Transitioning HUBGFE from VBulletin to Xenforo

[Fiddy]

Internet Brands is not doing a great job maintaining the existing installs of VBulletin 4.2 and 3.8 many review board owners are using today. HUBGFE is appears to be using VBulletin 4.2 today.

Internet brands has had an agenda. They want to apply pressure for forum owners to upgrade to VBulletin 5.2.5. No review board owner should ever upgrade their VBulletin install to version 5 unless they've decided they hate their members so much they want to make them suffer the buggy and unstable VB 5. VBulletin 5 is awful and clumsy with a very poorly designed and confusing notifications system.

The best option for an upgrade path for HUBGFE actually exists with Xenforo. The two founders of Xenforo are actually the developers for VBulletin's software up to version 3.8. The SQL Database table structure of VBulleitn and Xenforo are nearly identical. It's not very hard to move data and posts from VB 4.2 into Xenforo.

Invision Power Board is the other option but it's not as robust as Xenforo and it's much harder to move posts between VB 4.2 and IP Board 4.3.

https://xenforo.com/community/

Within a year or two, dollars for doughnuts, Internet Brands will drop support for versions of VBulletin older than version 5. HUBGFE should start the process of transitioning over to Xenforo. Xenforo 2.0 should be released later this year.

Xenforo is superior to VBulletin in every way. VBulleitn is the ugly step child of a company that decided to outsource it's development to 3rd world countries.

Xenforo is the baby of a very passionate group of highly skilled British and American developers. Xenforo is what VBulletin would have been if they did not decide to outsource development to the lowest bidder.

The clock is running out of VB 4. The owners of HUBGFE should be looking to companies like Xenforo for future upgrades to the site.

 

[Fuggedabouditt]

Internet Brands is not doing a great job maintaining the existing installs of VBulletin 4.2 and 3.8 many review board owners are using today. HUBGFE is appears to be using VBulletin 4.2 today.

Internet brands has had an agenda. They want to apply pressure for forum owners to upgrade to VBulletin 5.2.5. No review board owner should ever upgrade their VBulletin install to version 5 unless they've decided they hate their members so much they want to make them suffer the buggy and unstable VB 5. VBulletin 5 is awful and clumsy with a very poorly designed and confusing notifications system.

The best option for an upgrade path for HUBGFE actually exists with Xenforo. The two founders of Xenforo are actually the developers for VBulletin's software up to version 3.8. The SQL Database table structure of VBulleitn and Xenforo are nearly identical. It's not very hard to move data and posts from VB 4.2 into Xenforo.

Invision Power Board is the other option but it's not as robust as Xenforo and it's much harder to move posts between VB 4.2 and IP Board 4.3.

https://xenforo.com/community/

Within a year or two, dollars for doughnuts, Internet Brands will drop support for versions of VBulletin older than version 5. HUBGFE should start the process of transitioning over to Xenforo. Xenforo 2.0 should be released later this year.

Xenforo is superior to VBulletin in every way. VBulleitn is the ugly step child of a company that decided to outsource it's development to 3rd world countries.

Xenforo is the baby of a very passionate group of highly skilled British and American developers. Xenforo is what VBulletin would have been if they did not decide to outsource development to the lowest bidder.

The clock is running out of VB 4. The owners of HUBGFE should be looking to companies like Xenforo for future upgrades to the site.

Selling and or outsourcing development to third world countries is common and a huge mistake in my eyes. The language barrier is a challenge. The attitude and work ethic is also a challenge. My experience with Indian and Pakistan developers is atrocious and when I learn of these teams being part of the stake holders, I cringe. They never seem to get it right the first, second or third time. Eastern block developers are very slow but very boxed in in thought and process; they always seem to do things in their own light despite what the Statement of Work describes.."their way is the best way, fuck the west".

I'm not up on Xenforo but if the migration of databases is seamless, then a test site and smoke test would be the next step if the HUBGFE owners are game. The business end of this is, is it worth the time and effort.

Good thoughts and info though :good:

 

[Madman]

You two techies are making my noodle hurt!

 

[Extra]

It would take thousands of dollars to convert. Who has at least $6,000 plus plus lying there doing nothing?.

 

[Fiddy]

It would take thousands of dollars to convert. Who has at least $6,000 plus plus lying there doing nothing?.

If the site goes down for 4-5 days the costs will be far greater. You're looking at about 4K - 5K to transition from VB to Xenforo.

You're looking this from the wrong perspective of having a choice when in reality forum owners using VB 4.2 have a gun pointed at their heads and clock counting down on support for the older versions.

