| vBulletin
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Introduction
vBulletin is turning out to be the hottest bulletin board to hit the net since 1996 when Ted O'Neill first released Ultimate Bulletin Board. vBulletin uses the latest in Internet technology and combines the power of PHP and blistering fast MySQL database backend, far superior to CGI bulletin boards. Features
vBulletin boasts features about a page long, including but not limited to the following: unlimited forums, messages, categories, full support for Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and user profiles. Asking people to verify that they are older than 13 when signing up to be a member of a forum is a valuable feature for many companies. Although it is not foolproof, it does deter some children from engaging in messaging features that their parents would otherwise not allow. The unlimited messages, forums, and categories are features that are not entirely accurate. MySQL can hold close to 50,000,000 records in its database that stores a huge number of posts and information. Most users will not exceed that limit. User Profiles allow visitors to share interests, hobbies, location, and your website with fellow users, further encouraging the growth of your forums. Administration
I was most impressed with vBulletin's administration tool that comes with the software. It allows the owner and operator of the board to change the template (look and feel) of the board and to edit every detail at any time. The admin tool also allows the operator to add, edit, and delete forums and categories from the board as well as edit each individual forum with its own look and feel. Support
vBulletin offers a range of support options aside from their own support forums run by vBulletin. For users who purchase the script, vBulletin support group offers a "members only area" where users can download updates, and information regarding the scripts is posted here. Another option available to people who purchase the script is e-mail support. Purchasing
vBulletin is an ever-changing program with updates coming out about every 2 months. They offer several options when purchasing the script. One of them is the free version (vBulletin Lite) which has less features than the full version but is great for small sites. Another option is the Leased License where you can rent vBulletin for a year, and at the end of the year, in order to continue using the program, you have to renew your license on the software for $85 dollars per year. Additionally, the owned license option allows purchase of the script outright and the aforementioned access to the "members only area." This option and a year of free updates cost $160 dollars. Installation
When you first buy vBulletin, you are presented with the option to have a support professional install the software for a one-time fee of $65 dollars. This, of course, is if you know nothing about PHP or MySQL. In fact, if you want to save a few bucks, the software comes with an easy-to-use installation utility that practically does the installation for you. When upgrading to newer versions of the software, vBulletin technicians install it for $30 dollars. Conclusion
After working around vBulletin for a while and visiting websites running the software, I'm convinced it's the best bulletin board software available out there for the money. Many popular sites have bought it and have become very popular with thousands of visitors such as http://www.sitepointforums.com and http://www.webhostingtalk.com. vBulletin seems to be a wiser choice when choosing among some open source software that may have security bugs and numerous other problems and software than has an established track record and reliable support. Overall, I would rate this software a 9 out of 10, mainly because I don't believe that any other board on the market is even close to competing with vBulletin. However, for smaller sites the price of this software might not justify the cost. Nonetheless, vBulletin proves to be the industry leader in message boards and it keeps improving with every update!
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| Homepage | http://www.vbulletin.com/ |
| CGI-Index.com Listing | http://www.CGI-Index.com/Detail/274.html |
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| Version Reviewed | 2.0 |
| Software Cost | $160 |
| Software Author | Jelsoft Enterprises Limited |
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| Review Rating (by visitors) | 
Rating: 9.50 Votes: 2 |
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| Review Author | Brian Frye |
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| All reviews listed on CGI-Index.com are written by individuals who are not associated with the script developer, they are an independent view of the software from one individual's point of view. If you disagree, please submit your own review. |
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