FAQ for WWWThreads Members
Why are you changing the name to UBBThreads?
Our intention was to preserve the history of the Threads name with that portion, while gaining brand recognition with the UBB portion. As we move forward with the product, it will become one of the centerpieces of our offerings, and it makes sense to give it a name that reflects both aspects.
Infopop going to put some effort into making wwwthreads the best forum available?
Absolutely! We love W3T and want to make it the best it can possibly be, hopefully with a lot of input from you!
Will the development process and pace of the development change?
Yes, for the better. Rick will continue to be the lead developer, and will now have much more time to devote to integrating your suggestions into the software. We don’t plan to put too many “cooks” in the development kitchen; we plan to let Rick do his thing with minimal interference.
How much say will users have in the development process?
Rick and all of us at Infopop will be listening (as we are right now) to hear what you want next. We’ll make every effort to adopt the great ideas and let you know if an idea can’t be implemented for some reason.
How much control will Rick have over the development?
Although Infopop will now own the software, Rick will be the lead developer. That means that he will set the pace of development. Of course we will want to cross-pollinate good ideas from W3T into our other products, and make sure that our efforts are coordinated, so Rick will be a key part of our overall development team.
How will Infopop handle the modules and hacks users have developed? Will Infopop charge for add-ons?
Infopop will never stop people from customizing their own boards. We do not have the resources to provide technical support for hacks, so we will be setting up a development site to allow users to exchange hacks with each other and provide each other with technical support.
What is the pricing plan? Will the price change?
Picing will be announced by next Wednesday.
Will the code base remain as clean as it is now?
Since Rick will continue to be the developer, the code will continue to follow his style and organization.
How will licensing work?
Licensing will be based on a per-instance basis.
Will UBB and UBBThreads be turned into a single product?
No. UBB and UBBThreads are, and will remain, separate products.
Who is Infopop’s target client for UBBThreads? Is it different from UBB?
We believe that UBBThreads will be ideal for folks with mid- to large-sized communities who have the technical skill to run a SQL database driven product. UBB will continue to be the portable solution, targeted at communities who may not need the power of a database. Aside from database differences, UBBThreads and UBB will have their own unique characteristics. For instance, many customers desire a threaded approach to topic display; that option will always be an inherent part of UBBThreads, while it will never be part of UBB.
Will this mean that a professional design person will work on the interface?
One of the best aspects of this deal is that a broader complement of development professionals will be available to enhance UBBThreads as necessary. We’d love to hear your specific suggestions on that subject!
Will Rick & the threads community have influence on the final layout/appearance/features?
See answer above…we’d love to hear from you.
Will user hacks be considered for incorporation into the code?
Definitely. While we normally do not incorporate hacks “lock stock and barrel,” we always take a look at the successful hacks that have enhanced the software. For example, UBB is about to release a version that includes a PHP wrapper-accelerator that was created by a user in Europe. And we know that Rick always pays close attention to your input, so he’ll continue to do just that!
Will the wwwthreads support forum be going away as of Monday?
The forums will be moving to a new location on the Infopop website next week. We want to encourage all of you to come on over and continue to share your ideas with Rick and the rest of us at Infopop. Your member data and postings will be brought over and preserved, and the forum names will remain the same for the most part as well. Rick will continue to moderate and administer the forums as he does now.
As the export occurs, you will see messages on this board giving the new address to bookmark. Some content from this board will remain in place as an archive resource, and there will be a test forum open here so that visitors can see the product in action.
Will the PHP version continue to be supported? Will there be a parallel release policy?
Yes, the PHP version will continue to be supported. In fact, all future development efforts will focus on the PHP version. We will be maintaining the Perl version only in terms of releasing bug fixes, and will not be offering professional support for the Perl version.
In talking with Rick the last couple of months, we discussed his development process and concluded that it would be best to commit fully to one platform. Under the current model, too many tradeoffs are required in ensuring synchronization between both PHP and Perl versions. Furthermore, PHP is more scalable than basic Perl and is easier to install.
The current Perl version will be available in the UBBThreads Member Area as an unsupported option. To reiterate, though, we will not be continuing development of the Perl version. We will ensure that the development site discussed above includes support forums for those using the Perl version.
Will the free version still be offered?
We will be offering a trial version that will allow people to test installation of the program. However, like the current demo version for W3T, this trial version will be missing most major features of the licensed product, and will include certain other usage limitations.
What is the timing surrounding all of this?
The complete changeover will occur some time on Thursday, October 18. On that date, UBBThreads will be incorporated into the infopop.com website, payments will be processed on that site, and support will be offered there. On the 17th, the payment pages and member area at wwwthreads.com will be closed as we begin the transition process.
As part of this transition, it will be necessary to reissue all pre-existing W3T licenses. This is necessary because the data was encrypted in such a way that it is not accessible in our systems. Thus, all existing W3T license-holders should expect an email from Infopop prior to the 18th containing their new license number and password. Please be on the lookout for this information because it will be required in order to validate your license.
Ted O'Neill
CEO, Infopop Corporation
