Did they ever release any documentation on vBulletin's 5 API and how to create mods or is it still just a matter of digging through the code and finding posts on forums of people who figured it out?

I know about http://vb5support.com/ but some of the pages aren't finished.

Replicant wrote up a pretty good skeleton for vB5 product development.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=323006

<a href="http://vb5support.com/resources/api/" target="_blank">http://vb5support.com/resources/api/</a>

It seems that it is your belief.
You believe in what you are doing, that doesn't apply for other people. Some just need default features from a message board, some need more, it depends on object which your site is heading to.

The fact that I made an idea to discuss for a change, but you prove that vbulletin accept current situation. You just cannot use it as excuse for downside of the platform right now. The lack of modification makes vbulletin is no longer a target for developers, thus price for each modification being paid can be increased significantly. You no longer have a standard quality to compare between mods.

Of course, a better way is to give up from modifications (I notice changes of vbulletin strategy), but since bugs and major features haven't been filled soon, I don't see there is a slight difference.

You do realise that I have absolutely zero say in things like this? I'm giving you my opinion, that's all. I don't 'prove that vBulletin accept' anything. I have no idea what their thinking is.

What I do know, is that the days of people spending hours, days and weeks coding free modifications are over, on all platforms. Yes some still do it but most new stuff coming out is paid.

What uis also a fact, is that historically, going back to vBulletin's early days, the vast majority of customer do NOT use modifications. They just don't. It's a fact. Some will use a style but even that isn't as widespread as you'd think. The same will no doubt be true of other platforms. People saying 'this platform will die because of lack of modifications' are just plain wrong. The popularity of various cloud platforms, like vBulletin's, where modifcations aren't even allowed, bear this out.

What version of vB are you running, and what bugs have you noticed with the software?

Why not 7? Because Seven Eight Nine as in ATE! I'd be running for my life!

Joking aside, well simply put because 5 is still being actively developed and improved upon and it happens to be the primary version on the cloud which is making them quite a bit of money. Many people fail to realize that, sure many customers want mods and think outside the box 0 the cloud is not the perfect fit for them but those who want a simple and straight forward forum have exactly what they need in vB5 and the cloud - it's like pressing an Easy Button. Those who've always pressed it don't know the hard way nor will they ever benefit from the hard work (customization in our case) but in the same sense they don't always need said benefits as some need the basic cloud setup and some need more.

I've been waiting for seemingly EVER for vB5 to improve, here recently some strides have been made but we're still a long way off imho, the amount of time left to improve upon it before a new version is mentioned, mocked up, and developed is not much so I dare say we'll be seeing vB6 before we see a rock solid kick A double SS chew bubble gum no wait all out of gum vB5.

I've had three VB forums since VB1, and it îs a fact that Social Media and sites with groups (Mostly Facebook) are killing forums. I've been trying everything to encourage more activity, but I feel like I'm losing the battle. I upgraded all three forums from an addon feature rich 4 to VB5, and activity dropped like a lead balloon. I've been checking for features that VB4 had addons for - and there's nt a damn addon I find useful. There are only three pages of addons that don't work, brand, or require the "Pro" version to be useful. Most of the addons haven't had the creator login in four years.

It looks like Vbulletin is going the way of the dinosaur, and I see a future of shutting them down and focussing on Pages and Groups on Facebook.

I personally prefer the organization and layout of the board, but the lack of addon and feature support on Vbulletin tells me it won't last too much longer as interest from Users and Developers both have died. Nothing defines VB as being better anymore. Sad!

Forums will always have a niche because they can do things that no social media platform can do. If you've ever used Facebook Groups you know social media can't do what forums do. It tried and failed miserably.

Again, and I'll keep on saying it, lack of add-ons will not kill any of the forum products in the market, because only a TINY FRACTION of site owners are interested in modifying and customising their boards.

It doesn't matter how many times people trot this one out, it doesn't change the facts. A thriving add on community certainly doesnt hurt, but it is absolutely not essential, it is a niche and a very small one at that.

Another huge mistake forum owners make, is trying to turn their forums into Facebook,a nd demanding the vendors make their forum products into Facebook clones. It won't work. Forums are not Facebook. Facebook and Twitter have taken a lot of activity away from forums, but that's because they have taken people's TIME. The attractions of Facebook are not going to be replicated in a forum, it's the presence of family / friends / colleagues all on the same network that provides the attraction, not the fact there's a like button or that posts are laid out in a certain way.

The way to keep your forum active is with CONTENT, not by trying to make it look and feel like Facebook.