When is IPB 4.0 ?

[.Ian]

It sounds like 4.0 is a massive update to their software, give them time to do it right. If you keep pressuring them to push it out (prematurely), then you'll be complaining they didn't regression test the software well enough and they'll be spending all their time addressing your questions/bug reports instead of further developing the software. The first release is a crucial one, it will come, they didn't put all this work into developing it and writing blog entries about the features for nothing. Patience :smile:

That will happen anyway :)

Some people will never be happy.

[Midnight Modding]

I have a feeling it's still pretty far off because surely they aren't going to release it immediately after helping developers and give full documentation for that, and they have to have at least some sort of public betas, and they haven't even updated this company site or posted any blogs about the front end. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out around when some other releases did in the past, ie Summer. Surely it will at least be May or later. It's almost March without being close to the company site updated.

[Hexsplosions]

I hope they just update the company forums without announcing it. That would be epic. :D

[CheersnGears]

Is there something specific you're wanting to know? Yes the upgrade process is important...but really it's just an upgrade routine. It's not that exciting and there's not much to say. "You run the upgrader, it upgrades your site".

(Ok there's a little more to it than that sure)

I think it would upset clients who did purchase "Application X" more that they can't upgrade because Application X hasn't been updated yet. With 4.0 our approach is that we are releasing a suite of applications, and that means all applications will be released simultaneously.

Will there be URL changes post upgrade? (assuming stock to stock)

[Rhett]

I hope they just update the company forums without announcing it. That would be epic. :D

Great idea, no blog post needed, just login and see it! :)

[Rimi]

Great idea, no blog post needed, just login and see it! :smile:

And complain.

[Rhett]

And complain.

That's a given, some people simply have too much time on their hands. :) the old saying is still true, you can't please everyone!

[Hexsplosions]

Great idea, no blog post needed, just login and see it! :smile:

Do it! :D

[Rimi]

That's a given, some people simply have too much time on their hands. :smile: the old saying is still true, you can't please everyone!

Sure you can. You just have to destroy all your work in the process.

[CheersnGears]

What i don't understand is why people feel the need to be Informed with blog entries all the time and where the "Uncertainty" for the future is coming from? I remember being on Xenforo last year and given the issues with the court case and the developers seemingly weren't saying much of anything and people were worried...on the flipside, it's been like a month or so since the last blog update...I am not sure why people are freaking out lol

The uncertainty surrounds where I spend development dollars. Do I spend money on site development now because 4.0 won't be available for use until December 2014 or do I halt all current development because 4.0 will be available in April? I have plans and expansion that I have to plan around and the lack of clarity on ANYTHING from IPS is incredibly frustrating. Some of us are hobbiests and some of us run business related sites.... but in IPS's mind, theirs is the only business that matters. All I want is a timeline... I don't need 4.0 tomorrow... I just need to know when to plan for it.

[Rheddy]

I can't keep from laughing at everyone asking the same question about IPB 4. For those of us who have been here for a great many years (I've been an IPS client for the past 9 years), we've discovered that IPS doesn't release the new version to the public ... even if people keep asking for it. Judging by previous years, as many of us can attest to:

First, IPS installs IPB 4 to the support forums first. After a certain period of time passes, IPS will then roll the new version out to it's quality testers. These are a limited number of pre-selected members of this community. After a certain period of time passes, IPS will then release the beta version to the general community (providing they have an active license). Then, we go through many different beta releases before we get into the public release versions, where there's even more beta testing done.

Finally, and only then, is the final version released.

BLEAGH! There. Until Bart Simpson causes the death of Kenny (for the umpteenth time) is the hey, what and wherefore of the release timeline of IPS Community Suite. Oh, and judging from previous years, IPS will not give you an official release date. While you may be used to such things as "street dates" and "release dates" of other software, IPS doesn't release exact street dates on its products, and it never has, and probably never will. It will be released when IPS feels it's ready for release.

:p

[TracyIsland]

Hey Matt, Charles, and the rest of the IPS staff:

Here is a suggestion for calming the When-is-IPB-4.0'ers: create a temperature gauge that shows % complete, to display somewhere in the IPS community. I would suggest updating it weekly, and change the percentage of completion, even if it has only moved 1% in this next week, or even if it has moved 8% this next week. Having a tough week? Then update the percentage completion from 8.1% to 8.15% ...

At least that way, all the 'ers can see progress is coming along!

Brian

[Rimi]

The uncertainty surrounds where I spend development dollars. Do I spend money on site development now because 4.0 won't be available for use until December 2014 or do I halt all current development because 4.0 will be available in April? I have plans and expansion that I have to plan around and the lack of clarity on ANYTHING from IPS is incredibly frustrating. Some of us are hobbiests and some of us run business related sites.... but in IPS's mind, theirs is the only business that matters. All I want is a timeline... I don't need 4.0 tomorrow... I just need to know when to plan for it.

