Do Forum(softwares) have a future?

[Youji]

This question is an original question in the German vBulletin forums. I'm really interested what you think about it. Do you think that Forums/Forum Softwares have a future?

My personal opinion.

I really doubt that new Forums have such a success as older ones which has been online since the boom of the Forums. Nearly every topic has a Forum and so the decission is always the popularity of the Forums. That's why I joined PC instead of Serebii. Also the visual layout must match your likings that's why the most forums have different styles. I really like the most themes here...they are so nice and Web 2.0 like.

New softwares can't expect such a success as older boards like vBulletin/IPB or PHPBB (Which is the worst but successful...-_-)/MyBB
I haven't joined RevoBulletin because I thought it will be the best ever or because it'll get popular. Sure it'll be cool but I joined because I like to design. I'm not a god in photoshop but hey^^ I actually have a theme running here.

So what do you think and what experiences have you made?

 

[takaharu]

If you're talking about forum communities, I don't think there are going anywhere! Look at some of the entries on the BigBoards lists, where would all those people go?

I'll admit though, I was a heavy forum user three or so years back. Slowly I migrated to IRC for a while and now I've started back on some forums. It all depends on the spirit and maturity (and the niche in some cases) of the forum in question, and how the administration manage the site. Along with powertrip mods and various other factors.

One forum I was on got sold, and most of the regular users just left overnight because we hadn't been informed at all. We didn't have a problem with him selling the site, just that we helped to create the community and weren't told! Problems like that can bring down forums.

Back to my original point... if forums went out of fashion what would sites like Pkmn Community use? IM and IRC wouldn't cut it, Newsgroups would but I believe forums were designed as cuter, cuddlier, easier to use newsgroups so I doubt most people would like to go back. Where does that leave us? Back at forums! They serve great purpose and I don't think we'll see them go anywhere...

If you was referring to smaller forum softwares, well, that's another rant!

 

[Youji]

Well that was very intersting to read. I haven't meant Forums which are online for more than 2-3 years. I meant forums which want to set up now. Like if somone thinks "I'll create a Games Forum"...and/or if someone thinks "I'll develop a new software and charge for it".

So hope to see you posting^^.

 

[takaharu]

Well that was very intersting to read. I haven't meant Forums which are online for more than 2-3 years. I meant forums which want to set up now. Like if somone thinks "I'll create a Games Forum"...and/or if someone thinks "I'll develop a new software and charge for it".

So hope to see you posting^^.

Oh I see where you're getting it :)

I've heard that exact phrase so many times. "I'll set up a new gaming forum! It'll be so leet!" except of course we already have enough, and they never actually get more than a few members which the admin knows personally.

Onto your second point raised.. If I was buying forum software for my company who am I likely to spend my budget on? vBulletin and the like, of course! I'm not about to blow my spending budget on some small project with only one install.

What if the software has a serious bug, and they decide not to bother upgrading because they haven't made enough money. Plus you have the issue of lots of Open Source projects: PHPBB, SMF, Vanilla to name a few. Even If I wasn't spending any money, I'm a thousand times more likely to install one of those I mentioned that some small forum software that hasn't been tried and tested.

Thats why small commercial projects won't be successful. If I was the person in the other thread making their own forum software, I really wouldn't bother trying to sell it. Or perhaps If I did, I'd make it open source and sell a hosted package with support.

No other way!

By the way, you can probably tell I'm procrastinating :)

 

[Youji]

Yeah you say it, man. They all know it won't get popular or better said they believe it even if they know it won't get popular. I have some experiences in that :P. I always tried to copy PC after they banned Scizz (You don't know him but that's not important. He was Assistant Admin here.) Now I run my "own" Forum with MyBB which is the best open source software. I only have a few members but that because I have no real domain. I always have this freakin ending domain of my hoster... Well I just have the forum side running. In real it's just a forum for the main page. Or, I don't know, maybe I have it just to make themes...Ohh I think I have to think about that.
Maybe I'll offer my Themes someday...I dunno. Many ppl. said I should offer them to download. But every theme is hard work... okay BTT.

Anyone else who want to tell us what he thinks about it?

 

[aRedMoon]

Depends. You start a forum on something that's just gaining in popularity, and it'll stick.

For instance, take Reality Show 105 from whatever season is coming up next in America and make a site/forum devoted to it, and you'll have a hit.

Make a forum devoted to Pokemon and you're not going to survive unless you have a huge site backing you, like PPN was back in the day.

 

[QueenZ]

I so didn't want to answer this topic but i couldn't...

So here is my theory.. for example, let's take a look at IE and Firefox.. 99% were using Internet Explorer for at least 10 years and it was ok with it.. and then.. one day Firefox born and everybody was like wow that's cool and now IE sucks..

now why do you think it's not the same with Forums Softwares?? It's exactly the same!!
If vBulletin is the lead forums soft out there now and if i make 100 times better than it you can't even imagine what would you or your friends do or say..

As it says - it's for the best!

 

[takaharu]

I so didn't want to answer this topic but i couldn't...

So here is my theory.. for example, let's take a look at IE and Firefox.. 99% were using Internet Explorer for at least 10 years and it was ok with it.. and then.. one day Firefox born and everybody was like wow that's cool and now IE sucks..

now why do you think it's not the same with Forums Softwares?? It's exactly the same!!
If vBulletin is the lead forums soft out there now and if i make 100 times better than it you can't even imagine what would you or your friends do or say..

As it says - it's for the best!

I'm looking forward to seeing your software when its more fully featured that vBulletin.

 

[Youji]

That will never happen. vBulletin is lead by a great developing team. They don't work in free time they work on vBulletin as their job. vBulletin will ever be popular and no other Forum software will be better. And the best alternative free forum is MyBB which is like a copy of the vBulletin 2.3.x Version but with a nicer look. So this comparrison between IE and FireFox is bad...

I don't think that all new softs wouldn't get popular but if you even don't have a team and only work in free time you'll never get as good as MyBB...so forget the dream of beeing better than vBulletin. When the day comes that your soft is better, there won't be people to open new forums...and if there are they will use others since you must keep in mind that other softwares still in developing. So when your board will be better than MyBB is now, vBulletin will be much further and MyBB, too. So...