Why an Internet Brands / Xenforo deal makes sense to both parties

[Digital Doctor]

They don't need beg XenForo for anything, Internet Brands are multi-million pound company. XenForo in comparison is nothing to them.

Well that Billion dollar company is incapable of making the software that powers their entire company.
I'd say that is a VERY big problem.

What are they going to do ? Run vB3 forever ?
Wouldn't Internet Brands be a more valuable company if they ran sites that people liked and used more ?

They might not need to beg, but maybe they should.

 

[Joeychgo]

Wouldn't Internet Brands be a more valuable company if they ran sites that people liked and used more ?

The cause of that isn't the software they use...

 

[Digital Doctor]

The cause of that isn't the software they use...

I think the software that runs the site matters.
I guess you dont.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I think this thought exercise is done.
Thanks for participating everyone.
I was mostly interested in hearing what people would say about the topic.
I guess I got what I expected
/out

 

[Joeychgo]

I think the software that runs the site matters.
I guess you dont.

Yes and no. The software isn't the end all be all. You could have the best, most user friendly software, and it you run it poorly, it makes no difference.

 

[Lisa]

I think the software that runs the site matters.
I guess you dont.

I think what Joey is saying is that vB is a very very small part of Internet Brands - it's not what made their money, nor what their company was built on.

 

[Digital Doctor]

it's not what made their money, nor what their company was built on.

They make money off vB3 boards.
Which is a dead product.
That has no future.
That's a big problem.

 

[GTB]

I think this thought exercise is done.
Thanks for participating everyone.
I was mostly interested in hearing what people would say about the topic.
I guess I got what I expected
/out

After everything that has happened, did you really expect people would agree it's a good idea?

 

[Lisa]

They make money off vB3 boards.
Which is a dead product.
That has no future.
That's a big problem.

I'm not disputing that they make money of their boards, just that vB dying isn't going to kill IB as a whole. I'm not sure they'd even notice, if I'm honest.

 

[Digital Doctor]

What is the opportunity cost for Internet Brands to run inferior software (vB3) for their communities ?
I dont know that.

I just feel that Internet Brands would be worth 30% more if their sites ran on good software like Xenforo.
30% more users, 30% more engaged, 30% more views.
better sites, better future.

 

[GTB]

I thought the future was Reddit?

 

[Digital Doctor]

it's a good idea?

I'm not saying it's a good idea.
I just wanted to bring it up to discuss the complexities.

I'm not disputing that they make money of their boards, just that vB dying isn't going to kill IB as a whole. I'm not sure they'd even notice, if I'm honest.

So you think IB can just keeping running their sites on vB3 ? forever ?
And you think running the communities with better software isnt better business for them ?

I think you are underestimating a few things:
- forums themselves are dying.
- vBulletin is essentially dead.

Doesn't this put the future of Internet Brands in major jeopardy ?
How are they going to grow ?

 

[Digital Doctor]

I thought the future was Reddit?

Threaded discussions are supeior over time to flat discussions.
A good community that valued Content would have both.

 

[Lisa]

So you think IB can just keeping running their sites on vB3 ? forever ?
And you think running the communities with better software isnt better business for them ?

I think you are underestimating a few things:
- forums themselves are dying.
- vBulletin is essentially dead.

I never said any of that... and you're assuming I've actually given IB and their forums much thought other than the time I spent on the testing team for vB5 and how annoying they were with their lack of interest.

 

[GTB]

forums themselves are dying.

If forums themselves are dying, as you say... then what would be the point of IB investing buying XenForo?

 

[Paul M]

And watching vBulletin die could be very satisfying for Xenforo.

Given how many years they spent developing it, I doubt they would find it satisfying.

 

[LeadCrow]

If IB bought XF ltd, any so called promise to let it govern itself would be worth nothing at all. This will not change, no matter how insistently supporters of a deal clamor. At the first whim, Brisco would simply fire or demote the existing XF staff, if just because they had the technical opportunity of doing so (access to the servers, config files and email system for example).

The only way this could possibly go through is is an equivalent or higher dollar value than the deal is reciprocally acquired from IB by the XF ltd people, as 'insurance'. Receiving 20-30 million dollars' worth of IB stock would sweeten the deal, albeit slightly risky due to market fluctuation and a downward tendency.

 

[BrandonSheley]

I wouldn't trust IB from buying a hotdog stand, let alone xf...

 

[mysiteguy]

Given how many years they spent developing it, I doubt they would find it satisfying.

It would be if they reaped the majority of their sales, and it seems that is what has been happening for several years.

 

[LeadCrow]

Any addon merchant for whom licences issued are for individual sites may encode them in the first place.

I presume that for big addons (like galleries, or anything meningful enough to deserve a copyright footer notice), branding removal may be charged for independantly from the base addon. Branding removal is typically site specific.