also touched on Kier being a little like he was on vBulletin, not taking things on-board people suggest might be better. Which I must admit I've seen a few signs of too. Some would even refer to that as being (Kier's God Complex). He knows best and won't listen to sound advice that makes sense at times!

    I'd say XenForo is appealing to people based mainly on fancy effects right now, but people should stop and look much deeper beneath all that. Especially when you have quality free forum software like MyBB and SMF you can use.

    For me, there are a few too many XenForo (fan boys) right now using the forums. When that simmers down a little you get a better picture of things. Also, I'm not seeing a lot of users there from other software platforms (other than vBulletin). Where are all the phpBB, SMF, MyBB users? Posting they like XenForo and intend to buy it instead of using those free forum platforms?

    But to be fair on Kier and Mike, it's very, very early days yet for XenForo. So I don't want to be too judgemental about things. A lot can change and most likely will to improve it over the next 12 months!

    The trouble with vBulletin 4, is people have lost all confidence in Internet Brands (even being able) to deliver a good quality product. It's all about money for them, with them expecting their customers will learn to accept a lower grade product than they was used too.

    Mark my words, they'll charge again for vBulletin 4.1.x.
     
  2. AWS

    AWS Administrator

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    In your world maybe. In the real world teamwork is what makes a product great. Do you think IBM would have been the giant it is if management didn't take into consideration the ideas of the employees?

    Here is an example from my childhood. My best friends grandfather was an engineer at GM. He had an idea that he thought would make a vehicle safer to drive. He went to his boss with it. His boss told him to work up a prototype and bring it to him. He did. Now every car in the World has this device. It is a very simple thing and if you drive you have probably used it many times. It's the windshield washer.

    Without teamwork a company fails. vbulletins downfall can be placed squarely on the shoulders of Kier and his team. He was the manager and if he wanted a CMS or any other feature to enhance the product I doubt John and James would have said no.
     
  3. Nick

    Nick Regular Member

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    Or maybe it's because they figured that using an already-existing editor (TinyMCE), they could 1) save development time, 2) use an extensible solution that can be integrated to other future parts of the product, and 3) already has a ton of editor options. It's just one of those things where re-creating the wheel isn't necessary.

    You guys are good at taking things out of context. I didn't imply that a business doesn't consist of employees/groups/teams working together to be successful. What Kevin said was, "Its called team work, if the team fails, everyone fails equally," and I totally disagree. Why should the workers/employees be blamed for things that may have been the management's fault?

    Indeed. But there are times when there are two teams working at it (the higher-ups and the workers) and one team makes the wrong decision. Why should the innocent team get the blame for what their seniors decided to do?
    Why? Because they're an easy target? They're the ones in the face of the public, so they immediately catch the blame, right?
    Sorry, unless you're close with the team, namely James and John, I don't see how you could come to such a conclusion with any sort of reasonable basis.
     
  4. kev

    kev Regular Member

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    What we have with xf is association - a couple of developers whos names people recognize have started their own forum software.

    Can someone name the lead developers of MYBB? Probably not, unless your in the mybb community.

    What I'am seeing is a lot of people from the vbulletin community talking about xf. Where are the people from mybb and smf?

    Just to check, I went to the mybb forum and did a search for xenforo

    MyBB - Search
    There is a thread in the SMF forum about xf, the first thing people said was it looks like IPB.

    XenForo

    It appears to me that most of the people talking about xf are vbulletin users - and this goes back to the name association with kier.

    Some developer that used to work for vbulletin started their own forum software - so what. At this point at time, I see no reason to hype anything up. We are talking about a piece of forum software that is untested and unproven.

    Release something with half a dozen features that no other forum software has, and then I "might" be a little impressed.
     
  5. Peggy

    Peggy Regular Member

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    Best thing I've seen you post in this entire thread. :)
     
  6. GTB

    GTB Regular Member

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    So why didn't SMF, phpBB, MyBB, vBulletin, IPB, PunBB, UseBB, YaBB, Vanilla and many other free forums think that same way. In fact, I can't think of one single half decent forum software package out there that uses TinyMCE as it's editor? Let alone a paid one like XenForo will be.

    Come on Nick!

    Your excuse doesn't really cut it at all.
     
  7. Peggy

    Peggy Regular Member

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    AFAIK, they're using it because TinyMCE is highly customizable. Which they intend to do at some point. It's just not a priority right this moment.

    Good reason, I'd say. :)
     
  8. Nick

    Nick Regular Member

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    You just made my point... lol. They are doing things that no other forum software has done in order to achieve improved functionality by way of cutting-edge technology.

    Just because nobody else did it means XenForo shouldn't do it? I really don't see your line of thinking here...
     
  9. GTB

    GTB Regular Member

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    LOL, never mind then. You keep thinking there doing it "to achieve improved functionality by way of cutting-edge technology".

    I'm not arguing about it anymore with you. We are all entitled to our own views.
     
  10. Nick

    Nick Regular Member

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    Sorry, I wasn't aware that we were "arguing". This is a forum. It's meant for the discussion and exchange of views and opinions. :eek: ;)
     
  11. GTB

    GTB Regular Member

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    Unsubscribed.....
     
  12. AWS

    AWS Administrator

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    I speak from 30 years of experience in the software and engineering field. The last 24 being team lead or department supervisor. If a project fails it reflects on the whole team from top on down. Each member from the supervisor to team lead to qa to lowly programmer are responsible if something breaks down. Also any supervisor that doesn't look at a proposal from someone in their department then they get shown the door quickly. Innovation comes from ideas. Ideas are rarely the brain childs of owners or management. So if in fact John and James were close minded to innovation then vbulletin would have failed miserably before it even got started.
     
  13. Mark.B

    Mark.B Guest

    Of course XenForo will initially appeal mainly to vBulletin users.

    Most IPB users are satisfied with their product.
    Most SMF users are satisfied with their product.
    Most MyBB users are satisfied with their product.
    Most vB4 users think it's a bag of old shite!

    THAT is why there is so much interest from vB users. Which you'll probably find is the very reason Kier and Mike realised there was a business opportunity there.
     
    2 people like this.
  14. John

    John Regular Member

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    I think time will tell the tale of xenforo better than any predictions I could make. Personally, I'm just glad to have a new toy to play with :)
     
    2 people like this.
  15. AWS

    AWS Administrator

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    You're so right. Hasn't been anything to come along in years.
     
  16. Mikey

    Mikey Mikeylicio.us

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    Seen XenForo?
     
  17. Peggy

    Peggy Regular Member

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    lol yeah I was wondering why he said they aren't talking about XF at MyBB. :p
     
  18. kev

    kev Regular Member

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    I posted a link to the mybb search that shows no results for xenforo. So I dont what to tell you.
     
  19. XenForo

    XenForo Newcomer

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    Seen XenForo?

    FWIW
     
  20. Abomination

    Abomination Zealot

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    Welcome to the forum xenForo : )
     

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