Misc/Other - vBulletin.Org Staff

[alcazarx]

Have to agree to all posters before.
Me does not write anything "own" here, because this would me not only get banned here...

[TheLastSuperman]

Hey everyone, I'm actually very depressed over this truth be told but please don't let this turn into a vB/IB Bashfest, I simply won't allow it, we've always tried to prevent that and will continue to do so even in this thread. If you want to comment and let everyone know how much they're loved and will be missed then sure but we simply wanted to give all of you a heads up that changes are coming, this does not mean the end but certainly feels like it sadly.

[Sean James]

Originally Posted by Paul M

As many of you will know, vbulletin.org has always prided itself on being an independant site, making its own choices, and chosing its own staff (all of who are unpaid volunteers).

Unfortunately, this all changed four weeks ago.

Having left employment with IB the week before, I made it clear I intended to keep up my role as Administrator here - a position I was appointed to way back in September 2006, almost five years before I ever worked at Internet Brands.

However, on 2nd June 2017 (while I was away on holiday) I was (on the instructions of IB Management) removed from my Administrator role, and demoted to Moderator (by IB staff, not by our other admins, Lynne and Princeton). The reason given to me was that I am "no longer employed by IB".

This is despite the fact that IB employment and staff positions here have never been linked.

The staff here are all angry, and for the last few weeks we have tried to get IB management to see this isnt the right thing to have done.
They have refused to change the decision, and so it is with much regret that myself, and most of the existing staff are in the process of stepping down.

Over the next few weeks, Lynne, BirdOPrey5, MarkFL, Dismounted, Princeton and myself (Paul M) will all be stepping down.

Lynne has also announced she is resigning from vB Support.

My understanding is that TheLastSuperman intends to stay on for the moment (so really will be the Last (super) Man standing).

I believe our advisor Dave is also remaining for the moment.

I'm afraid I do not know what the future holds for vbulletin.org, or who from IB will be running it.
However, it has become clear it is no longer "our" site to run - as has previously been done for the last 15+ years.

Sad to hear , You guys done great work and always supported me when needed.
All the best!

[rhody401]

A sincere THANK YOU to all who have volunteered and are stepping down.

The direction of the product and IB are not looking healthy AT ALL, in my opinion. They've chased away most of the customers, now the staff. It took too many years for VB5 to become a viable/stable product, and it wasn't until recently that it started to be something I would consider. (I did buy it a few years ago, but went back) Meanwhile, vb4 was left to age and become stale. Meanwhile, Facebook and the competition have kept innovating.

I think maybe a different pricing model would have been healthier for the company, like Xenforo has, with a reasonable yearly fee that supports ongoing development. The current method starves the company at the very time they need the resources to put out a new version number that lets them collect money again, so it comes up short of its goals. (or at least that's how it looks to this customer)

THANK YOU to the volunteers!

[djbaxter]

A perfect example of corporate blind stupidity.

IB Brands has no idea what they are losing. They just fired the final shot into their own foot.

[Robb M.]

shocked. emailing Lisa.

[nw-fotografie]

Sadly news to read! The wonderful people here were one of our main reasons and points to stay at least with one licence left for vb 3.x from at all three vb licences in the past 12 years.

I want to say a big THANKYOU for all you did in the past for us!

[RichieBoy67]

I would like to ask everyone to speak up about this.

As a long time member here I do not plan on sitting back without at least sending an email or two to the people that could fix this. I hope others will do the same.

I cannot really see myself participating here any longer without the good people that have educated me, the people I know, like and trust.

[In Omnibus]

Originally Posted by RichieBoy67

I would like to ask everyone to speak up about this.

As a long time member here I do not plan on sitting back without at least sending an email or two to the people that could fix this. I hope others will do the same.

I cannot really see myself participating here any longer without the good people that have educated me, the people I know, like and trust.

Those people have been by and large remiss to give us so much as the time of day. Lawrence Cole may have been the last IB three letter acronym with whom one could at least hold a discussion, even if he didn't see eye-to-eye or felt his hands were tied.

