Making the right choice now?

[Caretaker]

Hi everyone.

I'm ready to start up another forum and have the option to go with vb3 or vb4. Currently I'm using a vb3 on another forum and very happy with it I must say. However, I have put much time and research into my new venture, not to mention the outlay for the com, net, co.uk domains, so I want to make sure forum software wise I'm making the right choice now?

It could be argued that I have the vb4 why not go with that? But try as I do, I cannot take to it like my vb3. The vb3/vb4 options won't go to waste as I can use it elsewhere on another project that is not so dear to my heart.

Looking ahead to the work I will need to put into the new forum, I need to make sure it gets the best start in life it can and don't want to be second guesing the softwares future usability and so forth. Going vb3 is I think short term fix and vb4?

Changing software over later is something I don't want to do, having gone that route before.
I'm aware the risk I will be taking with xenForo if the court battle goes the wrong way and I am prevented from using the softwars someway down the line. Life is a risk eh!

My head is spinning the more research I do and I know only I can make that decision re the risks. What I'm asking here is some thoughts from those of you who have agonised, if that's the right word, with these same questions.

Long first post I know.

 

[Paul B]

No agonising as far as I was concerned.

As soon as 1.0 RC1 was released I switched (from phpBB though, not vB).

 

[Steve10]

We're very happy with the decision we made when we started our community. A few months in and we're at 3,500 members. I think if you take the plunge you won't regret it, and frankly (i'm no lawyer) I don't think there would be a point in any UK Judicial decision where they ban the actual use of software that has been paid for, so you wouldn't be prevented from using it.

 

[CTXMedia]

I'm moving a big board (1.6 million posts) to XF from the IPS suite. Why? Because it works.

It's fast, simple, easy-to-use, the alerts are addictive, and it is a breeze to skin.

Features are being added all the time, and the legal matters are not going to impact on your use of the software (and are a long way from being resolved anyway!).

Try the demos and ask yourself what you really need for your community? Is it lots and lots and lots of features? or do you want a discussion forum that literally anyone can get the hang of in a day?

I'm really the wrong person to ask. I'm already sold on XF. I've used it for the past year and I like it - a lot. So much so I've bought four licenses!!!

But it may not be the right solution for you. It all depends on what is important to you?

I will be losing a fair number of features when I migrate from IPB to XF, but ... and this is the important bit for me ... none of the features we will be losing have any direct effect on people's ability to come and chat. It's all just extra features that, really, when we think about it, we can manage without (or until XF develop them [with the usual XF twist on things]).

Try the demo - see what you think - and if you've got any specific questions or want to know if something is "doable" in XF - just ask

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Dean]

http://xenforo.com/demo/

We went from vb3.8->xf, best decision I could have possibly made. The admincp permission system is fantastic, in addition to the users features.

 

[Edrondol]

If you want, send me a PM and I'll give you Admin access to a live site that I've kind of ignored. You can play around on updated software.

 

[Caretaker]

Thank you all very much for the effort and time you put into the replies guys. Been playing with the demo feature and more I play the more I like. I have trawled through many threads here and other locations for information, but it was helpful to get some answers to my own direct questions.

Thanks for the invite, Edronol, I will PM you and go have a look.