XenForo needs a Lawrence Cole

[Two Worlds]

XenForo is still VERY MUCH in active development. Just because we don't have updates being rammed down our throat weekly doesn't mean the product is dead. Far from it.

If you feel unhappy due to a lack of updates, feel free to go back to another board solution. I for one am more than happy with the exceptional quality of XenForo and know any update is WORTH waiting for patiently rather than the bug ridden crap other vendors have pushed due to this we want weekly update mentality.

How do you know ? Do you have informations we all don't have ?

I am also concerned about the future of xenforo. I am a customer from the start and just renewed my two licenses. But I really would like to know as a paying custimer, how the developement is going on. The actual situation with no official communication from MAK is damaging the product.

It's not about proving "anyone wrong", it simply about explaining what's going on. It only takes a quick news announcement to do, is that so hard? I could say more, but what's the point? This thread will get locked soon, so no point doing so here.

Thats the point, simple as that.

 

[Slavik]

How do you know ? Do you have informations we all don't have ?

Because Mike has already made a post saying as much...

 

[RobParker]

What we need are bug fixes released every couple of weeks to fix bugs that the previous bug fix introduced. That way we'd know the devs are busy. We just need to be careful as VB might own the copyright on that ;-)

 

[Fred Sherman]

Full time? No. Maybe just someone who once a fortnight gives a little post as to whats cooking, even if its to say nothing of note has happened would be nice. But im not going to lose any sleep if it doesn't happen.

Neither would I, but clearly others are. I don't think a periodic announcement is engaging customers and that appears to be what is needed. With a period of no roadmap, no apparent progress, poor and infrequent communication and a looming lawsuit, it certainly would make sense to have a daily touchpoint to keep people positive, funnel feedback and disseminate information.

 

[Ingenious]

In answer to the OP if you mean Xenforo needs someone who is only employed to be a smarmy distraction from how crap the product and owning company is (as with IB), I'd say no thanks. Employed PR people generally just "feel" false. I'd prefer a happy medium, and this is what we had before with Kier and Mike taking an active part in the community and posting up "Have you seen" clips. That no longer happens, neither of them are posting now.

 

[Luke F]

As an administrator I don't really mind what happens to XenForo, if something breaks or I need a new feature I can just sort it myself.

But as a developer I'm getting increasingly worried, premium addons are a good source of income and as more people lose faith in the core product, potential customers disappear.

I'm surprised nothing has really been posted to put an end to this speculation, there's pretty much no excuse.

 

[mrGTB]

I'm surprised nothing has really been posted to put an end to this speculation, there's pretty much no excuse.

Which really sums things up, there isn't plain and simple.

 

[Adam Howard]

You know, on vBulletin they have a tons of staff members crawling their forums, but in the end prices are higher and updates minor.

Here on XenForo, the staff doesn't talk as much, but prices are lower and updates actually place noticable changes (not just underline code, that no one sees).

On vBulletin you have a lot of people talking in the community, but mostly complaining offering no solution, and many of them have no a clue of what they're saying.

On XenForo you have a lot of people talking, supporting one another, and actually have a well understanding of the things they say.

So why do you want to change things?

 

[Hyperion]

In answer to the OP if you mean Xenforo needs someone who is only employed to be a smarmy distraction from how crap the product and owning company is (as with IB), I'd say no thanks. Employed PR people generally just "feel" false. I'd prefer a happy medium, and this is what we had before with Kier and Mike taking an active part in the community and posting up "Have you seen" clips. That no longer happens, neither of them are posting now.

Yeah, this is what I meant by saying the world can use less PR guys, and in giving the example of the useless White House spokesman who never gives information but constantly diverts, gives irrelevant answers, and lies, all to make the executive branch appear more accountable and transparent, but in actuality doing nothing of the sort.

xenForo does not need someone hunting down critics on the Internet to discredit. The complaints I am hearing originate from there being no response by the developers here. If there was an answer they would not be spreading there frustrations throughout the Internet, though I have no idea what the scope of this frustration is (in number of people and forums affected).

As for me, I am just a small forum owner who bought one license, so I have not much reason to fear, but I can understand why people who are much more invested would be anxious. Whether that anxiety is well founded or not, its existence is definitely something that should be taken seriously.

 

[mrGTB]

You know, on vBulletin they have a tons of staff members crawling their forums, but in the end prices are higher and updates minor.

