Mobile forum?

[Ruy Horta]

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!

[dp_burke]

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.

[Richard T. Eger]

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

[John Beaman]

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!

[Ruy Horta]

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.