VB 4.2 is not getting better with age. The quality of their security updates have dramatically declined over the years. It has a couple of years at most before it will become a huge risk to operate on VB 4.2.

The best way to do this is to create a transition plan so you can spread your cost of transitioning over a 2-year period.

The overall user experience in Xenforo is vastly superior to VBullietin in every way. The membership will actually enjoy the attention to the smallest details. The notifications system alone is light years ahead of anything VB uses today.

The learning curve is non-existent. Keep in mind, these are the guys who wrote the code for the original VBulleitn from version 1 through 3.8.

It's not like the forum is going to explode tomorrow. There's probably another 2-years of life left in VB 4.2. Maybe by some miracle or act of God, VBulletin will release a version VB 6 that'll will actually be usable by people. I would not hold my breath on that one.

 

[Robintheboywonder]

I was told that the Vbulleting people techies say if you don't have to download the new V5, don't do it as it's not needed.

 

[Fiddy]

I was told that the Vbulleting people techies say if you don't have to download the new V5, don't do it as it's not needed.

That's not really true. VB 5.2.5 actually has superior cyber security and user validation when compared to VB 4.2.3.

The problems with VB5 are with software glitches, the poorly coded notification system, and the subpar user interface. Members generally hate the user experience and loss of features when upgrading to VB5.

 

[Admiral]

If the site goes down for 4-5 days the costs will be far greater. You're looking at about 4K - 5K to transition from VB to Xenforo.

You're looking this from the wrong perspective of having a choice when in reality forum owners using VB 4.2 have a gun pointed at their heads and clock counting down on support for the older versions.

VB 4.2 is not getting better with age. The quality of their security updates have dramatically declined over the years. It has a couple of years at most before it will become a huge risk to operate on VB 4.2.

The best way to do this is to create a transition plan so you can spread your cost of transitioning over a 2-year period.

The overall user experience in Xenforo is vastly superior to VBullietin in every way. The membership will actually enjoy the attention to the smallest details. The notifications system alone is light years ahead of anything VB uses today.

The learning curve is non-existent. Keep in mind, these are the guys who wrote the code for the original VBulleitn from version 1 through 3.8.

It's not like the forum is going to explode tomorrow. There's probably another 2-years of life left in VB 4.2. Maybe by some miracle or act of God, VBulletin will release a version VB 6 that'll will actually be usable by people. I would not hold my breath on that one.

The database structure between the two different software are nothing alike. To say that since the developers of xenforo worked at vBulletin before so the software is the same is like saying the CEO of Coke moved to Pepsi why they are so similar.

Also vBulletin has updates coming for their vb4 line. One is in beta and the other is just in alpha. Meaning that the software isn't dead and also there is no need to update for the sake of updating. I don't understand why people think that you have to update whenever there is a new version (to vb5) when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing one

If you go on the vBulletin site their staff actually tells people not to update to the new version for the sake of updating. Vb4 and vb5 are very very different beasts. They tell you if you are happy with the way vb4 is treating you to stick with that since it will still receive security updates. These people probably think that each year you should be trading in your car for the newest release.


Don't get me wrong, xenforo is great software for what it is. A very basic forum software. Their version 2 is getting better with adding actual features that version 1 didn't have. But it is still far away from vBulletin in terms of features. Converting would mean tons and tons of custom work to get you to where you are with vBulletin.

Plus maintaining that custom code between updates could be very costly. Converting to xenforo, nah, the cost far outweighs any small benefits that are gained. What HUBGFE needs right now would be having a design that is also mobile friendly. That is something that xenforo does well.

But still not worth the money to convert over to xenforo for.

 

[azrael]

The database structure between the two different software are nothing alike. To say that since the developers of xenforo worked at vBulletin before so the software is the same is like saying the CEO of Coke moved to Pepsi why they are so similar.

Also vBulletin has updates coming for their vb4 line. One is in beta and the other is just in alpha. Meaning that the software isn't dead and also there is no need to update for the sake of updating. I don't understand why people think that you have to update whenever there is a new version (to vb5) when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing one

If you go on the vBulletin site their staff actually tells people not to update to the new version for the sake of updating. Vb4 and vb5 are very very different beasts. They tell you if you are happy with the way vb4 is treating you to stick with that since it will still receive security updates. These people probably think that each year you should be trading in your car for the newest release.


Don't get me wrong, xenforo is great software for what it is. A very basic forum software. Their version 2 is getting better with adding actual features that version 1 didn't have. But it is still far away from vBulletin in terms of features. Converting would mean tons and tons of custom work to get you to where you are with vBulletin.

