Why is there so much vB hate?

[Study Force]

I can't help but notice how many times I've browsed this forum only to read how terrible vB software is. Let's say (hypothetically) that is it, why is it always a repeating campaign theme on this website?

@TheChiro mentioned:

Because they screwed over a great many of us when IB bought out Jelsoft, changed policies, and then came out with a product that didn't work for many sites (i.e. big boards, caused too large of a load, hundreds or thousands of queries making every single page load extremely long, etc). If they've improved their product by now, most people have moved on.

If the majority have moved on, why do people still complain? It's like the only scapegoat that people refuse to forgive, especially vB5. Will it ever stop?

 

[cheat_master30]

Because the newer versions are objectively worse than the older ones, and no one gets more annoyed at a bad product/service in their field than jilted ex fans do.

Might as well ask why so many Paper Mario fans critique Sticker Star, why so many people who watched The Simpsons critique the later seasons, etc.

 

[Ramses]

that is it, why is it always a repeating campaign theme on this website?

My guess, most of us forum owner were formerly proud vBulletin administrators. vBulletin was the best forum software and very popular. This might explain our deep disappointment about this company.

 

[GoingRight]

I was just browsing internet brands portfolio. Everyone of the VB forums is simply gross. The user experience is atrocious.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I can't help but notice how many times I've browsed this forum only to read how terrible vB software is. Let's say (hypothetically) that is it, why is it always a repeating campaign theme on this website?

I think in general it's because we often get people asking if vBulletin 5 is a viable option for them.

 

[LeadCrow]

Because customers have the deepest knowledge about their own wants and needs that IB/vBS keeps claiming it tries to satisfy but they're neither listening nor offering a viable alternative, as well as dismissing any and every advice from the most successful webmasters and developpers around. The execs believed to be blocking recovery are disliked, the frontline staff have everyone's sympathy.

It's easy to believe that vB or jelsoft/vBS are somewhat hated, but the reality is that people have the fondest memories about those and are just sad that they're denied the satisfaction to see it redressed as well as the ability to contribute to its healing. A proper project lead and economists could've reversed even this much damage to the brand.

 

[Paul M]

If the majority have moved on, why do people still complain? It's like the only scapegoat that people refuse to forgive, especially vB5. Will it ever stop?

People (some of them anyway) just like to hate. I doubt they will ever stop, even though its 10 years ago now.

 

[Joeychgo]

It's like the only scapegoat that people refuse to forgive

People (some of them anyway) just like to hate.

I stayed with vB as long as I could. I and others were deeply involved in trying to steer the development of vb4 and vb5, and were ignored all the way by vb management.

In the end, after all the head banging I and others did, exactly what we told management would happen, happened. And in the process, most of us ended up having little real choice but to convert to other software, incurring significant development costs and time expenditures along the way.

Its a little hard not to be personally pissed off under those circumstances.

 

[cornnfedd]

If it had always been a crappy bit of software that nobody used then I dont think anyone would care and it would be long gone and forgotten. Dont forget at one point VB was the leader in forum software by a clear margin, people still get annoyed because they really let the community down, its pretty much unforgivable what happened to VB, it still remains in some peoples nightmares....

ps VB sux.

 

[Nabix]

Everyone pretty much said it. vBulletin was a leader. A great one. vB 3 was freaking sweet back in the day. Still miss those days... But, with Xenforo and IPB taking over as the major software leaders (because they listen to their customer base) and they provide way better features and support, its hard to even consider vBulletin anymore. Hell, I was browsing their community forums a while back and even they were complaining about how much they've spent compared to the amount of support received lol
RIP vBulletin...

 

[Panupat]

IB branded themselves that way when they sued Xenforo

 

[Study Force]

I was just browsing internet brands portfolio. Everyone of the VB forums is simply gross. The user experience is atrocious.

Reminds me of my time at SMF forums, a few bad apples can definitely ruin the bunch. I see everyone's frustration, especially if you've paid for a service, and received poor customer service afterwards. Looks like a successful company has tarnished its own reputation.

Would you give it another shot if they came up with vB6?

 

[BGObsession]

Without any disrespect intended, I feel the question is a sucker's choice. Folks don't 'hate' vBulletin - but they may well be disappointed with vBulletin. Count me among them.

For 10 years I was a vBulletin customer. I loved vBulletin software, if for no other reason than it was the first forum software I learned and became savvy with. I think the launch of vB5 caused a lot of angst as it seemed a departure from previous versions and less an 'upgrade' than most forum owners expected. Then there was the support environment. vBulletin.com support was less than ideal. And vBulletin.org, once an amazing oasis of support and help run by energetically amazing free-lancers was eventually ruined. I had no horse in that race, but watching numerous incredible and unselfish support folks run off that site for no apparent logical reason really drove me to look for another product.

The question isn't 'Why is there so much vB hate?'. It's 'Why didn't vB respect its customers enough to support its own product?'

I would've loved to have remained a vBulletin forum owner for life - but they weren't up to the challenge. And so I've moved on, like countless other forum owners.

Companies eventually get what they've earned and deserve. vBulletin is learning that the hard way.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Would you give it another shot if they came up with vB6?

I doubt many would even if it proved to be a decent product.

The perception of hate is due in the main to a management that has treated its customer base with contempt. This is one of those very rare occasions where customer dissatisfaction with the management is such that it overrides any perceptions of product quality. That said this is a management that doesn't seem capable of delivering a passable product anyway.

 

[Joeychgo]

Would you give it another shot if they came up with vB6?

Why would I go through the time and expense?

 

[Alfa1]

That said this is a management that doesn't seem capable of delivering a passable product anyway.

Not for their customers but they are quite able to do so for their own portfolio of sites.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Not for their customers but they are quite able to do so for their own portfolio of sites.

Very much so which just adds to the discontent.

 

[Matt M]

I would say that most of the regulars here have been running forums for decades in one format or another.

I would also say that a good number ran vBulletin 2 or 3. This was back in the Wild West days long before VC funding and start up culture.

You probably hung out on the official forums and made friends and spoke to the developers. It felt like your home and you felt a sense of belonging.

As we are tribal by nature, you felt strongly about this platform and personally invested.

So when you perceive all this goodwill and history to be thrown out, you will become disenfranchised with the brand and swing to the opposite direction so they actively dislike it and feel a strong sense of animosity.

It’s probably why there is a strong pro XenForo audience here as that goodwill naturally transferred when the developers moved on.

 

[doubt]

It’s probably why there is a strong pro XenForo audience here as that goodwill naturally transferred when the developers moved on.

Bullseye.

 

[MagicalAzareal]

I don't really care about it, but people keep talking about so I drop my two cents in occasionally. It's probably because they got burned by IB.