Sunsetting vBulletin.Org

[Wayne Luke]

This site is going to be taken offline on August 24th, 2024.

We have come to the decision to sunset vBulletin.org and allow people to post their addons within the Social Groups of vBulletin.com. Anyone that wishes to move their addons there can contact me directly on vBulletin.com via Private Message and I can get you set up.

We already have an area for vBulletin 6 Addons on vBulletin.com and you can see it here:
https://forum.vbulletin.com/vbulletin-6-addons

As demand warrants, this download area can be expanded to the legacy versions of vBulletin 3, vBulletin 4, and vBulletin 5.

For end-users, it is recommended that you download and backup any Add-ons or Products that you may want to use in the future for legacy versions. Once the site goes offline, they can be lost.

We thank you for your cooperation in during this transition.

[ahmed85]

RIP .org :(
can you make 3.8.14 available to customers with access to 3.8.11 along with .org theme?

[x iJailBreak x]

The final nail in the coffin.

The fact this site and the whole vB customisation scene has been left to die shows how little IB care about the needs and wants of their customers. vB5 was the start of the end, vB6 just confirms it. And now, you're finally killing the last good resource that people who hung on to the "good" versions of vB (3/4) had.

I can only imagine you guys are hoping this will "inspire" people to switch to the newer software, but that's not going to happen. They're just going to switch to something else that's actually modifiable.

What an absolute shambles.

RIP .org users, it's been fun.

[xml]

What a sad news :(

[kNeeLy]

wow...

i've been with vB since about 2008. I know change is scary... we get it. However, after they released 4x .. it's been downhill. I love this forum, I have learned how to code and modify more stuff than I ever imagined. Either way.. we have one year left to enjoy and download mods/ect.

-kneel

p.s. So, what is a good forum software now? Who has everyone switched to?
I've been out of the game for a minute.. but would like to join again..

[DCD.RB]

Xenforo.

[wangyu1314]

Too bad, I think VB Corp. wants to die.

[AWS]

Should have happened a couple years ago.

[Dimoks]

So, what is a good forum software now? Who has everyone switched to?
I switched to XenForo. I don't regret it at all. I only regret not doing it 15 years ago. It's a completely different level.

p.s. The replies don't work on this forum anymore...
TypeError: sizeof(): Argument #1 ($value) must be of type Countable|array, bool given in ..../newreply.php on line 902

[TheLastSuperman]

Wayne,

Can we get one small update until this is sunset? I've outlined a possible solution here:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=2609868&postcount=1

At least then we can continue to post and things will work - Thanks for getting someone to look into this! :)

[SaN-DeeP]

Still remember the age old days, vbulletin 3.x was best product (joined just before script was on 2.x and got upgraded to 3.x)

Its end of a LEGACY which powered more then 70% of forums on Internet sometime.

Though vb.org should have been closed few years ago..

[NukeET]

I am creating a forum to save as many modifications as possible, if anyone wants to help, you are welcome.

As the site is going to disappear I think you can release the add-ons for all users and not only those who have a license, right?

Since they are now focused on vBulletin 6, the other versions are obsolete.

[x iJailBreak x]

@NukeET I would still expect takedown requests, especially if the author has included a software license that doesn't allow distribution outside of approved channels (i.e. vb.org).

[NukeET]

You may be right, but vb3 and vb4 are already obsolete systems according to the developers, most if not all developers left vBulletin and went to other systems to continue generating money with their add-ons and mods.

I think it is a great loss of information for those users who do not want to make the leap to vBulletin 6, I in particular use version 5, I do not like to have addons exaggeratedly showy but there will be other users who want to squeeze the previous versions.

[final kaoss]

@nuket in the first signature of the OP on a modification thread it clearly says

"This modification may not be copied, reproduced or published elsewhere without author's permission."

And even if you did make a forum like the one you described, how would it be any different from all of the warez forums blatantly doing the exact same thing (disregarding paid mods).

[NukeET]

@final_kaoss

You have a very good concept of warez content except that here all the addons are not paid, the only paid thing is vbulletin, if you do not have a valid license you can not download anything from here, several programmers release lite versions and the most complete versions that are the paid ones but those are reserved to publish them on their personal sites.

But well, it's just an idea, that this site is carried out is another thing, I just expressed my opinion regarding the closure of this site.

[x iJailBreak x]

@NukeET obsolete or not, you can't legally mirror other people's work without their consent, if covered by a software license. As @final kaoss says, other than paid mods it really wouldn't make what you're proposing any different from warez forums.

I appreciate that you're not suggesting it in a malicious fashion, but you unfortunately have to abide by the terms laid out by the specific software license (or, if that is missing, what permissions they have given against the mod itself in its readme/description).

For me, I'm not fussed about people redistributing my own mods, given that they remain unmodified and are attributed to me. I'm also not bothered if they are modified or enhanced, as long as some level of credit for the original code is present.

[NukeET]

Thank you both for your opinion, this is as far as I can go, I will concentrate on my projects, good luck to all of you and let's hope that the closing will be the best for the community to grow.

[concepts]

Well so long VB.... yeah, only Quick Replies work here now... NEW REPLY decided to retire before March 2024 lol.. I'll miss the good old days. Learned to code through AOL, then Myspace, then VB brought me to a different level of learning. Will always appreciate the software for that. But everything has a life cycle, transformation and change is inevitable. We just have to flow with it, or move past it. Best wishes to all the OG's.

