[tbworld]

Originally Posted by Weirdwolf

I've read some people's reactions in similar FB groups to mine that they much prefer Facebook over forums because "It's easier".

Your statement above I hear regularly. Most young users find the forum venue difficult to operate or do not have the patience to learn. Their statement always includes the comparison to Facebook -- of course you would expect Facebook to have a better user interface with the army of programmers at their disposal. Established forums are not in danger, but the younger users are still going to complain about the UI. Facebook is creating the "new norm", so companies like vBulletin can only play catch-up or decide not to compete in that sector.

Your observance about the fan site sector is spot-on. The majority of users on fan-sites will be mobile in the future, if this is not already the case. At my work, mobile devices for interaction surpass desktops 4-1. last year it was 3-1.

Web standards will mature, devices will be faster and running 5g speeds. This might allow companies like vBulletin to compete on better ground with a more involved UI in the future.