Mobile forum?
 

Hi all,

The forum software is getting a bit old, as I skipped the current upgrade to save funds. However there is a new version in the making - beta stage - and it might be time to make the jump.

The license isn't cheap - relatively speaking, of course - so i need your input when it comes to features

Would you consider the addition of a "mobile" version of the forum - as in smart phone optimized - to be of any value?

Adding this feature practically doubles the price, so it would be a shame if isn't something you would use.

Finally would any of you consider making a small donation?
Thinking of something like a max USD 5,- per head fund raiser.

Thanks for your time.

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Personally, I wouldn't use a mobile forum but don't let me stop development. The forum is worth five bucks as it is so if payable by PayPal, count me in!

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Hi Ruy,

About the mobile forum feature, that is the sort of thing that I would normally say wouldn't interest me, but in the last year I have surprised myself with the number of things I now do on the phone: is there a forum using the feature we could visit? Seeing it in operation would probably help.

Please advise PayPal address, contribution will be cheerfully made.

Regards,
Bruce

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Dear Ruy,

I think the big stopper in moving up into the 4.0 releases of vBulletin is that you lose your forever license. By e-mail, I have received annoyingly frequent notices of the next Beta version, clearly indicating the lack of a mature product.

I have no idea what bells and whistles the 4.0 releases come with but, for me, I am content to stay put, as I have over at LWAG.

As for a mobile version, I'm not the one to ask. As far as I've gotten into the world of mobility is a TracPhone for emergency use and that after being chewed out by my daughter for not having one when I landed in the hospital last year.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Quite happy to make a donation Ruy - no worries.

Re: Mobile forum?
 

hi Ruy

No interest in the Mobile forum, but happy to make your suggested donation via paypal.

cheers

Allan

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Now, Richard, you need to get into the 21st Century. Hey, how can you stand not being on Facebook?!!

You could be on the Riviera, looking TOCH instead of having great wine and food! ;)

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Dear John,

Now, do I answer tongue in cheek or play the straight man? Let's try it straight.

Thankfully, since I am not a software guru, but my son is, he handles the needs of LWAG. When vBulletin 4.0 came out, I wondered whether to update to it or leave things as they were. My son saw no advantage in the update and, as I said, with the 3.0 version you own the license forever, but with 4.0 you don't. Obviously, Ruy made the same decision. The fact that they were coming out with new Beta versions of the latest 5.0 release almost on a daily basis made me really shudder. Who the heck puts out a product that incredibly immature? Remember the frosting Apple got when its latest gadget had a messed up maps program? Perhaps it also didn't help the company's stock price, which has slid from $700 down to $450.

If you have been keeping up with the news, Twitter accounts were recently hacked, as were the records of various major newspapers. The head of Facebook has a notorious record for trying to not have secure accounts, because the accounts not being secure means that there is more marketability. The upshot is that I have studiously avoided social media sites.

I think I've done with my travel days at this point, so, at least for me, I don't need mobility features. As much as I like TOCH!, if I were on a cruise, I think I'd have a lot better things to do than check in on TOCH!. It isn't going anywhere and I can always catch up when I return. But, if I read you correctly, you completely agree with me on this point.

Now, this would have been a lot more fun if I'd done it tongue in cheek.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Some small comments on vBulletin development.

The main reason I didn't opt for v4 is the new license system. With v3 you could buy the software and get continued access to developments through a yearly license fee. This kept the initial and yearly cost on an acceptable level.

Coming v4 they did away with the renewal system and simply raised the initial purchase price, which gives you access to developments as long as the product is current (which means v4 if you bought 4).

Now v5 is in the making and it may bring some features that are of interest to the community. Integrated mobile support is just one part of that equation.

The price even of the full suite is not breaking the bank, but as I don't get any revenue out of the forum - read any cost goes out of my hobby funds - it is all about keeping it on a fun level. That might involve some limited fund raising.

As for patches, v3 did get its share of patches and the only reason they stopped patching is the fact they stopped development. That's excluding critical security patches.

So I expect v3 and 4 to be equally reliable and 5 to get there as well once the early bugs are sorted out.

Is there a need to upgrade, I don't know.
A forum remains a community driven thing, the technology behind it is very much secondary.

Judging from the response there doesn't seem to be a strong interest in mobile friendly features. So that's at least a sign.

Thanks all for reacting and your willingness to support TOCH!

Re: Mobile forum?
 

I'm reading and posting this thread/message from the browser on my android phone, you do not need a mobile version!!! It works fine as is. Mobile versions and apps are a total scam.

Re: Mobile forum?
 

Dear Ruy,

Perhaps the licensing in the Netherlands is different from here in the U.S. I do not pay any annual fees for v3 here in the U.S., as I own the license. With v4, you didn't and there were annual fees. Perhaps it is a question of semantics. It is the new v5 that I have been bombarded with notices of new Beta versions. Perhaps, rather than trying to work out most of the bugs internally, they just decided to put out a rather raw Beta version and let the users do it for them. It didn't look very professional to me to do it this way.

As you state, the feedback here strongly indicates that a mobile version of TOCH! is not desired by the TOCH! membership. Save your money, but thanks for considering it and asking.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Mobile forum?
 

But, if I read you correctly, you completely agree with me on this point.

Now, this would have been a lot more fun if I'd done it tongue in cheek.

Yes Richard, I agree with you completely. A perk of being a moderator is to "mess" with people!

I have just about decided to bail from Facebook. Its pretty worthless. I do not care what some "friend" ate for lunch. As for Twitter, I would not dare get on there. I might be too PC uncorrect!

Re: Mobile forum?
 

No, I do own the basic vbulletin branded license - it was the right to have continued access to updates that was also offered at a yearly renewal fee. This offered a lower initial purchase price and a reasonably low yearly fee. They changed their business model and did away with that option with v4. The current license price includes unlimited access to updates for the suite you buy, albeit at a higher initial price. You may have chosen a similar kind of license option with v3.

As for development of v5 it is pretty much the same method as with v3 and 4, free beta access to try out and generate test feedback and new customers. It is basically a try and buy scheme.

I was expecting more interest in mobile features, but as it stands it may not e worth it to upgrade the forum. It all depends on other features.