Has VBulletin lost its edge?
 

Vbulletin just can't compete with FB anymore. I'm probably stating the obvious, but it's true. Despite all of the plugins/add-ons, etc, the functionality of the core product just isn't there and the actual updates are rolling out too slowly.

The usability of the visitor messages area is pretty much zero even though it had the potential to integrate as a FB wall type functionality to add to the forum experience. Imagine if the user had their own FB-like wall right there in the forum that people could respond to and if there was a way to see that in some sort of a side-widget as well. Useless really.

The groups functionality was never addressed properly. Yes, it's possible to make groups. They have very limited features and functionality. It takes a lot to set things up and get them going. On FB someone can create a page or a group quickly and they can be made private so that no other member can see them or only a few people can see them. On our forums, it's impossible to do any activity to help out a member in need without them knowing about it unless we try to figure out how to PM large groups of people or .... create a FB page.

Our forums seem to be moving in the direction of people connecting at FB because FB simply makes it easy. This is sad for me as a website developer who has invested so many years and so much time and money into my site. VBulletin isn't a free product either....

How can Vbulletin catch up a little in its core functionality?

Kris

I think it comes down to having fun or important content that you just can't find on Facbook. If your forum is about Jeeps it will have a wealth of information people just can't find on Facebook. If your forum is just a general hang-out then you will need to work harder to make people want to be there... one option is to be the "anti-facebook."

Kris,
A board is a board, it cannot be compared with a website like Facebook in any way. Facebook is personal, account on a board isn't. It's for fun, solving of problems and everything else that cannot be done via Facebook.

Can you solve a technical problem on Facebook? Maybe. But there's a big possibility that you don't have someone who'd know the solution in your contacts. You may ask a friend to ask his friends, but that won't do much. Hence it's obvious that boards have to be used for some things. :)

Whether it's warez, lifestyle, adult, medical or a tech board in overall, as long as it's easy to use, your members won't abandon you.

But this is the time you have ask yourself, are you sure that your board is easily usable? Does it have anything that members would be interested in? Is its design clean and professional?

Just think about it. Problem isn't with vBulletin at all, vBulletin, product, is material that will help you to build your board. It won't do much if you left it as it is, and it won't do much either if you add too many unneeded things.

Well put Frosty... One of the biggest mistake and Admin can make IMO is trying to be Facebook. Your forum is NEVER going to be Facebook- don't try to make it like Facebook, you can't beat them at their own game. Don't play their game- play your own game.

Well, I disagree Frosty. Our board does provide a wealth of information on a specific topic but it has also been a place where (long before FB) people hung out to become friends and share about their lives. VBulletin wants a piece of this or there wouldn't be the groups and the blogs etc.

We were around LONG before FB and I don't want to be FB ... but I also think that forums need to have the ability to step up into the next stage of development with the other social networking forums or they will be gobbled up by FB.

What I almost hear you saying is that vBulletin isn't a place for social networking anymore ... just a place to get info on certain topics.

Our accounts have always been personal accounts....long before there was phpBB ... long before there was vBulletin. The website was a personal place of coming together, sharing and the development of friendships.

I want to maintain that with functionality that keeps things running as easily as they do on FB so people don't turn to FB for the social aspect now.

Maybe I've just been around the internet a lot longer than y'all and I've watched the changes.

Kris

I have to agree with the young lady. I'm from the old BBS days myself. ;)

But still you cannot find no useful content whatsoever on FB. If you ever google for anything useful and informative it'll surely have some forum based results.

In your case, since your forum niche was "socializing on the web" it resulted in being overshadowed by a long shot (no offence) as FB is well the same concept but it out grew that years ago. Now it's at its own stage. Not even the largest Boards can compete with FB, but instead they embrace it.

Those who want to discuss on specific topics and that want to hang out with "like minded" folks will continue to use boards no matter what.

And lastly you can't just blame vB, it's on every platform even custom scripted code like MySpace.

Who would even want to be like Facebook?

Facebook appeals to the mindless, instant gratification minions. Their attention span is short. vBulletin is forever.

Feature wise it's been plateaued for while. If one were to use a metaphor comparing bulletin board software to cell phone companies, vBulletin would be RIM.

If you know what I mean.

also it seems facebook discussions are being closed down end of this month. This is great news for me as facebook discussions are current my biggest competition. the members on my forum are already picking up.

http://tinypic.com/r/vqte13/7

Awesome, was awaiting for this!!

Unfortunately, FB pretty much owns the internet these days. I don't know what to make of this latest FB news, but I know on a daily basis many of our members are spending so much time catching up with FB family/friends that they have little time left for us (small community forum).

Forums will always have a place catering to niches or as company support forums and whatnot. The days of large communities lacking a really tight focus are going if not gone, however.