What does it cost to fix this forum?

My understanding is we're using an outdated, buggy version of the software that was created or is owned by the company who owns this site. We can't update it or make changes because it might break or cost too much. But no one can suggest content or people migrate somewhere else. So it feels like we're stuck. Infrastructure is broken. Can't fix it. Suggesting we go somewhere else is not okay (and for the record, I'm not suggesting that). But the site must still be profitable to some extent, otherwise why do any maintenance at all, right?

So my question is: how much does it cost to do the work to bring the site up to date? Little enough that it really could be done if it was made a higher priority? Middle enough that if we all paid $25 it would happen? High enough that it would take years of ad revenue to recoup it? What is the cost of doing nothing?

If the site is broken, it won't attract new people. No new people, no growth. No growth, no additional ad revenue. Content is king but if you can't get to the content...

If the site is broken, it won't thrill current people. Unhappy users, no evangelism, less participation, less content, less and less revenue.

What am I missing here? Why can't this site truly be fixed? Why would I invite someone to join me here if I'm not sure if the site will work or be sustainable in the long run?

What do you need from us to help? What will we do here? What's next?

If we can't add a subforum as an experiment because code stuff would go bananas, then with respect, something needs to change.

Last I heard, the big issue was the size of the database going back so many years.

Honestly, though, even if you upgrade the forum is that going to promote growth? The name itself is dated, so outside of us actively recruiting our friends or people (non spammers) randomly finding a thread in a search, I'm not sure what the growth potential is. I'm fairly sure the age of the forum is not preventing people from registering.

But yeah, moving all the old content has to be a pain. And the last thing you want to do is either make people re-register or lose all that history, because then you'll lose the old timers too. Plus upgrades make things better maybe 5% of the time (from the user perspective, not from the administrator's perspective), the rest is just full of people complaining and lobbying for the old site back.

Doesn't help either that the site is unusable from Mobile due to the browser hijacks. IB rather play whack-a-mole with the individual ads than replace the ad network.

Uh... what exactly do you think is broken? We have a fully functional site here as far as I know -- no reports of bugs or anything else...?

To be blunt, none of this is correct.

Nice to know you consider the long standing browser hijacking issue part of a "fully functional site"

At least an IB guy responded in one of these threads. The OP is saying this site is outdated and broken as a whole (this includes the site name) - you have a fully functional outdated site with bugs. Just look at the mobile version as an example.

You know changes need to be made - he's asking if it 's feasible and even looking into how this forums members can support you.

After finally adding the embedding feature, i don't have any major issues with the current forum. I use mobile occasionally too without too much issue, but the ad stuff is the biggest problem.

Guys, what I am telling you is, I know of no bugs on this site. We do have some browser hijacking ads that we report to our ad-ops team when they are reported to us; that's all.

If you have bugs to report, I suggest strongly that you start a thread for them so we can address them. "This is a buggy site" is not something I can ask my tech guys to act on.

Try to view my profile and then tell me that there's no bugs.

If there are no bugs, why does the site auto-generate empty threads of reviews? I reported one just this week.

You just gotta register

See, there you go! A specific!

This is a core VBulletin bug that all VB sites have. If you insert non-alphanumeric characters such as your hyphen, into a username, this can happen. It happens all the time.

You choices are to leave it that way and make it harder for people to see your profile, or change your username. I'm here for you if you choose the latter.

This bug has been discussed before on the tech forum.

Example? Have you reported this in the Support forum?

I'm aware of the issue, it has been discussed before, but I also know that it used to work, and the same username works fine other VBulletin sites that I'm a member of. I'm just not sure that I understand the hows and whys that make happen or what makes it unfixable. Any bug should be fixable. Maybe I'm wrong, but the answers that I've been given on the subject thus far makes it seem like IB just thinks it isn't worth the effort.

It's been discussed here on and off for years. Adam deletes the empty ones every time it happens. I forget the details, but the gist of it is that the forum software is too old to function correctly, and he does the best he can to keep the autogenerated updates working.

I used the Report This Thread tool.

When the cron was wiped out during the server move, they restored an older, buggier version of that script instead of the more up-to-date one. Blank threads are only created on days where no reviews were posted, which doesn't happen all that often.

Do you have any plans to upgrade vbulletin and change the site name at all?

Any future plans for the site you're allowed to disclose to us?

Can I add a hyphen to my username, specifically so people can't see my profile?

When I see your posts I'm usually, "Damn, it's Dan." So Da_n would be cool.

No, this is not a core vBulletin bug. I have plenty of users on my vBulletin site with all kinds of syntax for which it is not a problem.

It's a problem for THIS site because of the vBSEO you're using. What you meant to say is "this is a Known Bug with vBulletin modifications made to this board that we're unwilling/unable to fix because we won't fix the code or remove the source (vBSEO) of the problem."

So there are no issues with deleting forums or adding new forums?

I support this!