Are you a Fortune Teller?

[Christos Teriakis]

Let's have a bit fan. If you think that you're a bit fortune teller, how do you think that will be vBulletin after 3 years? Let's say by the end of 2015?

Here is what I think about:

• More prayers will be in the field. No it's not a typo (prayers instead players). As the market will becomes more and more shorter due to social networks, forum software companies will need to pray for having sales. So my first opinion is that the prices will be lower than today.
• vBulletin will partnership with software companies to sell on its own popular addons. Just like with Skimlinks and Forum Runner now, you'll see Classifieds, Reviews, Galleries etc, to be officially intergraded with vBulletin. That's why don't expect to find any competition to them from single coders/designers. Thus, you like it or not, you'll have to buy them in any price they ask for. And you know very well what happens if there are no competitors.
• vBulletin.org should not exists at least the way that is operating now. For sure should be a marketplace but from a few (and well selected coders/designers).

And some prophecy for the industry in general. Forum based communities should be draw down day by day. For this I've already statistics. Some months ago I decided to check some of the websites that I had in file. Almost 70% of them where just dead websites. Not exist anymore. A percentage of about 5% has changed platform,and from the rest 25% still using vB, half of them are still in vB3 versions.

So... what's your prophecy?

Chris

[Paul M]

I predict that whatever anyone predicts will probably not actually happen.

[Christos Teriakis]

For the 2nd I'm almost sure. Much earlier than end of 2015. But let's see. Hope that all of us will be here at that time full of health and energy, and lets laught for what we wrote

[Digital Jedi]

It's not like Social Networks are a new thing. When they were, they were predicting the demise of forums then. And even then, it was a baseless prediction, since Social Networking and forum discussion are completely different animals. One does not cut into the effectiveness of the other. Social Networks are some of the worst places to have discussion, whereas you're not going to go to a discussion forum to see what your family, friends and former classmates are up to.

As far as pricing goes, you can't predict what's entirely an arbitrary decision. Developers will charge whatever they think their product is worth. Which is why forum software pricing runs the gamut now from $60 to thousands of dollars.

[Chris8]

I agree with Paul, there are more and less predictable things in this world but you can't be 100% sure any of them.

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

Let's have a bit fan. If you think that you're a bit fortune teller, how do you think that will be vBulletin after 3 years? Let's say by the end of 2015?

Here is what I think about:

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

More prayers will be in the field. No it's not a typo (prayers instead players). As the market will becomes more and more shorter due to social networks, forum software companies will need to pray for having sales. So my first opinion is that the prices will be lower than today.

There is more and more social network software and social networks indeed.
Less sales? Yes, I think less and less people will buy licenses as many people already have them or they prefer to buy for cheap from resellers, or they have no money to buy them at all. But not sure about the price, really. Price for top software doesn't seem to be dropping with time... It can be even higher.
I guess it all depends on a company business strategy or just on a point of view of the boss.

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

vBulletin will partnership with software companies to sell on its own popular addons. Just like with Skimlinks and Forum Runner now, you'll see Classifieds, Reviews, Galleries etc, to be officially intergraded with vBulletin. That's why don't expect to find any competition to them from single coders/designers. Thus, you like it or not, you'll have to buy them in any price they ask for. And you know very well what happens if there are no competitors.

Maybe, it seems rational but who knows.

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

vBulletin.org should not exists at least the way that is operating now. For sure should be a marketplace but from a few (and well selected coders/designers).And some prophecy for the industry in general. Forum based communities should be draw down day by day. For this I've already statistics. Some months ago I decided to check some of the websites that I had in file. Almost 70% of them where just dead websites. Not exist anymore. A percentage of about 5% has changed platform,and from the rest 25% still using vB, half of them are still in vB3 versions.

Vbulletin.org has existed in the current form for long time and quite possible that it will exist in the same form in 3 years. I hope so. However, as I said above you cannot be sure anything in this world. So, I'm backuping mods/articles/threads that I could need in the future just in case.
Unstable sites, with no solid income die. Stable websites stay stable for long.

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

So... what's your prophecy?

I have no prophecy, I'm not a prophet.

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by Chris8

I agree with Paul, there are more and less predictable things in this world but you can't be 100% sure any of them.

I'm sure 100% that I'll die... the problem is that I don't know when

[Chris8]

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

I'm sure 100% that I'll die... the problem is that I don't know when

Imho this one depends on personal believes and point of view on life...

[BirdOPrey5]

I predict due to bold innovation from Internet Brands vBulletin decisively wins the social media wars sometime in 2014. By 2015 Facebook, Twiiter, Pinterest, and other forums software are all departments within the Internet Brands portfolio.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

I predict due to bold innovation from Internet Brands vBulletin decisively wins the social media wars sometime in 2014. By 2015 Facebook, Twiiter, Pinterest, and other forums software are all departments within the Internet Brands portfolio.

HA! I predict Zuckerburg will own all - Resistance is Futile my friend!

[Lionel]

Originally Posted by TheLastSuperman

HA! I predict Zuckerburg will own all - Resistance is Futile my friend!

Not so fast. Remember MySpace? There are already a ton of complaints about Facebook out there. Zuckerburg himself has one billion dollars tax problem. vB has been strong since the beginning. It's a mistake to try to follow the footsteps of those new guys.