I just wonder, if everyone here using Vbulletin are using all the features procided by same ?

Like Group Memberships, Subscriptions, Reputation System, and lot more to list them down here :D

I am myself not using those all.

i dont you many of the cool features, but only because my site has no need for them. at one point we did have some subscriptions but stopped.

I may start using vB to it's fullest. But plans for that are in the future.

The great thing about VB is that you can so easily pick and choose which features to use. I am not using them all, but I think I am using all the ones which are good for my community.

So true, so true

No, I'm not...simply beacuse to use vB to its fullest is probably impossible.

The number of hacks/mods/enhancements that come out every week is staggering, and many of these increase the potential of vB.

Take, for example, the addon whereby your users can create their own subdomains, or the one where they can create and check webmail accounts on your server...these additions make vB into something much more than just a Forum software.

With the main devs working on the next version all the time, the 'envelope' that hacks push at gets bigger with every release.

Actually - that is so true. The abilities of vB are just getting bigger and bigger.

Well, with all of vBulletins superbly aweosme features , I don't see how anyone could not use them all. Although, I don't use them all, because some of them just aren't necessary for my forums . IMO, it all depends on the type of forum , and how it's run .

For instance .. some forums won't necessarily use repuation .. while another won't necessarily use usergroup promotions, :)

kForums currently uses all of the features of vBulletin - we are just trying to learn how to use them better.

I try to learn a feature a month :) And then find a way to implement it properly in my sites. Sometimes I don't feel I need to use it, sometimes I feel ashamed that I did not take the time to use it sooner.

We are currently using the features of vB to their fullest.

I just wonder, if everyone here using Vbulletin are using all the features procided by same ?

Like Group Memberships, Subscriptions, Reputation System, and lot more to list them down here :D

I am myself not using those all.

I dont use the reputation - but I use most features, and many hacks

We don't use usergroups or subscriptions, everyone (but me) has the same access... but man, they have fun playing with the reputations from time to time! :eek:

I use the usergroup system and the subscriptions system very much in a few sites that I run. The usergroups system could be improved in some ways, but I feel overall its pretty complete.

Slowly. There is so much to vB that it will take a long time to just learn it, let alone exploit it.

It is also about educating your members. The is a rep (karma) button but how many people click it? The same goes for many of the other options (even behind the scenes ones).

I am now starting to go through all the options one by one and work out ways in which I can get them to build my forum.

Teaching the users to take full advantage of the systems that vB has in it is just as difficult (or more) than learning how to make a vB site itself. There are many things that can go wrong if you do not make the site properly, but if you do not teach your users then your site will die from no posting. It is a very fine balance.

Sure is. I have only been an Admin for 6 months now and when I first started I got so caught up with "I can change it so I should" that it impacted upon my members posting.

I would change something almost every day and it was just getting confusing.

Now I am actually removing some of the features and taking the board back to its stock factory build and people are reacting very well. Post counts are up and users are engaging more as a community.

I think that things like Floris' progress bar, and a useful layout and choice of forums in which to post, plus good staff to keep discussions moving rather than just moving posts around is what turns a board from being good into great.

Having said that, does anyone make much use of member notes? I just appointed some new staff the other day and one asked if we use member notes. I have never had a need for them but feel I could be misusing a valuable tool.
P.S. I should add that I am not keen on using them in the context of “user X is a trouble maker” as disclosure of information in my country means that I could be forced to make the contents of these notes known to their respective users. And it could create a lot of friction if my staff we not being very nice about them.

i dont use member notes, but i know a few that do. And generally are used to say "user x has been spamming again.... needs a warning" or things along that line.

Thanks. I thought that would be their primary use. I suppose that it could act as a form of a warning system.

People could have a look at their notes and see, staff have written 8 times that I am creating problems maybe I should pull my head in a bit.

Though, people like that tend to be very unaware of how others perceive them, and would just dismiss the notes with the sentiment, "I am not mixed up, it is society that is mixed up".

We're not using it to the fullest, probably nowhere near the fullest. Our guests/members don't even use what's there already, and don't seem to want to be coaxed to either. Ah, the joys of being a latecomer in a crowded field...

Sure is. I have only been an Admin for 6 months now and when I first started I got so caught up with "I can change it so I should" that it impacted upon my members posting.

I would change something almost every day and it was just getting confusing.

Now I am actually removing some of the features and taking the board back to its stock factory build and people are reacting very well. Post counts are up and users are engaging more as a community.

I think that things like Floris' progress bar, and a useful layout and choice of forums in which to post, plus good staff to keep discussions moving rather than just moving posts around is what turns a board from being good into great.

Having said that, does anyone make much use of member notes? I just appointed some new staff the other day and one asked if we use member notes. I have never had a need for them but feel I could be misusing a valuable tool.
P.S. I should add that I am not keen on using them in the context of “user X is a trouble maker” as disclosure of information in my country means that I could be forced to make the contents of these notes known to their respective users. And it could create a lot of friction if my staff we not being very nice about them.
I did that for awhile, the whole changing daily thing, and I still do on my dev site, however I have learned that the more simple it gets, the easier it is for the users, thus the reason for not changing much anymore. Usually what I change when I create a new style are the basic colors (ofcourse), postbit, and some basic mods to the forumhome & forumdisplay templates. The vBulletin layout in general is a great and simple concept that should not be altered to much. You can tell when sites are overhacked, and overchanged, they look poorly made, and typically take longer to load. There are a few examples of overhacked sites out there, I just cannot think of them at this time. lol, ask hobbierz he used to work for one if I recall properly.