BloggersBB and a few smaller forums I run will certainly NOT be going 4.0, at least for the first few months. In the future, who knows, as support for the 3.8 series ending might force me to make the upgrade…

Why I’m Not Upgrading Anytime Soon

So I thought I might as well explain why I’m not upgrading anytime soon. I am not just jumping on the bandwagon of haters and I am certainly not simply dazzled by IP.Board’s latest version.

1. vBulletin Solutions Disappointed Me

What I mean by this is that the new team in charge, not Jelsoft, has disappointed big time for me. vBulletin had the huge edge over competitors like IP.Board, phpBB, and SMF because of not only their extensive features, but the smooth coding and the excellent support. After the change in ownership, a lot of the coders leaving led to not just a drop in support, but also a free-fall in the quality of the coding. Supposedly there are ~200 queries running with the Publishing Suite and the bugs are rushed to completion. vBulletin always stood strong for the “Big Boards” and I strongly believe that a good portion of it was because of the excellent coding. The state the 4.0 is at right now certainly will set off smokes for most forums.

2. Forced Pricing

I don’t mind paying for quality software, but I am sensitive when people force me to pay for certain products that I feel is not worth the price. At the current state of 4.0, I’m glad I didn’t jump on Internet Brand’s promotional pricing structure. Software prices should be based on the overall quality of the software and the support provided. I personally believe 4.0 is a step-down from the 3.8 (when comparing comparable stats and features) series and support is at most, as good as it used to be. I don’t understand an increase in prices when the software’s quality drops and the support for it stays the same.

3. vBulletin’s Release System

So the new pricing structure states that 4.0 publishers will, for a one-time fee, get all updates in the 4.0 branch. This means that you may have paid for a forum license that may last only 18 months, the current speculated date. Paying $195 for a forum software or $285 for the Publishing Suite isn’t a cheap solution for anyone and having to pay that every time for every major update is not cool at all. It’s not as if vBulletin 4.0 is a huge jump from the 3.8 or far superior to competing scripts.

4. Subsequent/Minor Release Schedule

I always believed coding should have some time constraints, bu when a deadline is set, it should be set with a very clear picture on how finished the product will be. The stability of the Gold release shows a sheer lack of scheduling sense and it just makes me wonder how big of a difference the two updates that the management team has set in January will bring to the software.

5. Others’ Reviews

vBulletin 4.0 just might not suit my tastes. However, if it is still excellent and performs, I will use it. IP.Board doesn’t exactly fit my style, but I would use it if I had a license and had a need to use it. The problem with vBulletin 4.0 though, is that it isn’t just me. Threads questioning the readiness of 4.0 and the reviews of 4.0 show that most people are disappointed with 4.0 See how it’s not just me?

Am I Never Upgrading? Am I Leaving vBulletin?

Certainly not. I still think that 3.8 is an extremely powerful, complete, and effective software that does what I require it to do for my communities. I will stick with using vBulletin for my communities until 3.8 becomes way too outdated or I just need support. I am considering the option of possibly using IP.Board, but as I grew up using vBulletin, I may consider purchasing a license maybe a year from this post.

Regarding upgrading to vBulletin 4.0, I’m definitely holding off. I’m going to see how the 4.01 and the 4.02 release comes out to be. If it looks like it has the potential to really outshine the 3.8 series, I’ll start looking into upgrading and see what modifications I have for the boards right now are available with 4.0. If nothing much changes, you can be sure to NOT see any of my communities running the 4 branch. Maybe 5, but probably not 4.

Are you a vBulletin-based community owner? If you are, are you planning on upgrading to 4.0? I’d like to hear your opinion as communities mean much to me and therefore, softwares are pretty important.

Are you a vBulletin-based community member? Did any of your communities recently upgrade to 4.0? I’d like to hear your opinions too regarding your end-user experience on 4.0 as I’m always looking to make my communities better for my members.