Questions on vb4 from a concerned license holder
 

Dear vB team and fellow customers;

In the past few minutes* vB.com moderators and staff have begun closing and deleting threads in this area with either little or no explanation. I presume their eventual explanation will be that the many threads expressing upset at the new vb4 scheme are not technically pre-sales questions* which this area is for. (Even though* I might argue* frank discussion of sales announcements by concerned members is a perfectly legitimate way of enquiring after the suitability of a product one is considering buying.)

So I pose the following series of specifically pre-sales questions* and would appreciate response from vB managers:

• Given that* prior to the thread's deletion* over 80% of nearly 100 members polled in this area expressed absolute dissatisfaction at the new vB 4 scheme you've announced* will you consider modifying it?
• Will vB entertain the possibility* prior to we consumers handing over money to your company* of altering the current 'pre-sale offer' to EITHER (a) extending its term to at least two weeks beyond the full availability of a complete working demo of the user- and administrative-end interfaces of vb4 (forum and full suite) for testing purposes; OR (b) continue the current 'pre-release' sale scheme* but offer an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee from the date that the product is available for download* given that consumers will have been asked to commit money prior to any possibility of testing the product?
• Will vB provide a concrete release date* or at the very least a descriptive approximate release window (of* e.g.* no more than three weeks' extent* however far off in the future)* given that you have now moved beyond the pure development phase (in which we understand you were not willing to commit to a development timeline) into actively asking consumers to pay for your product?
• Is the deletion and closing of threads* and otherwise censoring the discussion of potential consumers considering your product in this forum* as has happened over the last minutes* the foundation of your business plan and the kind of customer service response we can expect as purchasers of vB4?
• Can you please indicate in a specific* exhaustive way* which features listed on the 'Features' page of the new vbulletin.com web site* with respect to vB4 (forum and full suite) will be available immediately on product release* and which will be rolled out in a phased way later? This is a question that follows on from announcements made in this forum some time ago* that vB 4 features would be rolled out in a phased basis - but nothing of this appears in your new publicity.

I begin with these -- and I would encourage other members of this forum* who have had their questions* thoughts and concerns censored by the recent thread closures and deletions* to add to this listing with your own questions.