I was on their side. Past tense.

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 2:04 PM, <snip> <myemail> wrote:

Hello, I have owned vBulletin for my forum for quite a while now, and now that that forum is dead, I am moving my license to upgrade another forum I recently started, and I'm wondering if it's worth it to upgrade to vBulletin 4.0. However, I have no idea where to start to look for how to upgrade or how much it would cost. Where can I find this info? I have an active and permanent vBulletin license.
Also, I have another question. At what point, if ever, are security patches planned to stop for the 3.x line?


On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 5:11 PM, vBulletin Support Team <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello <snip>,

Please see this thread for upgrade pricing: vB4 Publishing Suite Pre-sale Update and Beta News

You can upgrade by logging in on the order page at Purchase vBulletin, the most powerful forum software available.
and selecting the upgrade option for you license.

Security patches will be provided until the end of life for that version, which would be when vBulletin 4.2 is released.

Best Regards,
Colin Frei
vBulletin Support Team


On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 4:53 PM, <snip>
<my email> wrote:
4.2 is how many months/years away? I want to get a feel for this because I don't want to get screwed over due to security holes (assuming the existence thereof, damn hackers always find ways) in the software, but at the same time I feel no real need to shell out another 180 bucks for vBulletin software after paying for an owned license, which I assumed would allow me to update my vBulletin for as long as I kept it active, and not require me to pay approximately the same amount again. There does not seem to be the option to upgrade just the forum at a discount if you already have a license for it; I know the suite is more expensive. It's also packed full of features I don't need such as a front page. So is there an option for a cheaper license upgrade to get just the forum? I am not at the point where I can spend another $180 on that product, and I probably won't be within the next week and a half. I'm kind of irritated by this but I suppose I should blame myself for not keeping myself aware of what's going on with the company.

I logged in to the new site (because apparently the members area I was logging into was not renovated yet) and found this: vBulletin 4.0 Forums - $175 (Coming Soon !)
Please tell me this is going to get cheaper.
I can't afford to buy what was the equivalent of a whole new license on the new system! And the suite? Hell yes, I'd love to have it for shits and giggles because it's cheaper than the option with less. This really makes me worried.


On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 5:11 PM, vBulletin Support Team <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>,
We don't have any information on when vBulletin 4.2 will be released.
The upgrade to the 4.0 Forums is $175, as you've seen. This is not going to get cheaper.

Best Regards,
Colin Frei
vBulletin Support Team



On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 5:14 PM, <snip>
<my email> wrote:

Well what am I supposed to do? As a customer, I'm sort of left out here in the rain and disappointed the way this is going. I suppose there isn't really anything I can do about it though.
Thank you for your time.



TL;DR: I can't upgrade because of lack of funds, I won't upgrade/update, and I won't be giving them any more money for this system.

Maybe it's unrealistic to think something like this, but I was under the impression that as long as I had the owned license and kept it active by paying $60/year, I would be privileged to getting the most recent updates of vBulletin. Maybe that's because that's pretty much what they promised when I bought the friggin' license! Smooth move. I really don't know what to say. I used to think Jelsoft was a great company, but what's next? Making it so that only 4.x users can use vbulletin.org? Not allowing us to use the ticket system? I just don't know, and I'm disappointed. Stupid thing pisses me off.

 

I wouldn't be too happy either...

 

You are not alone my friend. Many people are stunned at the new tactics vbulletin has taken. I too can't afford an upgrade and i too don't want all of the stuff that is in the so called suite. I have suggested many times, to the best of my abilities, for vbulletin to break the suite down into individual items, Give customers a choice. But they are not willing to look at that option. As you can see from this image of a letter that was release prior to any OFFICIAL announcements, the upset customers are a minority.

.

 

Hasn't all this ground been covered in innumerable posts elsewhere on this site?

What new do you have to offer this line of thinking?

Yes, they changed the terms in midstream. However, at this point do any of you really expect any sort of about face on this? Bringing up the same points in yet another thread is IMHO becoming pointless.

At this point one has to either agree to new vB Solutions tact or move on. Constant mention of the same things mentioned probably 100's of times on this, site, vB.com and other sites is not going to change IB's delivery. I respectfully submit that we as a group either move on to some other forum product and/or wait till the 4.0 Beta is available to us to work with. Then the bashing can continue anew with a new subject.

The remains of this horse are not even glue worthy...

