Some time within the next few weeks, the forum software will be upgraded to the new version. Everything that you do day-to-day on here should remain the same, but there will be some significant new features available in addition.

You can read the new features thread here if you are feeling adventurous:
vBulletin 3.7 First Look! - vBulletin Community Forum

The main additions that will us interest are:

1. Improved profile pages - You have the opportunity to assist anyone stealing your identity by providing personal information to the world.

2. Thread tagging - this should assist searching. Every time you post a new substantive thread, include some keywords and names in the tags to help people find similar threads.

3. Social Groups - like on Facebook, you will be able to create your own groups for other people to join, such as "Stop ID Cards" and "I love Global Warming" etc.

We don't yet know how well implemented these functions are, so they could be a big disappointment.
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Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher:
3. Social Groups - like on Facebook, you will be able to create your own groups for other people to join, such as "I love Global Warming"

Is that specially for Matt?

:-)
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I am already a member of that group.
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Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher:
Some time within the next few weeks, the forum software will be upgraded to the new version.

3. Social Groups - like on Facebook, you will be able to create your own groups for other people to join, such as "Stop ID Cards" and "I love Global Warming" etc.

Interesting developments. Let us hope the planned Social Groups section doesn't fill up with stuff from the europhile trolls here who are trying to 'water down' the anti-EU commitment of the forum.
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Originally Posted by mkpdavies:
I am already a member of that group.

The London campaign against global cooling may affiliate to it.
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It looks interesting. As an owner of a VB forum myself I can testify that their software beats all of the rest.

This forum hasn't been paticuarly customized, so upgrading should be trouble free. I think they are just ironing out all of the errors at this stage.
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Originally Posted by rightsideforum:
This forum hasn't been paticuarly customized, so upgrading should be trouble free.

Yes, I hate customising the software.
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Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher:
Some time within the next few weeks, the forum software will be upgraded to the new version. Everything that you do day-to-day on here should remain the same, but there will be some significant new features available in addition.

You can read the new features thread here if you are feeling adventurous:
vBulletin 3.7 First Look! - vBulletin Community Forum

Finally had a look at vBulletin's new features. They look very interesting, especially the social and friends group and reworked profile pages. This is a much better deal for people with specific interests not to have to go to something like MySpace and have what's left of their regard for humanity utterly destroyed.

It may be very useful for people in a host of ways. Good luck with the upgrade. Hope it all pans out well. vBulletin has done a smart thing I think.
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The groups aren't as functional as they should be unfortunately, and we will probably have to wait another year for vBulletin 4 to sort that out properly. However, there are some decent features in there nevertheless.
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Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher:
The groups aren't as functional as they should be unfortunately, and we will probably have to wait another year for vBulletin 4 to sort that out properly. However, there are some decent features in there nevertheless.

I'm sure client feedback will result in related adjustments. I've had a few forums and although I haven't used vBulletin, from a user perspective at least, it looks like the best deal. Now that the forum gathering can also evolve into a social gathering, they have a winning formula. It will create attendant pressures perhaps for the admin as people can be fast and loose with images and slogans and whatnot, so it will be another home for trolls and misfits. Still, maybe its advantages for genuine communities will outweigh these. Every system has its bacteria, I suppose. :-)
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