vBulletin

[Glencore]

Isnt that closed source? Strange Ubuntu uses it and not say SMF?

[sandyd]

moved to FF&H

[Elfy]

Why does a forum for free software use a proprietary software?

While we would love to use an open source solution, vBulletin provides all that we need right now and also much of what we want. Other software does not. Serving this community well is our main priority and so we can/will not use something that does not provide what we require. If anything else provided what we must have and what we really would like to have, we would be using it instead; at this juncture, there is no viable alternative.

there are also a bunch of threads in this forum asking the same thing previously

[synaptix]

I would also like to point out that proprietary forum software is designed to handle large forums such as this one with a LOT of traffic on it constantly 24/7.

[Glencore]

I would also like to point out that proprietary forum software is designed to handle large forums such as this one with a LOT of traffic on it constantly 24/7.

I am quite sure people say the same for Windows Server, yet we know better

Ubuntu has 11 million posts. I can link some forums on par with that volume of posts using SMF. Gaia online for example has 2 billion posts using the phpBB (albeit heavily modified these days as it has been around for a long time.)

Sorry if there have been other topics relating to this, was just a little shocked. Ubuntu preaching the open source ideology but using proprietary where is suits them

[cariboo]

Actually, Ubuntu allows the user to use both open and closed source software at the same time. There are closed source drivers available from the repositories for graphics adapters and wireless drivers as well as many closed source applications available from the partner repositories including Skype and Acrobat Reader.

[Glencore]

[sidenote]

The current version of the forum software does not permit us sufficiently fine-grained control.

If it was open source... Could even submit your code in back to the developers contributing to the movement. Oh well

[/sidenote]

I'm not trolling, was just intrigued by the choice.

[KiwiNZ]

We use what works to give our customers the best user experience.

[critin]

was just a little shocked. Ubuntu preaching the open source ideology but using proprietary where is suits them

Proprietary isn't evil, it fits into free source 'choice' ideology nicely. Use what works for the purpose, when it suits. When the time comes that we must use all free source apps, on web forums and off, (making open source proprietary) then it isn't free anymore--is it? It would be tied down and locked.

[Glencore]

Proprietary isn't evil, it fits into free source 'choice' ideology nicely. Use what works for the purpose, when it suits. When the time comes that we must use all free source apps, on web forums and off, (making open source proprietary) then it isn't free anymore--is it? It would be tied down and locked.

The freedom is also to share and modify the code. vBulletin restricts that freedom.

I think I understand the point your trying to make, though proprietary refers to ownership. Free Software is free by default and the GPL ensures that freedom cannot be stolen from us. Even if it was forced apon you you would still have that freedom, although you would have lost your freedom to choose non-Free Software