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Just introducing myself

SevenupcanSevenupcan
edited February 2006 in Vanilla 1.0 Help
Hey everyone, I've been browsing these boards for a couple of days now, scouring through the different discussions and now I want to contribute my own support.

However something really upset me the other day, as I had done a lot of research as to what web forum I wanted to use for my site, and I noticed Vanilla used on a couple of sites I've recently visited. I saw it as an alternative to the majority of web forums currently available.

I was so glad with my choice I wanted to get the community started by inviting people to my forum. Then I got a reply from someone asking if I was really serious about setting up a online discussion board. His exact words were...
"I realy dislike the layout of this forum. I can hardly find what I'm looking for. That alone is reason enough for me not to sign up. Find some diffrent forum software if you're serious about starting a forum, dude."
I was initially shocked by what the person meant, I personally don't find it hard to use. Then I asked what it was that bothered him about the forum. Again his response goes as...
"Not to be picky, but pretty much everything. Forums, IMO, need to have a global look. Go to every major forum on the net and you will instantly see the similarities."
At this point I was slightly disheartened, my response went as follows...
"True, there are standards. However the Vanilla forum made by Lussumo has a different approach towards discussion boards. It's alternative approach does not necessarily mean that it cannot do it's job."
Again it seems they were not willing to give it a try, their response being...
"Might work. But I think I'm not the only one when I say that I expect certain standards when visiting a message board. On top of the list is that I must see within a few seconds how the site works, or at least be lead in the right direction. This is a rule of thumb for any website, and it's obviously not present with your website. I lost interest in it after looking at it for just 3 seconds. Might sound harsh, but if you are serious about doing this, put a little more effort into it."
Is it wrong for me to be frustrated at this person's closed minded attitude?

Anyway at this point I felt it was time I helped the community so I decided to join the discussion board. I hope my post hasn't put anyone off me already, and in the future maybe I can be of assistance to you.
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Comments

  • ithcyithcy New
    edited February 2006
    this guy is totally clueless, but he clearly thinks he's not, and i wouldn't waste 3 seconds trying to accommodate anyone who thinks like that. but that's just my opinion.
  • LoOkOuTLoOkOuT ✭
    Well, all of us find it easy to use, I'm sure, and I, for one, find it intuitive. I'm sure you'll only get support on here, because if we didn't like Vanilla, we wouldn't be posting here, nor running our own Vanilla installs. That 'dude' is a nutter, plain as. What could be easier than watching new posts pop up on the Discussions page? Within a few minutes, one can make a 'mind map' of exactly how the forum works. Is this a 'special needs' forum you're providing? ; ) I've never felt that the 'typical' phpBoard format 'standard' is intuitive at all. I always feel 'lost' in them.
  • DeniedDenied New
    Your guy's full of shit.

    The way that this forum came about (Focusing from a single "category" on a UBB, or similar type forum) and has evolved (To now to re-include categories), has done nothing but innovate on the, frankly, stale forum market.

    Really, your pal here is advocating going and using a cookie cutter forum, which hasn't changed in any seriously tangible way in about 8 years without even trying Vanilla out.

    Itchy's right, the guy's clueless and, personally, my response would be to tell him to try it out for a week and then come back to me with his opinions.
  • Chris MillerChris Miller
    Pure FUD. Basically, this guy is saying: "It's not phpBB/vBulletin/UBB/the bloated, crufty forum script I'm used to, so I won't use it." (He's probably the type of person more concerned about his avatar and 1000px animated gif banner in his sig than actually discussing anything.) He goes on and on that he doesn't like Vanilla, but never says anything specific as to why. Contrary to his claim, partisans like this are going to be few and far between. Most folks don't give a crap what forum software is being used. One goes to a forum to interact with people not admire the script. Bottom line: It's up to the owner of the board to use whatever works for the community that the board serves.
  • Robert DuncanRobert Duncan
    Surely if he's that closed minded, it's a good thing he doesn't like your board!
  • BergamotBergamot
    To paraphrase Alan Cooper:

    "Prisoners of war often have difficulty readjusting to freedom when they get out, but ask any former-POW if he'd like to return to the camp and he'll laugh in your face."
  • ithcyithcy New
    i don't know if i'd go that far...
  • ithcyithcy New
    (he's got stockholm syndrome!)
  • CryptCrypt
    edited February 2006
    That guy is a striaght up asshole. Like the others have said, he is closed minded, arrogant, and has no clue what he is talking about. I know that there is a high chance I will use vanilla becuase of its user registration integration with Swell, which i am uisng for an up and coming Mac community called Macpose. Btw does anyone know if there is a way to make the categories tab, the first tab and make the discussions tab non existant or optional? *hopes a swell alpha or beta comes out*
  • BergamotBergamot
    It's not hard to do in 0.9.3, but keep in mind that the forum was designed this way for a reason.
  • CryptCrypt
    i know. i love the stye, its just there is a specific organization i want.
  • gigingergiginger New
    Forgive the bluntness but are they retarded?
  • MinisweeperMinisweeper New
    What they all said.
    There are people here who'd had the same difficulties (especially where discussions-first comes into play) but after a bit of use i know very few people who are still unhappy with the software. Tell him to give it a break. If he doesnt like it in a while he can take a hike.

    Bear in mind, though, that if he's so bothered about it looking and working like phpBB, it really wont be that difficult for him to write a theme for it.
  • NickENickE New
    >Btw does anyone know if there is a way to make the categories tab, the first tab and make the discussions tab non existant or optional?

    Well you could try the page manager extension, but a lot of people've been having trouble getting it work, so installing it might be a fruitless venture.
  • WallPhoneWallPhone
    Evolution of web forums:

    WWWThreads & clones --> UBB & clones --> Vanilla

    That guy is swinging from trees with his tail. Ever try following discussion in WWWThreads? Thats the same way I feel when reading somewhere that is not Vanilla.
  • BergamotBergamot
    Well WWWThreads was basically webified usenet.
  • MarkMark Vanilla Staff
    edited February 2006
    I still want to create my mini-vanilli theme when Vanilla 1 comes out. It should be a little more friendly to guys like that who just aren't ready to move onto something new in web forums.

    Here's an old screen-grab of it from way back in the early days of 0.9.3 development:

    image
  • WallPhoneWallPhone
    Funny you re-post that screenshot... I was looking for it a few days ago to show someone the flexibility of Vanilla.

    I personally prefer that pseudo table look.
  • BergamotBergamot
    I stoleborrowed liberally from minivanilli when writing my theme.
  • MinisweeperMinisweeper New
    do it mark! now!
This discussion has been closed.