We just merged vBulletinTemplates and this site to lower confusion among our customers. While another site is a possibility, it would be much nicer to have a single resource.

Every site must evolve to serve the needs of its visitors. These needs are not being met currently which is why there are half a dozen style sites out there, multiple vBulletin hack resources and a disjointed collection of commercial venture sites. This all takes away from "The Ultimate vBulletin Resource".

So then buy the name vBulletin-Commerical.com :p

Folks-

I don't have a degree in computer sciences, I am not a php programmer, and probably never will be one--and I know that some of you think that disqualifies me from even having an opinion. But, I am a vB customer--I think a more-typical one than the coders--and I do have an opinion.

That was my initial impression--not entirely dissipated.

When I look at other software categories--whith which I am more familiar--Quark comes to mind. QuarkXPress came to dominate its market mostly because of XTensions. Without them, the software was not quite as capable as its major competitor. XTensions allowed it to be easily customized to accomodate niche markets.

Quark (IMHO) has had many assinine corporate policies--the XTension Developer program was not one. The program was easy to join. Quark promoted program members in its literature, it took them to trade shows, it gave them space on its discussion boards, it promoted the hell out of them.

As a result, not only were there many commercial XTension developers, but a community of amateur developers grew and produced many excellent free Xtensions.

Similar things can been seen around Photoshop plugins--commercial products and high-quality amateur (free) products are not mutually exclusive.

As a jelsoft customer, if i want to add to/change the functionality of vBulletin, what are my options:

1. Study programming and Learn to code it myself--yeh, right!
2. Ask how to on vB.com--and be told tha modifying source code is not supported and to ask on vB.org
3. Ask here--and either be told its a stupid idea or be ignored
4. put in a service request--and have a bunch of people, whose qualification I have no way to evaluate, pm me saying they can do it
5. discover later that there was a commercial product I could have bought off-the-shelf that wasn't allowed to be discussed here

This place is very insular, and set up in a way that supports the needs of a small community of coders, and not the needs of a larger vB-using community. It needs (IMHO) to be opened up


--don

I totally agree.

On the other hand, I think that a directory of the type that The Geek Speaks of, would be better off in the .com site as opposed to here.

i think it should be a seperate site vBulletin-xtns.com and it should be a review site of commercial extentions, who runs and maintains is another thing but yeah, theirs many software review sites out there, i think one for vBulletin wouldn't be a bad idea, and if one already exists, just add an official to to the front, give em a free license and call it a day :)

No no, best place... you're the one to be heard, because you're the one that would use that database of information after all...

coders have their manners, they can handle complicated content and complicated communities where to discuss and share, but the client is the one to satisfy at the end...

the ones that would disqualify your opinion have no right to be here...

(btw, this is a great opinion!)

I'm trying to follow you logic here. Could you tell me what you envision would be the fate of the sites that you mention if vB.org were to meet the needs of its visitors?

If it were a second site, it would be the place we (vBulletin support staff) would send customers first. With a list of add-ons and providers, we would be reasonable certain their needs would be handled. This site would be relegated to secondary status because of lack of promotion on vBulletin.com except for the links in the forum list. I mean it is in our commercial best interest that customers are satisfied as quickly as possible and for many plug and play commercial extensions will be the answer.

I don't envision any fate. Through my idea commercial projects like vBStyles should get more business and be able to produce more products because of it. My idea will have no impact on non-commercial ventures so they will whither or prosper on their own merits. I don't see why it would have any impact. I am not talking about replacing them, just figuring out a way for customers to find them better and so that I have a better solution to common questions than go visit a search engine.