XF 2.4 general discussion, feedback, complaints, random off topic posts, etc.

[Miri]

• Hey, does anyone know a great piece of software that gets frequent updates and new features every two weeks?
• Hi! Yes, it's called XenForo. Click this link — it's my affiliate link.

• Hey, I'm using XenForo but I can't update the site because I'm getting some errors. What should I do?
• Hi, go to this link — it's their official support page.

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I think the difference in how a link can be used in a discussion is pretty clear. I assume that in the second case, you'd hardly get banned or restricted for it.

 

[smallwheels]

Well do you allow people to just sign up and post links on your board?

Sure.

It's basically spamming.

No, it is called WorldWideWeb. Links are constituting the "Web" part. If you don't allow links you are not part of the web but try to create a closed system. If you understand any link as "spam" you clearly lack basic understanding of the internet.

 

[Alvin63]

In my case I wrote a really long, helpful answer and suggested further information could be found here, and linked my site. I'd been doing that for years on Quora. The link was relevant to the specific question and the answer (ie a certain article on my site). The one that got me banned was a short answer with a link! So yes I think the type of post with the link makes a difference. Mine weren't affiliate links. Despite appealing and telling them I'd been posting on there for years and given some in depth answers it was rejected and a blanket ban. Makes no difference though, I just opened a new account with a different email to add my backlink back in my profile and won't bother answering questions again!

 

[BikeGremlin]

Admittedly it depends on the links and a case by case basis. Depends on context of course.

Not really. It is more like outright ban of any kind of links, regardless of the context and link type.

 

[Mendalla]

As said by others, links are part of the web. I want people posting links that are useful and relevant to the discussions, esp. links to sources for news and things like that. What I don't want are garbage spam links (which is what most affiliate links are) and people who have posted those in the past have had them edited out of their posts and received bans.

 

[Goodfella]

I'm not entirely sure what happened or if the post was removed, but someone had shared a link to a recent lawsuit involving two XenForo members - Kier and Ashley - which suggested there may be some lingering tension between them. From what I remember skimming (though I can’t find the link now), it looked like Ashley had taken actions that Kier disagreed with.

What stood out to me was that Ashley appeared to still hold some ownership in XenForo. If that's true - and possibly Mike as well - it could explain why progress is slow and customers are being dragged along in the process. If Kier, Chris, and the current team are working hard to grow the company, it wouldn’t make much sense for former owners - especially ones involved in a legal dispute - to retain a stake. Why would the current leadership be motivated to build up a product when those they’ve had serious conflict with could still profit from their efforts? In that case, it might be cleaner and more strategic for Kier and Chris to start fresh with a new venture. Just my two cents - and again, I wish I could find that link.

 

[ENF]

I'm not entirely sure what happened or if the post was removed, but someone had shared a link to a recent lawsuit involving two XenForo members - Kier and Ashley - which suggested there may be some lingering tension between them. From what I remember skimming (though I can’t find the link now), it looked like Ashley had taken actions that Kier disagreed with.

What stood out to me was that Ashley appeared to still hold some ownership in XenForo. If that's true - and possibly Mike as well - it could explain why progress is slow and customers are being dragged along in the process. If Kier, Chris, and the current team are working hard to grow the company, it wouldn’t make much sense for former owners - especially ones involved in a legal dispute - to retain a stake. Why would the current leadership be motivated to build up a product when those they’ve had serious conflict with could still profit from their efforts? In that case, it might be cleaner and more strategic for Kier and Chris to start fresh with a new venture. Just my two cents - and again, I wish I could find that link.

Jesus.... it wasn't a lawsuit. I remember seeing it and it doesn't have any bearing on 2025 as that happened in 2019. You can google up Ashley's name and find the documents yourself.

 

[Goodfella]

Jesus.... it wasn't a lawsuit. I remember seeing it and it doesn't have any bearing on 2025 as that happened in 2019. You can google up Ashley's name and find the documents yourself.

I stand corrected it was a legal case involving an unfair dismissal claim, not a lawsuit in the traditional sense.

That said, when you say it doesn’t have any bearing on 2025, I have to ask - do you know if the two individuals who left - Mike and Ashley, with Ashley reportedly leaving on bad terms - still retain any ownership in XenForo? If they do, then I’d argue it absolutely does have bearing on 2025, for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

Why would the current team - the ones actively building and supporting the product - continue putting in the work if it ultimately increases the value for two former/current owners, one of whom filed a legal claim against the company? That dynamic could very well explain some of the hesitation or stagnation we’re seeing.

There have to be reasons behind the ongoing delays and lack of communication. We’ve all heard the excuse that "communicating takes time away from development," yet right now, we’re seeing neither - no real development progress and no meaningful communication.

 

[ENF]

hesitation or stagnation we’re seeing

We'll agree to disagree, that's not what I've seen. Delays, yes... and there has been communication. I've got a lot more things to do than hang on what developers say or don't say, the product works and updates are forthcoming... that's pretty much all I need to know.

 

[Suzanne O]

Even if there was some sort of legal courtroom battle going on, it's not our business to chat about it.

Here's hoping there is none of this stuff going on behind the scenes.

Because it's not pretty having to take or being dragged through the law courts because somebody wishes to sue you for slander.

 

[Goodfella]

We'll agree to disagree, that's not what I've seen. Delays, yes... and there has been communication. I've got a lot more things to do than hang on what developers say or don't say, the product works and updates are forthcoming... that's pretty much all I need to know.

I think it's a bit unfair to single out one part of my post and then fall back on "agree to disagree." Your original claim was that “it doesn’t have any bearing on 2025 as that happened in 2019.” I responded with a clear rationale for why it could still have relevance in 2025 - particularly if individuals who left under strained circumstances still retain ownership. That point wasn’t really addressed, yet the conversation shifted to whether there has been communication or not.

Yes, delays are acknowledged - even by you. But there have also been years of broken timelines and recurring promises: accelerated development after the 2.0 rewrite, better communication, more transparency. It’s not just me pointing this out - multiple users have shared screenshots and posts showing those commitments. So when you say "agree to disagree," I think the disconnect lies in how we’re viewing XenForo.

You seem to frame XenForo simply as “developers.” That’s fine. But many of us view it as a business - a company we've supported financially. And like any other business, especially one providing commercial software, it has a responsibility to its paying customers. Saying “what developers say or don’t say” might be enough for some, but it shouldn’t be the standard.

Bottom line - we can agree to disagree, sure. But the reality is that this community, and XenForo as a platform, has significantly quieted down over the years. Saying “the product works and updates are forthcoming” feels like the same mindset that led legacy products to stagnate. A flip phone still technically “works,” too - but when something breaks, good luck finding timely support, because the manufacturer long stopped investing in it while others moved forward.

Here’s an example: I made a recommendation nearly two years ago suggesting that XenForo should consider implementing well-tested third-party code to help speed things up - my post here. Now, we’re starting to see signs of this happening. That’s great - but it shows how long change takes when the pace is glacial.

And here’s another post I made back in 2023 - link here - where I pointed out the danger of relying too heavily on third-party developers while not having enough core dev presence. Fast-forward to now, and we’ve already seen people like Ozzy leave. That concern is becoming reality.

If XenForo is going to survive in this new era of the internet, it needs to evolve at a much more consistent and deliberate cadence. Otherwise, it risks becoming yet another product that “still works” - until it doesn’t.

 

[CedricV]