vBulletin 5 Connect Screenshots and Concerns

[vijayninel]

I'm sure most of you must have seen the vBulletin 5 screenshots on facebook. and the press writeup. vBulletin 5 doesn't just have a number, now it also has a name - Connect.

What I gather from the very limited information. vB5 "Connect" is/has/is claimed to have :

• Complete new software written from ground up. As mentioned by Wayne Luke here.
• Release in late 2012
• 125 new significant features and enhancements
• Sleek new UI with extensive social integration (oh no ... more twitter)
• Category-leading mobile optimization (relief from tapatalk?)
• Simplified site set up, customization and management
• New core architecture for improved search, better performance and easier modifications
• Dynamic tools for content discovery (Eh?)
• Expanded photo and video sharing capabilities
• Full integration with VigLink
• More than 100 other new features and enhancements (hmmm ... more bugs too?)

From what I deduce from the screenshots, my major concerns are:

• As it is a completely new software, it will be incompatible with all vb3x and vb4x mods.
• Much time and money will be required to get the same mods once again.
• New "Activity stream" which replaces New posts/what's new takes up a large amount of space and will show fewer new threads in visible screen. One may have to scroll down long distances/go through many pages to see the new activity.
• Extensive use of jquery. Higher page loading time.

Screenshots :

The new "Activity stream" which replaces New posts/what's new.




The Site Builder which allows users to move around modules like vBadvanced. looks nice but not useful in practice IMO.



The Profile Customization Controls. Seems that this will be there from the onset unlike in vB4.

Please share your thoughts and concerns on the matter.