Shouldn't the thread be changed to.... VB4 not-really Gold is out!! hehe, just joining in on the mindset thus far.
Or possibly vb4.0 - where's my log cabin coupon code I can't see it in my members area. :o I'll need to send in a support ticket.
I've got to admit, I am extremely, extremely disappointed that they have chosen to go ahead and release vb4.0 with so many major & minor bugs remaining. As well as the CMS queries issue and the fact it won't take a custom style, there are numerous functionality and styling issues present throught the software. Overall I still like it but the cutting-edge quality vB was famous for seems to have gone in favour of a rush to meet a deadline. Hand on heart there is no way I could consider upgrading to the current product, it would make my site a laughing stock and inferior to sites running modified phpBB boards. That would never do. Luckily I wasn't planning to upgrade for a while anyway due to needing a lot of hacks to be converted (and to allow time for me to learn the product in order to update my own customisations). But seriously, this is a disappointment. Far too many "rough edges". I sincerely hope this improves quickly.
I'm neither disappointed or surprised with vBulletin 4 Gold. It's turned out pretty much as I expected. Hence why I'm currently using IPB3 instead. Although, I do still prefer vBulletin 3.7.6 over IPB3 if I was honest, which I do think is a great board. So I wouldn't say I'm an IPB convert. What I can't fail but notice, is the lack of posts being made about this release on vBulletin.com. In the past when a new version was released, you would have like 20 pages of posts in one or two days on a thread. The simple lack of activity taking place on vBulletin about this vBulletin 4 Gold release say's it all really. That they have either lost a lot of customers than they care to admit, or people are just not interesting in it and are sticking with an older vB3 version instead. A very poor showing of people it has to be said "all in all" on this release.
Remember this is the holiday season as well. Most people are Christmas shopping and spending time with family, friends, and parties. Not messing with vB, gold release or not.
For cryin' out loud one of the minor design bugs is visible in the announcement thread unless they want to blame that one on Firefox. For those that said wait, here we are at the Gold and it's not any better than what we saw with the rushed Beta and RC stages. I want to use vB on a new site, but I'm pretty close to just selling my license and buying an IPB license with maybe a few bucks left over.
Already decided on IPB3, so vB can ... themselves. The skin of VB4 doesn't even look that nice either. I prefer the default look of 3.8 more then 4.0. Same goes for IPB3's default skin. I have a weird attraction to default skins don't I?
Mark, this post is not directed towards you. I'am just using your comments as a reference point. The CMS is long, LONG overdue. This should have been released years ago, not a couple of days ago. You can not put the CMS where you want it - what is the deal here? This is a basic feature that just about all content management systems have. The first comparison that comes to mind - vbulletin is releasing an airplane, that you have to hand crank, and has a wooden prop. While Boeing is making turbine driven jets that fly at the speed of sound. What is the problem here? Its like the CMS is being developed in the 1990s or something. There has no been anything "cutting edge" in vbulletin for some time now. My opinion - and this is just my opinion - vbulletin is several years behind the times. Take a look at the "whole" vbulletin project, and then compare that to facebook, wordpress, youtube,,,, where is the cutting edge technology in vbulletin? The longest journey starts with a single step. I see the CMS and updates as the first step to that journey. But,,, the vbulletin project is so far behind the times it going to take a long, long time to catch up with modern day internet standards. I can use the CMS like it is, but the question is - do I want to?