Currently using VB6. It's not bad honestly, and with the advancement of other technologies across the web, addons are not as important... especially with the way new users are interacting online. What I do need, or find essential I can code on my own, but many of the major addons once offered here are no longer relevant to the using audience in my opinion. It's more nostalgia. I literally wanted to recreate a VB3 and VB4 website to serve as a kind of "VB MUSEUM" equipped with all popular addons of that time.... but decided to pass on it. I was stuck on the nostalgia of it all. Even now, my website using vb6 is main solely for my personal enjoyment. I don't advertise or promote it. It's just a personal hobby, and something I get interest out of it.

Hope you all continue building, and working to bring back those strong communities once again!

[x iJailBreak x]

@NukeET the community is knackered, it's going to vanish. What IB is doing is the equivalent of WordPress closing down their .org community.

I'm sure an "unofficial" mod community will start up somewhere, and it'll be up to individual developers and designers if they decide to move their mods across to there, but I doubt that will happen. A lot of developers left the scene when vB5 launched (for good reason too), there are only a handful left who are still active. Couple that with how old the vBulletin codebase actually is, and it makes less and less sense to actually keep supporting. The only reason I still make plugins here and there is the fact I still run a large vB4 board, but as soon as we've got a replacement in place, that's going to end.

One can hope IB rethinks their decision, and at least leaves .org in archive mode so older users can come and download mods, but it likely won't happen. The fact the reply function is broken (and has been for several months now) shows exactly how much care IB has for this place. It's just another reason to not support vBulletin going forwards.

[TheLastSuperman]

Well maybe we can go out in style, to some degree if the replies were functional!

WordPress "This Is The Way". Forum Softwares are obsolete to me in a sense (and sort of like the Jedi after Anakin... you know...) the reason being you can have a website with content easily on WordPress, and use Social Media groups for all the discussion. Plus, ease of use, you can just stay logged-in on your phone, check, then upload pictures and comment more in Social Groups, and even better is that more people see it, more often, than on a closed forum (Edit: However, freedom of speech/expression is oftentime more limited on Social Media platforms i.e. censored more). I can literally do everything from my phone in a solid Facebook group from sitting on the porcelain throne, most forums don't have apps, so there's that - WHAT?!?!?! It's true, and it's the only Throne I've GOT! We'll I'll be... :p

[Link14716]

o7

The end of an era. It was vBulletin and vBulletin.org that got me interested in programming.

[socialteenz]

@SuperMan

I tend to disagree with WordPress as the future of forums. If you take the Buddyboss platform, it's nice but it won't replace forums IMO.

@Link Yes, it was vBulletin indeed for me as well which got me into Programming and other related web stuff.

Sad to see this site go. I wish vBulletin used their head in a sensible way instead of nuking out their cash cow.

[x iJailBreak x]

@socialteenz I think he meant WordPress is the way to go for content sharing, rather than as a forum replacement. Forums are a dying breed (have been since the rise of social media) as they are much more complicated to use for your average user, whereas most people already use at least one form of social media, making social groups (such as a Facebook social group) much more appealing as there's potential for a much larger audience there. However, the trade off is censorship and custom features. It's a shame, really.

[socialteenz]

@
x iJailBreak x

Forums are still thriving, people are fed up with social media and Reddit moderation. Forums are not going to die believe.

[x iJailBreak x]

@socialteenz established forums, yes, or ones that serve a niche purpose not available elsewhere, but compared to 15 years ago, they are losing out more and more to easier forms of communications/discussions.

[TheLastSuperman]

@socialteenz I meant to convey that aside from niche forums, such as https://www.clubrsx.com/ and a handful of others, I'm seeing sites using WordPress more than ever before, and that last time I checked statistics WordPress was powering over 35% of websites online... 35%!

Check this out:
https://www.bimmerpost.com/

It uses WordPress and vB3.8 (https://e84.xbimmers.com/forums/index.php), another exception to the rule per se but not too shabby overall.

I have yet to visit any other forums in the last six years that were not niche, and if I did, they didn't have what I was looking for (only the niche' forums did after all). Those included forums to get info on some issues with my daughters RSX, and a BMW forum to discuss why the arm rests in my BMW were gooey (sun did it to them, found ABS plastic molded replacements that fit just fine and look great too), and the last one was an appliance forum where I was looking up an issue with our old dryer before we purchased front-load machines - All that to say that aside from those three forums, I've lived life just fine without them.

Edit: Multisite anyone? That's right there is no license limitation for WordPress, so that is a big factor honestly as-in it's 100% free aside from plugins behind a pay wall, and there are more free plugins to choose from than not! I dare say there are more plugins available for WordPress than vB and Xen put together, google search that and it will state "Extend your WordPress experience! Browse 59,706 free plugins" and that isn't counting the paid/pay wall ones so I'm fairly sure I was right, and will dare to say more plugins than all forum softwares put together! If the staff over at vBulletin had half a clue (no offense Wayne/others) they would make a vBulletin forum plugin for use with WordPress and charge for it, people do pay for WordPress plugins, and they might be more inclined to pay for something that works with WordPress!

If someone just took the time to sit down and redo some of the forum plugins for WordPress or built their own, it could and would be a viable alternative. Do we really need a forum with a shoutbox like every other forum we used to see? Not really, that's all I'm saying :cool:.

[Akeles]

The end of an era. It was vBulletin and vBulletin.org that got me interested in programming.