So, what's the downside?

[Sador]

No, seriously. I've spent a couple of hours in here, and still haven't found anything bad about XenForo. Everything looks great, I keep finding new stuff, the speed is terrific, everything works better than expected... so where's the catch?

What do the rest of you think?

 

[Dean]

...Fortunately, we all now have a viable alternative.

I like to be positive and upbeat. This is the part I am focusing on.

Although I did read, appreciate, and agreed with, the posts you made back then. When they ignored those and others I knew vb was no longer a solution for us.

 

[Biker]

Biker,

Unfortunately your enemy isn't users. It's IT departments and corporate managers. And they aren't impressed by the posturing of a few forum administrators. They'll dump IE6 when the web is so broken there is no choice but to spend the money to rewrite their inter-office apps that were written using proprietary Microsoft IE6 code.

Again, the second developers stop supporting IE6, it will force those that use it to upgrade. That includes those corporations that refuse to update their enterprise. I've seen (and used) those apps that were written specifically for IE6. The companies that went that route took the easy way out when this stuff was developed. Sucks to be them. **snicker**

 

[Carnage]

I think I figured out what the downside is.

Had IB not come along and purchased vBulletin; all the awesome things you like here would have been in vBulletin 4 or 4.1 now that's a downside. . .

 

[Kier]

I think I figured out what the downside is.

Had IB not come along and purchased vBulletin; all the awesome things you like here would have been in vBulletin 4 or 4.1 now that's a downside. . .

Well, kinda.

The difference is that vBulletin 4 needed to bring with it all the existing functionality from vBulletin 3.x - nobody would want to upgrade to a new version that drops features.

However, with XenForo we have a much smaller team and a much shorter time to produce the software (we don't get paid until we start making sales obviously) so we have had to produce something much more focused on doing the really important stuff first.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Thanks for displaying your talents out here. I am very very much impressed. I just found a tool out you guys made that can make me much much more productive.

 

[Jeremy]

Well, kinda.

The difference is that vBulletin 4 needed to bring with it all the existing functionality from vBulletin 3.x - nobody would want to upgrade to a new version that drops features.

However, with XenForo we have a much smaller team and a much shorter time to produce the software (we don't get paid until we start making sales obviously) so we have had to produce something much more focused on doing the really important stuff first.

Yet, vB4 did remove features. I also think that in such a short time (a year? less?), you have churned out a product that is outstanding. Now, clone yourself to be 8 Kier's and 8 Mike's. Imagine what you could do than! One of each on forums, blogs, gallery, CMS, etc. That'd be amazing. Damn you scientists for not inventing cloning for humans!

 

[Floris]

VMWare Fusion 2 on the Mac, with XP/IE6, and it works fine. Looks better than expected. It is just typical IE6 rendering. If people find that irritating and not as pretty: upgrade to a real browser.

 

[Brandon_R]

You can clone their bodies but you cannot clone their minds

 

[DarkGizmo]

I plan on using XF for my support forums (i'm opening a web design site) and would like to add a customer forum and I think XF would be perfect for it I might buy 2 licenses and convert my current site

 

[Carnage]

Well, kinda.

The difference is that vBulletin 4 needed to bring with it all the existing functionality from vBulletin 3.x - nobody would want to upgrade to a new version that drops features.

However, with XenForo we have a much smaller team and a much shorter time to produce the software (we don't get paid until we start making sales obviously) so we have had to produce something much more focused on doing the really important stuff first.

I was mostly referring to the style its one of the things I feel you've really got right here whereas vBulletin 4's style suffers a myriad of issues.

 

[Floris]

Its gotta have a LOW entry point in my humble opinion ... you need a big adoption rate to kick start this and get everybody on it.

That's bad business if you ask me. In the Freelancer world it is common knowledge that if you believe in what you can do, what you can promise your customers, and what you have for sale is worth what you're asking for. Ask what it is worth, and stick to it. If you want to offer discounts, it's not in a sale from the get-go, it undermines yourself and your product/service; Put it as a unique situation, bit further down the line. And any discounts or coupons is for long term run, including customers; offered via bulk.