This is what happens when people want vb4 yesterday. You get a half assed script and then you wonder why everything is not as you expected, bugs found (you'll always get bugs) but these are bugs that should not be present in a gold product. Now, what do we have, we say 2 years of a vb4 license and the developers will be spending most of that time fixing these bugs and playing catchup (my opinion) sloppy, somewhat crap software for the next 2 years. You'll get mediocre at best, nothing outstanding. Personally, I'm glad it turned out this way, I would love to see vbulletin solutions eventually go bust just to teach them a valuable lesson but that's just my wishful hoping. The people who whined and bitched about 4.0 and to have this release rushed, you got what you asked for in the time frame this was developed in. There is no way the previous vbulletin series where anything like this. I mean, they couldn't even get a proper designer to style it nicely. Bad decision after another you wouldn't expect anything less than a half complete script. Enjoy the new vbulletin. My suggestion, stick with 3.8 untill either something innovative comes along (possibly vb5), they go bust, or you get a free log cabin alongside your mediocre script. Enough already, you knew what to expect.
Being the non-cynic..... ....vBS can't go anywhere else but UP from here....right? *sigh of patience*
It's always been that way ... they have always had room for improvement. The problem is that they aren't improving. They're moving sideways or backwards - not forward.
Shelley, Honestly, day by day I find myself into the same mode of thinking as you. I am honestly trying not to fall into the pit of negativity, but the product and the actions by developers keep forcing me to return to the fact that really, the company has performed horribly. The leadership has repeatedly made poor choices for the past year in my opinion and I no longer see a reason to desire hope. I can't help but think, why am I still wasting time with Vbulletin. I know why. My next project I'm building requires a CMS, Vbulletin's CMS would fit the bill, at it's concept, it's exactly what I need. The problem is I'm not happy with the product. I'm conflicted about what to do, so that's the only thing keeping me from going to IPB forever. The stupid CMS.
For me no, not really I can't really see it. It's very apparent the goal is money and profit fair enough. What happens in the latter stages of vb4 will we see the big fully rich features? I doubt it, they'll be saved for vb5 to entice people to purchase another license. I personally think they'll always hold back especially near the end of the development vbulletin series which doesn't leave much optimism to the end user. BTW, I'm not bashing (I know a few of you on your high horses will come barging in stop bashing vbulletin, stop bashing those super cool people at vbulletin solutions, stop bashing the log cabin) I'm being and thinking realistic, I'm not bashing because everything I predicted a year ago is prity much come to be. Personally, my own opinion I cannot see anything good on the horizon for vb. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, Anyone receive their log cabin yet? Edit: @ Shelby - If i could see anything good from the whole vb4 disaster I would have purchased without hesitation, got my head down and start planning. I seriously cannot see this happening at all. I've even bought a new domain without the vb in it because I see my 3.8 license as a waste when my license runs out and the possibility of a security flaw found resulting in me not being able to patch it. I'm not whinning, I'm prity much getting on with it, and if the need arises I'll make the switch to ipb. bbsmiley if anyones interested. lol
I'm neither pro or con with vBS with regards to my comment or others around here. I take the comments seriously here from you veterans. I don't ignore the people that you've worked with at former Jelsoft and the subsequent changes that have unveiled. With all....effects of when a Company becomes a different Company, which is in fact the case here, except it's now so much more front and center with the product provided. Meaning the last 2 years, until now, IB was a little more low key. It's now just them. I recommend a full removal of all words Jelsoft going forward around here. My comment though, and I have said in this the past, that my next real look at vBS is v5. It will either stay on flop course or it will be new and different for the better...since v4 is the new platform for it to have taken advantage of. Of course, remains to be seen, I'm aware of that. Yet still, that is where my optimism comes from. (i've been through company buyouts, changeovers....2x) Not saying its exactly the same here, but I see some similarities from my nose bleed seats. Idk about you Shelly, but I already have my log cabin. Edit: I've always thought that this All-In-One Suite was a bad thing.
I'll post again in 9 months time. Anyway, back on-topic. Another thought that just occurred to me. With a half complete release could this have been intentional? vb would have known that people would be riddled in problems due to the fact that they deemed fit that for the best interest of mankind they had to upgrade. Resulting in support need = more support = more cash = bigger christmas bash 2009 = bigger deluxe cabins and recruitable cabin crew? The plot deepens. :shrug: edit: or is that thickens?
