Here is what some friends of mine and myself have put together that is a good substitute for vBulletin.

http://forums.flohost.com/thread.php?threadid=59&boardid=6&styleid=&page=1


If you notice, it looks a lot like vBulletin. That is because it is vB templates however the backend is not vB. If you want a forum that looks like vBulletin but you do not really want all the features of vBulletin you are welcome to download our Bulletin Board. We did not make the original code, however we did modify wBB (Woltlab Bulletin Board).

We are still developing it along with the people at www.wbbmods.com and if you have any input please post them at the following link:

http://forums.flohost.com/thread.php?threadid=59&boardid=6&styleid=&page=1


The only reason that I am releasing this is because there are a lot of people requesting it and I think that it would be good to get wBB some exposure. It is not a bad bulletin board system at all, it just needs a few more people using it.

Travis Rowland

Why is this in the webhosting forum :confused:

I figured that the webhosts are really the main people on WHT that use forums. I do know that there are a lot of hostees that use them also, but it is the webhosts that want vBulletin.

Those buttons are copyright no? :eek:

No idea, I'm pretty sure it will get moved though.

The buttons are free for use and distribution, I got them off of wbbmods.

Originally posted by FloHost
I figured that the webhosts are really the main people on WHT that use forums. I do know that there are a lot of hostees that use them also, but it is the webhosts that want vBulletin.

Any webhost that needs it will buy it :). If they can afford servers, support etc they can afford vbulletin.

What if they just wanted something that looked like vBulletin? I have a copy of vBulletin that I bought but I do not use it yet. I love vBulletin because of all the features, not everyone wants the features.

They are vB's just grey...... :eek: :eek: :eek: :cartman: :cartman: :cartman:

I posted it because a lot of people were asking me for it. I guess maybe I should not have done that. I will remove it if it is advisable. I apologize for any controversy I caused, I do not want to start any trouble :uhh: :erm:

Can't you guys just let him offer this?
I don't see what the problem is. There is nothing wrong with a host not using vbulletin. They are free to use any paid or free software. There's nothing wrong with him letting us use his skinned forum.

I dont have a problem, but.....I would think that is illegal somehow?

wBB is released under GNU which allows me to modify it however I want and distribute it how I want. The buttons that are used were made by a user of wBB, they are not associated with Jelsoft at all. The vBulletin templates were made by a friend of mine and the style was created by me. There is nothing that is illegal about this bulletin board. I can assure you of that.

Originally posted by CritticAge
I dont have a problem, but.....I would think that is illegal somehow?
What? Wbb?

Consider it downloaded, ill apply the theme to my wbb later this afternoon.

Cheers Travis, much appreciated :)

This IS illegal, wBB is NOT released under the GPL and the licence says that re-distribution is NOT allowed!!!!!!!!!

Oh and I see you removed the licence file from the distribution

Hrmm.. They ought to get rid of it then, shant they?

You are mistaken my friend, this is what it says:

++++++++++++++++ I. Important Notes +++++++++++++++
This software is freeware. You don't have the permission to sell this product to anyone!
The copyright in the footer must seeable (only not if you have purchased a Non-Copyright-Version).
Also if you changed the Code or use your own Hackz! With remove of the Copyright you agree
that you must buy the Non-Copyright-Version. Woltlab don't liable for damages in all ways.
Furthermore we must clue that Woltlab and his employees are not responsible for any textcontents.

umm no FloHost there is MUCH more in licence file than that

There is no license file. I made sure that this was on the up and up before I even posted it. As I said before, I do not want to cause any trouble. I am just offering a good alternative to vBulletin. I know we all like vBulletin a great deal, that is why I am offering this.

Oh well there is.

Also see http://www.wbbmods.com/thread.php?threadid=1230&sid=94b5ea3c88734063b881fcc0a6d2659e

There are already lots of FREE boards out there...like YaBB that are full of features.

why try to make another one?

YaBB: http://www.yabbforum.com

:cartman:

Roly: That was in response to me posting this board for download. I was the one that uploaded the bulletin board. It states nowhere in the distribution that the board can not be changed and redistributed. Also, in the readme it specifically states that this is freeware.

Freeware by definition:

Freeware distribution allows individuals and non-profit organizations to use the software at no charge. The software cannot be "sold", "rented", or otherwise distributed in a "for profit" enterprise but may be distributed openly by individuals or non-profit organizations providing there are NO distribution fees involved in said distribution. Companies, government agencies, and for profit organizations must contact the author for specific licensing costs and terms of use. Freeware distribution software may be altered given that it is Open Source and there are no provisions in the End User Freeware License Agreement. Any distributed alterations of Freeware distribution software MUST include the ORIGINAL source code(i.e. before alteration).



Magnet Eye: I am not trying to make a new one, we modified a good one and made it look like yet another good one.

for what I readed there, its not illegal, its against of what the creator wanted, but not illegal

Did you keep the copyright notice on the board?

I left the copyright in tact.

What Travis is trying to do is just provide another alternative. I wish you people would stop trying to rip things apart and make them seem what they are not. There's a thing an educated society likes to do - READ!

Umm WBB IS NOT OPENSOURCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by roly
Umm WBB IS NOT OPENSOURCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I hate to break it to you bud, Woltlab Burning Board is by all standards open source software. Nowhere does it state that it is not and nowhere does it say that it can not be modified and redistributed.