 

[Floris]

You do not have to trust anybody. btw, I see some people commenting on this with a concern. We trust Kier/Mike, because there's history there and we're experienced with forum software; using alpha 1 here of 1.0 already is a good indicator. Those who don't share that; that's fine. Nothing's for sale at the moment, nobody's asking for money

 

[Alpha1]

Well, kinda.

The difference is that vBulletin 4 needed to bring with it all the existing functionality from vBulletin 3.x - nobody would want to upgrade to a new version that drops features.

However, with XenForo we have a much smaller team and a much shorter time to produce the software (we don't get paid until we start making sales obviously) so we have had to produce something much more focused on doing the really important stuff first.

But do you plan to (at some point) match vbulletins functionality to a degree that we do not loose content nor vital functionality when moving from vb to XenForo?

 

[Kier]

But do you plan to (at some point) match vbulletins functionality to a degree that we do not loose content nor vital functionality when moving from vb to XenForo?

Part of the reason for going public before we are ready to make sales is to find out exactly what content and functionality you consider to be vital.

 

[Alpha1]

Thanks! That sounds good.

You do realize that your suggestions forum is going to look like vb.com its old suggestion forum, in no time?
Unless you plan to hire / appoint several people to streamline the suggestions forums, I would really suggest uservoice. It will quickly show you what people want in an organized way. IMHO forums are unsuited for mass feature requests.

 

[gnatster]

Part of the reason for going public before we are ready to make sales is to find out exactly what content and functionality you consider to be vital.

We want it all....

CMS, Gallery, integrated e-commerce, easily skinable, speed, stability, 2 character search, full documentation and oh yeah, at a low price.

The code monkeys want an easy to modify system and a place where they can advertise and sell mods, plugins, themes, etc

The forum owners want all that mods free or low priced, validated, supported and tested to work against all other mods...

In short, we want it all.

Sorry, could not resist cause opening it up this way brings everyone out with every idea out there. Of course everyone thinks their own needs are the most important as well.

My needs are simple, good quality with a modicum of easy to use features to keep the members involved.

 

[Dean]

Part of the reason for going public before we are ready to make sales is to find out exactly what content and functionality you consider to be vital.

Keeping things simple would be vital to us. Template edits might be preferable to admincp options for instance, for some universal things.

 

[grant sarver]

Ya gotta have the early adopters. New product has to have that infusion of cash and confidence. Takes both to excite the investors. Make two price structures: Go with what you already have in mind AND capitalize on the confidence in the future of the product and sell me a "Founder edition" version 1.0 for $400 and give me a free pass for 5 years! The faithful will scrape it together. Make me a "Founding Customer" with my name in gold and a skin for my wall! Hey, a special "Founder Edition" permanent logo in the footer. Early infusion of cash will help finance growth and open investor pockets - it's simple recursion - a feedback loop. Today you just have to come out of the gate like a winner!

 

[DarkGizmo]

Ya gotta have the early adopters. New product has to have that infusion of cash and confidence. Takes both to excite the investors. Make two price structures: Go with what you already have in mind AND capitalize on the confidence in the future of the product and sell me a "Founder edition" version 1.0 for $400 and give me a free pass for 5 years! The faithful will scrape it together. Make me a "Founding Customer" with my name in gold and a skin for my wall! Hey, a special "Founder Edition" permanent logo in the footer. Early infusion of cash will help finance growth and open investor pockets - it's simple recursion - a feedback loop. Today you just have to come out of the gate like a winner!

$400 is WAY too much for a forum software that is just starting out and is (at this stage) bare-bones.

 

[Jeremy]

You can clone their bodies but you cannot clone their minds

Oh, no, they will eventually master that, then damn, vBulletin and IPB and every other software is screwed. They'll become a monopoly in every market... Can we say XenOS? haha. Honestly, I would be scared to see cloning actually take place.