 

Sorry, i just figured that the person starting this thread, probably hasn't seen this, and that it may give him some insight. I found it very insightful myself.

 

I saw it. Have you never just felt like ranting about something which is pretty bullshit? I just thought I'd contribute my CS experience towards this event.

 

I have my friend. Sometimes it is just down right good to do so. Sadly the entire mess is becoming a nightmare. The actual owner of Internet Brands tried making a statement via his vbulletin.com blog, but it may be to late. I would think they would listen a bit more to those of us whom are upset with the current situation. There are really easy solutions to all of this, but for some reason, Internet brands doesn't want to acknowledge this. By no means would that mean that the current management team is bad, it would only say to long time owners, you are right, we may have taken on a bad strategy and will look towards making this transition easier and offer you our loyal customer, more options.

It's great to meet you too, The Cadet.........doug

 

They will not listen until their profits drop... When they see IPB gain the marketshare, then they will open their eyes to it. I can afford the costs of the new license, but at the same time, i wont give them a damn dime until they have a product that can be tested. With all of my custom mods, my site would be broke... then i have to rely on the hacks being ported over, if at all. For me, its just better to sit this out until they have something to bring to the table and proof, existing customers really is, their PRIDE of IB. On top of that, i have to see where the mod community is going to end up after this... Finally, i would have to get Miner to do my site all over again. Its just not a $130 or $250 cost for a license in my situation... Theres mods i run that generate revenue and donation collections.. Theirs 2 custom skins that will cost me nearly $900 to convert over... We are talking money here and a lot of it.

 

I agree with you haltech, once their profits are down they will start listening. I noticed the other day that IPB offers their customers choices when it comes to software and that will go along way with people looking to purchase software for a building a website.

 

Yea, they do offer choices, but to be honest, in my opinion at using it, its pretty awful. The customization to their software is at no level compared to VB, thats for sure. My members would freak out if i forced them into using it. But, IPB is going the right direction, breaking up their modules for individual purchase, but still offering the suite at a good price point.

 

In my humble opinion, if vb were to offer their customers choices, i think this would all go away. Someone that owns a forum license and a blog license, yet may not need project tools. Someone that has a forum license and project tools license, may not need the blogs, etc.....VB could use a price structure that would/will make the suite look and feel like a great deal, yet allowing those whom are happy with different parts of the software happy too......I have no problem paying for vb4 and the blog software, and maybe (a big maybe) the cms. I do know that i really don't want project tools and will never have a need for it.

 

Exactly, i have no use for blogs and even my community wouldnt really be using it. Yet, im going to be stuck with it and having to disable it, along with the project tools. All i want is the CMS and the Forum..

Im curious why there isnt a Photo Gallery yet thats worth using from VB themselves?

 

Project Tools is not part of the Suite, it is to be delivered to those that want it at no charge via vb.org.

 

Hotwheels, you keep implying project tools comes with the Suite, it doesn't.

Project Tools will eventually be released at vb.org, the suite comes with cms, blogs, and "Article-based CMS Publishing".

 

You really want to see pictures of the developers? ; )



(just kidding)

 

I recon i am wrong on the project tools thing. I just remember reading how it was supposed to be apart of the suite and i didn't appreciate it. When they were trying to sell it, it was a flop, in my opinion and therefore was going to be apart of the suite....I am glad they change their minds on this.......

 

I too was under this same impression!

 

What I think is funny:
When IB bought Jelsoft, they were enthusing about how they will now have a much bigger development team.

Two years later they are stopping development of vBlog and Project Tools because developing them as seperate products is not efficient and costs to much dev-time and so on.
Well, bugger me gently, but that doesn't make much sense to me.

 

We all were. Were were basically lied to. Had they NOT had that leak earlier this year, a lot of people would have been a lot worse off.

Didn't the blogs start with IB anyways?

RE: PT, that's really got to come as a blow to those that actually paid for the product, and it just devaules the suite that much more. So, now you're paying $100 for vB+ blog, nothing more right now. Yeah, that makes sense.

 

the blogs were availble from jelsoft. It wasn't that great of a product, but it was a start. I have been waiting for a decent upgrade, where the blogs would interact a little more friendly withing the forums. That will not happen now, since it is no longer available as a stand alone product. I still think this is a bad move on IB's part, but as everyone knows, my thoughts on this fell on deaf ears.