Sunsetting vBulletin.Org

[TheLastSuperman]

Well maybe we can go out in style, to some degree if the replies were functional!

WordPress "This Is The Way". Forum Softwares are obsolete to me in a sense (and sort of like the Jedi after Anakin... you know...) the reason being you can have a website with content easily on WordPress, and use Social Media groups for all the discussion. Plus, ease of use, you can just stay logged-in on your phone, check, then upload pictures and comment more in Social Groups, and even better is that more people see it, more often, than on a closed forum (Edit: However, freedom of speech/expression is oftentime more limited on Social Media platforms i.e. censored more). I can literally do everything from my phone in a solid Facebook group from sitting on the porcelain throne, most forums don't have apps, so there's that - WHAT?!?!?! It's true, and it's the only Throne I've GOT! We'll I'll be...

[Link14716]

o7

The end of an era. It was vBulletin and vBulletin.org that got me interested in programming.

[socialteenz]

@SuperMan

I tend to disagree with WordPress as the future of forums. If you take the Buddyboss platform, it's nice but it won't replace forums IMO.

@Link Yes, it was vBulletin indeed for me as well which got me into Programming and other related web stuff.

Sad to see this site go. I wish vBulletin used their head in a sensible way instead of nuking out their cash cow.

[x iJailBreak x]

@socialteenz I think he meant WordPress is the way to go for content sharing, rather than as a forum replacement. Forums are a dying breed (have been since the rise of social media) as they are much more complicated to use for your average user, whereas most people already use at least one form of social media, making social groups (such as a Facebook social group) much more appealing as there's potential for a much larger audience there. However, the trade off is censorship and custom features. It's a shame, really.

[socialteenz]

@
x iJailBreak x

Forums are still thriving, people are fed up with social media and Reddit moderation. Forums are not going to die believe.

[x iJailBreak x]

@socialteenz established forums, yes, or ones that serve a niche purpose not available elsewhere, but compared to 15 years ago, they are losing out more and more to easier forms of communications/discussions.

[TheLastSuperman]

@socialteenz I meant to convey that aside from niche forums, such as https://www.clubrsx.com/ and a handful of others, I'm seeing sites using WordPress more than ever before, and that last time I checked statistics WordPress was powering over 35% of websites online... 35%!

Check this out:
https://www.bimmerpost.com/

It uses WordPress and vB3.8, another exception to the rule per se but not too shabby overall.

I have yet to visit any other forums in the last six years that were not niche, and if I did, they didn't have what I was looking for (only the niche' forums did after all). Those included forums to get info on some issues with my daughters RSX, and a BMW forum to discuss why the arm rests in my BMW were gooey (sun did it to them, found ABS plastic molded replacements that fit just fine and look great too), and the last one was an appliance forum where I was looking up an issue with our old dryer before we purchased front-load machines - All that to say that aside from those three forums, I've lived life just fine without them.

Edit: Multisite anyone? That's right there is no license limitation for WordPress, so that is a big factor honestly as-in it's 100% free aside from plugins behind a pay wall, and there are more free plugins to choose from than not! I dare say there are more plugins available for WordPress than vB and Xen put together, google search that and it will state "Extend your WordPress experience! Browse 59,706 free plugins" and that isn't counting the paid/pay wall ones so I'm fairly sure I was right, and will dare to say more plugins than all forum softwares put together! If the staff over at vBulletin had half a clue (no offense Wayne/others) they would make a vBulletin forum plugin for use with WordPress and charge for it, people do pay for WordPress plugins, and they might be more inclined to pay for something that works with WordPress!

If someone just took the time to sit down and redo some of the forum plugins for WordPress or built their own, it could and would be a viable alternative. Do we really need a forum with a shoutbox like every other forum we used to see? Not really, that's all I'm saying .

[Akeles]

The end of an era. It was vBulletin and vBulletin.org that got me interested in programming.