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View Full Version : Why vBulletin?


Roswell
03-23-2008, 06:09 PM
As a bit of a web nerd (and active supporter of a certain forum script :D), I'm curious as to what the reasoning behind using vBulletin was around here. Not that I dislike it, there are just other solutions that are cheaper (read: free) that may be easier on depp's pocketbook :D

qwertypete
03-23-2008, 06:46 PM
Well, I would think that since vBulletin is a one time fee, that it's already paid for, so it doesn't burn any more holes through his wallet. Additionally, vBulletin is the best forum software out there, and if I had a site that was popular, that would be my first choice ;). Hope I helped.

Roswell
03-23-2008, 06:47 PM
Unless he wants updates, then it continues to be $30/year, which is more than $0/year ;)

qwertypete
03-23-2008, 07:11 PM
I unno... I just know that vBulletin is the best... but we won't know till he replies.

depp
03-24-2008, 12:14 AM
I've run several forums sites over the years and tried out a lot of good software. getDare used to run on PHPbb and later PunBB (http://punbb.org/) (this is really awesome free software).

The reason I decided to shell out for vBulletin is because of the ease of upgrading and security patching. The free forums seem to be targeted a lot more often by exploits too. vBulletin has an awesome plugin hooks system that makes custom code changes easer to work with. You can build plugins that modify the code so you don't have to re-edit everything you did earlier by hand. The vBulletin hooks system is super powerful and I don't think any of the free solutions yet have something equal to it.

I got tired of having to do a ton of work each time I upgraded. vBulletin is easier, and I believe more secure a solution. Also the vBulletin team publish security patches as plugins. That means critical security updates are a few clicks and not a few hours.

depp
03-24-2008, 12:17 AM
I unno... I just know that vBulletin is the best... but we won't know till he replies.

vBulletin rocks but Invision is good too. The reason I stay away from Invision is they have been a less than honest company in the past. I simply don't trust them. They make do make great software however.

Roswell
03-24-2008, 08:39 AM
*makes a passing reference to the fact that phpBB3 (http://phpbb.com) has recently been released and now uses an auto-updater :p*

depp
03-24-2008, 10:27 AM
PHPbb is great software but the security side of it scares me still a little bit. The fact is there is a lot of great forums software. I am just in love with vB. :)

Roswell
03-24-2008, 11:10 AM
Regarding phpBB, there haven't been any security vulnerabilities since an internal security audit was held circa 2.0.18-ish, and phpBB3 was audited by selektions, which is a company ran by one of the original PHP core developers who's sole job was security :D (no major exploits found either).

/phpBB <3
//open source ftw
///vB business practices = fale
//slashies

depp
03-24-2008, 12:30 PM
I dunno. I think vBulletin is the best out of the box in my opinion. I've used just about everything and have had the least amount of hassle with it in the long run. phpBB may be better at the moment but I am very happy where I stand now.

Also check out miniBB (http://www.minibb.net/) it is a super basic forums script but is the easiest to build onto and hack I have ever seen. Adding features is a breeze and it has a great security history. Has quite a few plugins available for it too. The code it outputs is very clean. Easy to build into an existing sites look and feel. The code, simplicity, and speed of this script is top notch and help make it really fun to work with. Not feature rich out of the box but can easily bend to fit your needs.

Roswell
03-24-2008, 01:18 PM
The one thing I like about phpBB is it's pretty easily extensible. Relative to a lot of other scripts, it's pretty easy to code in what you like (I'm not one for using pre-made extensions, my ways are best :D) I've looked through miniBB before but some of their syntax makes me want to cry.

The only other issue I have with vBulletin is most of their extensions or whatever they call them are not checked for security before being listed on their website, and many of the popular ones (including the blog one you're using) have a track record for stupid security holes that no decent programmer should use (ie, not even using addslashes()).

Edit: And I'm not criticising your decision -- I've always been of the persuasion that people should pick the software that works best for them. Just engaging in friendly nerd discussion :D

depp
03-24-2008, 09:27 PM
I do like this debate. What I think is cool is there is a lot of great forums software out there to use today :). I sort of miss the old days though when UBB was the gold standard. I used to think that was the most awesome piece of web software ever written. :D

Roswell
03-24-2008, 09:37 PM
The only thing I disliked (still do) about uBB is the threaded style. I just never really got used to that. Drupal's forum node works much like that and that's the first thing I disable if I use it (tend to custom code myself). Also, if you've ever looked at the source, it's a piece of bleeding, crumpled spaghetti.

The competition also helps things keep rolling along ;) One thing I like about phpBB3 is the fact that it's got a few features (http://www.phpbb.com/about/features/compare.php) that the rest don't. As a coder, type-aware database handling is a brilliant feature.

As for vB, while I like it, both its price and its rather crappy permissions system cause me to dislike it. Plus, as a coder, the extensions or what-have-you are nothing more than a load of crap in general. Some people don't like phpBB3's MOD installation system (by hand, although an auto installer is in the works), but I do as it allows me to see up-close and under the hood. I like to know what I put into my website ;)