Dont worry - If you are correct, you have nothing to worry about. Dont worry about uninformed people :)

what is rolys problem? Every post of his seems to be a dig at somebody elses offerings. To quote one person from freewebspace.net forums after roly was banned from there

like 99.9999999% of his posts are pure bull$h!t and next to never does he have any constructive advice to help anyone. It just gets irritating that he post nothing but crap

Which made me giggle. :rolleyes:

I heard earlier that WBB is facing copyright infringement problems from VBB. Is this settled yet ? Won't they go after your hacked board too, as they use VBB styles, etc. ?

There are thousands of users of wBB, if they were to go after me they would go after a lot of those people. All I did was modify wBB to look like vB. You can not copyright a ... how you say ... feeling?

All I did was modify wBB to look like vB. You can not copyright a ... how you say ... feeling?

I dunno, it depends on the dudes at VBB. I heard they are very strict with copyright stuff :eek: Anyway, well done with the skinning, Travis :cool:

I can not take full credit for it. There were many people involved in the original creation of the wBB sourcecode, and there are some hacks installed that other people have made. My friends helped me make it look like vBulletin all that much more. It was a group effort. I am glad that you like it. Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it. I will be sure to pass on your comments to the other people involved.

Originally posted by Orc
what is rolys problem? Every post of his seems to be a dig at somebody elses offerings. To quote one person from freewebspace.net forums after roly was banned from there



Which made me giggle. :rolleyes:
ok bye im leaving these forums im not joking!

Originally posted by roly

ok bye im leaving these forums im not joking!


I have a question, not to be rude or anything but how old are you?

yes i would like to know that too.

Originally posted by FloHost
You can not copyright a ... how you say ... feeling?

Actually, yes, you can, that is the ESSENCE of copyright. You have (or WBB has, whatever) stolen vB's design. This is copyright infringement just as if I went and stole your web site's design (which would, rightfully, piss you off).

All the buttons, everything which makes up the "likeness" (the legal word for cases like this) of vB are copyright vB.

:angry: .... who cares! The bb is good.. so leave it at that :bawling:

Yeah, I agree, who really cares anyways. Btw, you should see this great new site I opened up! Blue Mountain Glass.com (http://server2.tacf.org/examples/bmg). It's got an amazing design!

I'm sure I could market this.

From what I can see, this guy does not stand to make any profit and indeed is just informing the people of this board about a program that looks very useful, and cost nothing - so why is he being slaughtered for his efforts.

I have appreciated many times in past of people posting useful software and ideas on this forum and our business has benefitted from it.

I say - lets change our aptitude! This is a discussion board - not a witch hunt and a chance to attack people. It happened to me last week and it was embarrasing and made me feel like crap and for what purpose?

Come on boys and girls - lets play nice. Some of us are grown ups you know.

lol.. nice one.. dont go copying my design now :P

Yes, and as grown ups we have responsibilities to our business. He is both playing on a known brand (illegal) and marketing a design he does not own (illegal).

Since the software isn't his (WBB or whatever owns the board), I'm not really sure what use this thread has.

Originally posted by nousername
You are kidden me.. bluemountainglass.com.. I got a designer to give me my design.. he better not have broken my contract.. when I go to bluemountainglass.com it dont show that.. are you sure? I am about to go flame the designer..

I'm sorry, are you mad? I mean, it took me all of 5 minutes to go to your site and rip it. But, it's just the likeness, it's not exactly the same, so how can that be bad?

... WHO CARES?

To quote a famous poster.

Well it seems what this person has done is for a good cause - He is not asking money for it. And I wouldnt mind someone using my design if they left my copyright info on it.

That isn't the point really. It doesn't matter what the community thinks, the individual is trading on a known brand and copying their design.

No, he isn't making money, but he may actually fool a couple of people into not buying vB. Or, his board may not have the features of vB and so some people may get ticked. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, in fact it's a good one, but the reason he is getting "flamed" (though it isn't that at all) is that there is no positive reason for this "software" to exist.

If he wanted to promote a free bulletin board, there are lots out there. If he wanted to create his own theme, he could do that. However he is plugging a "less-powerful alternative to vBulletin". I could sell water, it's a less-powerful alternative to Tylenol.

lol.. i think what you did is funny..

Originally posted by Jeremy W.
Yes, and as grown ups we have responsibilities to our business. He is both playing on a known brand (illegal) and marketing a design he does not own (illegal).

Since the software isn't his (WBB or whatever owns the board), I'm not really sure what use this thread has.

Hey - I am most certainly not condoning illegal software - I do not know if it is illegal or not, but this is certainly not a freindly thread and I feel it is a shame that some people (not all) could not be a bit more civil - especially to people they dont know. Thats my opinion.

Oh, probably :) I'm not slamming him or calling any names, I just think that it isn't right. No biggie and it doens't reflect on him as a person or anything, he was simply trying to do a noble thing: be helpful.

As I said, it's not like I'm going to email John Percival and get this quashed or anything.

with that said, I think it is safe to take my site: http://server2.tacf.org/examples/bmg/

down :P

Yeah, I will as soon as people stop accessing it. Gimme 5 minutes for the users to time out and I'll remove all traces from my machine :)

heh.. bad edit job btw.. links left to me.. ****teh picture.. oh.. and sorta same wording :P .. heh.. *tutt tutt*..

Ach, it was a 5 minute job to satirically prove a point ;) I think it worked ... Now if people would just leave my index.html alone I could remove that...

;), thanks :)

k, it's finally gone, sorry for "stealing" your work ;)

haha.. no problem.. any time.. :P


---
NOTE: nobody may take the "no problem" text seriously - I dont want you copying my work :P

or the "any time".. lol