Plus maintaining that custom code between updates could be very costly. Converting to xenforo, nah, the cost far outweighs any small benefits that are gained. What HUBGFE needs right now would be having a design that is also mobile friendly. That is something that xenforo does well.

But still not worth the money to convert over to xenforo for.

You are hired, PM me please.

 

[Fiddy]

The database structure between the two different software are nothing alike. To say that since the developers of xenforo worked at vBulletin before so the software is the same is like saying the CEO of Coke moved to Pepsi why they are so similar.

Also vBulletin has updates coming for their vb4 line. One is in beta and the other is just in alpha. Meaning that the software isn't dead and also there is no need to update for the sake of updating. I don't understand why people think that you have to update whenever there is a new version (to vb5) when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing one

If you go on the vBulletin site their staff actually tells people not to update to the new version for the sake of updating. Vb4 and vb5 are very very different beasts. They tell you if you are happy with the way vb4 is treating you to stick with that since it will still receive security updates. These people probably think that each year you should be trading in your car for the newest release.


Don't get me wrong, xenforo is great software for what it is. A very basic forum software. Their version 2 is getting better with adding actual features that version 1 didn't have. But it is still far away from vBulletin in terms of features. Converting would mean tons and tons of custom work to get you to where you are with vBulletin.

Plus maintaining that custom code between updates could be very costly. Converting to xenforo, nah, the cost far outweighs any small benefits that are gained. What HUBGFE needs right now would be having a design that is also mobile friendly. That is something that xenforo does well.

But still not worth the money to convert over to xenforo for.

Admiral I never said Xenforo and VB are identical, they're too completely different applications.

I only said they share some common database mapping features making it much easier to move posts and members from VB to Xenforo vs moving VB to IP board. Xenforo has a more advanced database structure that supports ElasticSearch.

Xenforo has nearly the same features as VBulleitn in version 1.5.14. VBulletin has a better moderating system. Xenforo requires purchasing add-on's to fill in missing moderating features.

Invision Power Board is by far the most compressive of all of the forum apps. It's the only forum app with it own inhouse CMS Page builder and fully featured online E-Commerce platform.

Xenforo is easier to maintain. It's the only forum app where updates and security patches to the software don't break add-on's and the CSS files.

I've wasted countless hours patching VB and IP board sites after minor updates.

The biggest drawback to Xenforo is the massive amount of time required to configure the AdminCP and to field map 3rd party apps. It takes 4 times longer to configure Xenforo vs VB or IPB.

VB also makes it easier to create private forums. The permission system needs work in Xenforo.

VB also makes it easier to create SuperMods with limited access to the AdminCP. Xenforo required hiring a devloper to create SuperMods. Hopefully XF2 will fix that.

Anything anyone can do in VB I can build a superior version of the same thing in Xenforo.

When I choose a platform, user experience is my number one concern. VB4's a 7 year old app with a badly outdated user features. Xenforo recieved a major overhaul 19 months ago.

Xenforo has a bright future. XF2 is getting rave reviews so far.

VB has no clear migration path. VB 5 continues to struggle. I always pick platforms with the ability to migrate.

 

[Private]

Thanks for the lessons gentlemen.

 

[Baz]

Quite impressive how knowledgeable some of you are in this field. I suppose you are IT personal in some form or another.

 

[peace]

I wish i was this knowledgeable regarding software or programming

 

[Fiddy]

Quite impressive how knowledgeable some of you are in this field. I suppose you are IT personal in some form or another.

I've been building corporate websites and web animations for 18 years since I was in my late teens. I've been blessed with working with some of the most talented people in the business. You learn a lot from people who are smarter than you as long you're willing to put your own ego aside.

 

[peace]

I've been building corporate websites and web animations for 18 years since I was in my late teens. I've been blessed with working with some of the most talented people in the business. You learn a lot from people who are smarter than you as long you're willing to put your own ego aside.

and you made a great career move by entering in this occupation at that time...

 

[Fiddy]

and you made a great career move by entering in this occupation at that time...

It's a 2nd job. It was full time occupation in the past. I didn't like spending all my time chained to a computer.

My primary occupation allows me to travel and meet people from all around the world.

 

[peace]

It's a 2nd job. It was full time occupation in the past. I didn't like spending all my time chained to a computer.

My primary occupation allows me to travel and meet people from all around the world.

WHat's your favourite country....or top 5?

 

[Fiddy]

WHat's your favourite country....or top 5?

I don't have one, just send me to any county with great wine and beautiful women.