Which Version is Easier To Modify?
 

So I am strongly leaning towards purchasing vBulletin to upgrade a forum I've been operating for a year. I've seen some really awesome sites using vBulletin like motorcycle.com and girlsgetgoing.com and, while that is waaay beyond my scope and wallet, I would like to do something similar in that I do not want my website to be only a message board, I would just like the message board to be one section of the overall site. I have been posting and helping out as an admin on a vBulletin college football site that is strictly a message board, so I'm familiar with some of the basic behind the scenes things of version 4, but only basic things so I have no pre-possessed attachment to the back end of 3 vs 4 vs 5. Like everyone else, I have seen the considerable bashing of version 5, so I'm obviously nervous about the purchase and which version to go with at install.

My biggest question is which version is easier to modify for a newb? For example, as I said, my main goal is that I don't want it to be a site where you log on and there is just a giant page of the message board. I'd like a home page, tab for photos or whatever the heck I decide to put on there, etc. The page I've actually had experience with is www.anygivensaturday.com and I'm assuming it is pretty basic. If I just purchased vBulletin and installed it, is this the default way it would appear (not necessarily the theme colors and such, but just a single page with a message board)? Thanks for any advice you can give, just trying to figure out which path to go down before I start down it.

I would go with vb4.2.2 full suite and the site in question I did a lot of coding for him but never got paid was not happy but that story is for another time.

The motorcycle one is wordpress.... A free CMS with a vB version 3 for the forum.

The second one is a vB version 3.0.9.

Any Given Saturday looks to be vB version 4.

"Easier to modify" is subjective. It all depends on the skills and experience of the person doing the modifications. I believe v4 is as easy for a "noob" to learn is wordpress or v3 is.

Hey Res, didn't know you were here. Sorry to hear about your other situation, but thanks for the recommendation.

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Thanks for the info. Do wordpress and vB integrate fairly well without a lot of experience needed or would I be better served trying to find someone? I'm not a complete dumb@ss, like I said I've helped do some minor stuff and I have used proboards (I know, not even close, but just saying I understand some basic CSS coding and such) and phpBB on other sites. But it seems to be a pretty big leap from those to vB, which is honestly what I'm looking for.

4.2.2 is definitely the way to go

If you get the vB 4 suite, it comes with a CMS and blogs, so you won't need a wordpress bridge since you won't be needing wordpress.

Thanks for all of your help in directing me to the right version, much appreciated.

I'm a vB 3.8 guy who detests everything about version 4. I'm not making a recommendation, just pointing out the version 4 suite comes with a CMS.

I believe you can buy it without the suite if not needed. :)

Yeah... But the OP wants a CMS and wordpress really sucks.:D