IB is so proud of the vBulletin product that it doesn't even appear under any of the "Our Brands" tabs on their main website.

The list of people who will never give us the time of day includes but is not limited to Robert Brisco, Scott Friedman, Chuck Hoover, Lisa Morita, Joe Rosenblum, B. Lynn Walsh, Gregory Perrier, and the person specifically brought in to repair the sinking ship that is vBulletin 5, Marjo Mercado.

This is not a "bashfest" as someone recently termed it. This is straight fact.

In any business, if you want to fix a product, you speak with the consumers or customers who purchase the product. IB has never done that. They have always used their customer support team as human shields against any criticism, constructive or otherwise.

vBulletin is one spoke in a very large IB wheel, and the evidence is clear an convincing they couldn't care less if the spoke is tightened or falls off.

That's why the customer support team is so important and valuable to the product. They actually do care. Every one of them has gone far above and beyond what IB would have allowed had there been a standard operating procedure or a manual. The staff here has saved more customers than vBulletin 5 has created or ever will create.

If the facts are a bashfest then maybe IB should have handled things differently.

[ChloeDione]

Originally Posted by TheLastSuperman

Hey everyone, I'm actually very depressed over this truth be told but please don't let this turn into a vB/IB Bashfest, I simply won't allow it, we've always tried to prevent that and will continue to do so even in this thread.

So, I have been pondering how to reply to this - my apologies in advance for any offense I cause. Whether or not I am accurate, I have no clue, but the optics on this....is another matter.

You're a great guy, so I don't mean this personally but of what has been indicated is that you are one of only two remaining on the team, for now. Yet, at the same time, just about every other person here has called VB / IB out on their turd of a choice - you are the only one here who is arguing their side / defending them.

I am not saying that it is the case, but the optics look like you're the one person staying on, and doing their bidding. They have you staying on, and the puppet masters are pulling the strings already. That is a very harsh line to say if I am wrong, so if I am I sincerely apologize but just look at the way it looks. Do they care about the position it likely leaves you in now? I think we all know that they don't. No matter whether it is accurate or not, you are now being left out there to hang because the perception is now likely worse than the reality. The way forums operate, it will be difficult to salvage a reputation out of this.

You said that you didn't want this to turn into an IB / VB bash fest - what did you expect? For people to agree with the decision? People to respectfully disagree and continue to spend on licenses, support and additional software?

Like you said, you are depressed about this, which is totally understandable? The fact that everyone else is, and angry seems reasonable (for them) to be allowed to air their grievance, no? Their hurt and depression is just as (if not more) recognizable / to be recognized as anyone else.

I know that it is not my place to ask this, but you said that you simply wouldn't allow it to continue - so I guess I would ask other staff to leave it to your call. If you think my post is so out of line, remove it. If you think that I am not worthy to remain here, boot me. At this point TLS, you can be the arbitrator given that just about everyone else cannot stomach what IB is doing to VB yet you are telling everyone not to bash them. By all means, everyone can accept that it is not your or anyone else to blame on the VBorg staff.

At the same time though, please let the users who paid for this software air their displeasure at the decision. After all, it is only in defense of those of you that are admins and mods on here that everyone is so angry ; not for themselves, but for you.

If you want to comment and let everyone know how much they're loved and will be missed then sure but we simply wanted to give all of you a heads up that changes are coming, this does not mean the end but certainly feels like it sadly.

TLS, I have to ask you (not meaning to be flippant) but if Paul is not re-instated to the role(s) that he held previously, what other possible outcome could there be other than, "the end"?

It is in the love that everyone feels for all of you that some of this ill temper and grief is coming out. Because nobody thinks that it is fair the way that you have been treated. More than any money that any of us have put into the site, it is the love for you as people that has indeed hurt so many ; not because of anything that you have done but because seeing someone you care about being treated so badly is going to hurt, no matter who you are.

Again, if I have inaccurately portrayed any of this, my apologies and if you think my post rises to the level of IB bashing that you talk of, then please do remove it / and or me if you see the need, but please, you make the call. If you think my message is out of line, then you make the call.