I'm sure most of you have heard of the term 'bloatware' on php, asp, .net, etc scripts, meaning too many features that a product contains making it 'bloat'.

In your opinion, do you think vbulletin contains too many features, to make it confusing for beginners and users? For example, the admincp has tons of features, but is very neatly organized, and the usercp is full of options and etc etc. Or is it "Use what you know, and forget the rest?"

No, considering every single detail can be totaly disabled. There is no real bloatware in vBulletin 3, aside from maybe the language system which was so highly requested.

I've used every single forum software that is out there, except infopop and UBB I think.
I personally think that the features in vB are not too many. In fact, I've hacked my board and installed quite a few user friendly additions. vBulletin is my absolute favourite forum software. And for me, it is the best by FAR.

I think that, for a board owner, the features are well organised and - with the good hints and tipps as well as additions from vb.com, vb.org and vb.nl, you have very few wishes left as you can satisfy almost all of them by either hacking your forums to your needs or just doing some simple modifications.

In terms of user friendly (end user), I think that vB could be slightly better. Especially when you think of users who have never visited a vbulletin board before and are not computer savy. We have many users on our forums that are moms and dads, some of them hardly occupy themselves with computer stuff. And some of them are overwhelmed by the amount of features which, at times, is intimidating to them and often keeps them from posting as they don't know where to start.

I have only use vB so I can't really respond to this but I like working in the admincp, and seeing how things change when I mess up.

vB is the only forum software for me these days.

I went through phpBB and IPB in the early days. phpBB was far too limited, and installation of hacks could become quite headachey, especially the larger ones (by one particular coder) that added the most functionality, but were effectively major rewrites of code, which made furhter hacking nigh-impossible.

IPB was okay, but the community as a whole was not my cup of tea...I don't know why, they just seemed less helpful/mature.

Now vB, that's a whole nother story. The community rocks (I guess when you have to pay for something, and everyone else does too, you are going to get a more mature group) and the software itself is excellent and easy to customise if you know what you are doing.

:)

I think that even though VB3 has more features than its predecesor, the code seems cleaner and more streamlined as a whole. I should re-dl the vb2 package to see how large it is (file-wise) in comparison to vb3.

No, considering every single detail can be totaly disabled. There is no real bloatware in vBulletin 3, aside from maybe the language system which was so highly requested.
Same exact reason that I wouldn't consider vBulletin bloated.

vBulletin isn't in any way bloated, considering the facts above :)

Friend or Foe, it pays to know. Hmm. I'd say it's definately a friend. Great system from what I have seen.

I'm sure most of you have heard of the term 'bloatware' on php, asp, .net, etc scripts, meaning too many features that a product contains making it 'bloat'.

In your opinion, do you think vbulletin contains too many features, to make it confusing for beginners and users? For example, the admincp has tons of features, but is very neatly organized, and the usercp is full of options and etc etc. Or is it "Use what you know, and forget the rest?"
Finding the right balance between features, options, possibilities, layout and design and performance and optimized usability, .. is just hard.

I am sure from version 1 to 2 it was hard to implement all the new cool stuff, this has only doubled from version 2 to 3. And I guess from now on it will gradually improve over time. To me, version 3 feels like version 2 could have been, and it is an intermediate way and version 4 will be what I'd like to run on my site for ever!

Oh, I am dreaming outloud again I guess. But I hope you understand what I am trying to say.