Here on XenForo, the staff doesn't talk as much, but prices are lower and updates actually place noticable changes (not just underline code, that no one sees).

On vBulletin you have a lot of people talking in the community, but mostly complaining offering no solution, and many of them have no a clue of what they're saying.

On XenForo you have a lot of people talking, supporting one another, and actually have a well understanding of the things they say.

So why do you want to change things?

Why are you even bringing vBulletin into this thread for? Who mentioned them, apart from you and we're talking about this site not that one. They have nothing do with this discussion, how they deal with things there is up to them. Let's try and avoid getting this thread locked by bringing them into things please!

 

[Digital Doctor]

A "Lawrence Cole" could help Xenforo a few years from now. Right now, the only thing they need to do is: (1) communicate their development plans and (2) keep improving the product with updates. Releasing 1.2 on time would be a very reassuring thing.

 

[RobParker]

We still have 3 months before 1.2 is in any way due (e.g. Beta, RC, etc).

It'd be nice to have a bit of reassurance that things are fine but it's also Easter/half term/etc. If we've still not heard anything in a months time then that might be different.

 

[Adam Howard]

Why are you even bringing vBulletin into this thread for? Who mentioned them, apart from you and we're talking about this site not that one. They have nothing do with this discussion, how they deal with things there is up to them. Let's try and avoid getting this thread locked by bringing them into things please!

It's perfectly logical to compare the competition in order to define a baseline of universal standards.

Most people here come from one other privious software source or another, since overall XenForo is still typically new.

 

[Mr_Bob]

For those of you that came from VB (and were around when VB was a great piece of software under Kier and Co) you may remember that similar complaints of lack of communication came from the member base. But, we would always receive a great product in return for our patience. I honestly think this is just Kier's style, not posting massively. The most I've ever seen Kier post, outside of general updates and occasional insertion into conversations, has been in the last year. It IS weird that it has been so long since his last post, but there must be a fundamental reason for it to which it is his own prerogative to tell us.

In the meantime, I think we can safely say that, even if Kier is absent for one reason or another, Xenforo is in fantastic hands with Mike. He is a great guy, and a very skilled programer. Don't doubt Mike!

 

[DBA]

*gets the popcorn ready*

Here I'll share with you.

You know I think I can finally sell my vb license as this place has more drama (entertainment) then vB's Licensed Customer Feedback forum, as of late.

 

[mrGTB]

View attachment 28081You know I think I can finally sell my vb license as this place has more drama (entertainment) then vB's Licensed Customer Feedback forum, as of late. View attachment 28081

Ha, Ha! Well it's one way to get new customers buying.

 

[Adam Howard]

For those of you that came from VB (and were around when VB was a great piece of software under Kier and Co) you may remember that similar complaints of lack of communication came from the member base. But, we would always receive a great product in return for our patience. I honestly think this is just Kier's style, not posting massively. The most I've ever seen Kier post, outside of general updates and occasional insertion into conversations, has been in the last year. It IS weird that it has been so long since his last post, but there must be a fundamental reason for it to which it is his own prerogative to tell us.

In the meantime, I think we can safely say that, even if Kier is absent for one reason or another, Xenforo is in fantastic hands with Mike. He is a great guy, and a very skilled programer. Don't doubt Mike!

Very well written and I completely agree

 

[Kevin]

*gets the popcorn ready*

View attachment 28081 Here I'll share with you.

Might need a few more bags; with the amount of BS being flung about we will be here a while.

 

[mrGTB]

You've only brought a small box of popcorn, that was never going to go around.

 

[Pereira]

I do agree it's worrying that there has not been an update in the last few weeks but it gets more worrying seeing topics like these which cast a lot of doubt regarding the subject. (By the way, I know this topic is meant to be a proposal for XF to hire someone but as usual, they go into something completely different).

One thing I noticed about the linked thread is that it's filled with speculation from members such as vB customers, Mr "post twitter messages to myself" etc (in other words members who probably hate XF or like to stir things up). So I tend take those comments with a grain of salt.

I personally don't see the need for a marketer at this point as don't see what they could bring to the software which Kier and Mike can't. Sure Kier hasn't posted a few weeks but I don't see where it says he has to do so in the license TOS. There's been nothing that says 1.2 won't be released either, nothing more than speculation anyway.