Exactly what I've been saying. Planning is very important for the more serious administrators. But this is a point that some just don't understand because they continue to go "I'd rather have a stable product than a rushed one". That's not even a point of debate here. We don't care about how development is coming along. We care about the pace at which its coming along. We don't need a release date. We need an estimate so that people can decide for themselves if it's in their benefit to invest in projects now or later. Because anyone who's serious about their project will at the very least make a custom skin and nobody wants to start over for 4.0.

[Rimi]

And you know what? We don't even need a release estimate. How about the projection of what's expected post reveal? IPS has said they'll follow something like the following steps for the 4.0 release.

1) Create a separate forum for people to test out 4.0.
2) Release 4.0 to developers and work with them on making plugins.
3) Upgrade the company forums and release a public beta.
4) Release candidate.
5) Official release.

Can't we get some information on how long you expect each step to take. Even knowing if you're planning a week vs a month for public beta testing is beneficial to our planning. Knowing how long a developer gets to play with 4.0 before the public does is also helpful. It helps us make our plans. Again, we don't care about you getting the product out ASAP. We care about getting information to help guide us on how best to invest our time and money.

[MisterPhilip]

I'm in the same boat. We're about to do a large redesign & new features... but hesitant to do anything until a better of 4.0 timeline. I figure waiting for 4.0 will give us more time to refine any ideas ;)

Here is a suggestion for calming the When-is-IPB-4.0'ers: create a temperature gauge that shows % complete, to display somewhere in the IPS community. I would suggest updating it weekly, and change the percentage of completion, even if it has only moved 1% in this next week, or even if it has moved 8% this next week. Having a tough week? Then update the percentage completion from 8.1% to 8.15% ...

Except that would be misleading for people. To quote Tom Cargill -

The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time.

[Clover13]

The uncertainty surrounds where I spend development dollars. Do I spend money on site development now because 4.0 won't be available for use until December 2014 or do I halt all current development because 4.0 will be available in April? I have plans and expansion that I have to plan around and the lack of clarity on ANYTHING from IPS is incredibly frustrating. Some of us are hobbiests and some of us run business related sites.... but in IPS's mind, theirs is the only business that matters. All I want is a timeline... I don't need 4.0 tomorrow... I just need to know when to plan for it.

This is an excellent point. They say a lot of 3.4.6+ will be migrateable/upgradeable, but that is their core products and what's built upon what I'm assuming are their predefined development patterns/APIs. That could rule out a lot of custom development work that is coupled to their pre-4.0 software. I'm in a similar boat, but not in any rush as my site is relatively new (about a year) and more of a hobby than a business. I have a lot of ideas, and I've been waiting for 4.0 to get more involved in development as I don't see the benefit to getting overly knowledgeable of 3.4.6 +/- given 4.0 is a complete overhaul and re-write.

But as a previous poster mentioned in the historical release of software, my feeling is if that pattern holds true for 4.0, this is a Q3/Q4 release if they released it here to their own support forums to start, and then advanced to beta testers in the next couple months. While that is disheartening for me, it could put others in a bind that have business and development planning to consider. So in that case, a known release timeframe more than "when it's ready" certainly has merit IMO.

[NewRockRabbit]

Will there be URL changes post upgrade? (assuming stock to stock)

URL changes (including use of ID and the URL hierarchy) are discussed in this thread - looks like current structure will be maintained but perhaps with increased ACP functions to customize. However still awaiting firm confirmation from IPB.

'?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

[Tys0n]

The uncertainty surrounds where I spend development dollars. Do I spend money on site development now because 4.0 won't be available for use until December 2014 or do I halt all current development because 4.0 will be available in April? I have plans and expansion that I have to plan around and the lack of clarity on ANYTHING from IPS is incredibly frustrating. Some of us are hobbiests and some of us run business related sites.... but in IPS's mind, theirs is the only business that matters. All I want is a timeline... I don't need 4.0 tomorrow... I just need to know when to plan for it.

100%

[.Ian]

If people are desperate for a time-scale, why not pretend you had never heard of V4.

Then you can concentrate all your efforts into 3.4.x and then when V4 is stable you can upgrade.

After all if IPS had kept it a secret, then you would be doing precisely that.

The vast majority of IPS customers will not even be aware of V4 and are quite happy to be building their communities on their current platform.

[Tys0n]

Yeah man, great idea.

Let's all go spend our time, effort and money and then do it all again in x amount of months, great solution.

[Rici]

If people are desperate for a time-scale, why not pretend you had never heard of V4.

Then you can concentrate all your efforts into 3.4.x and then when V4 is stable you can upgrade.

After all if IPS had kept it a secret, then you would be doing precisely that.

The vast majority of IPS customers will not even be aware of V4 and are quite happy to be building their communities on their current platform.

So why aren't there any f***ing updates for 3.4? Dat lazy staff over at IPS!! -.-

[.Ian]

Yeah man, great idea.

Let's all go spend our time, effort and money and then do it all again in x amount of months, great solution.

Those of us who have been around software for as long as you have been born, have seen many people jump up and down insisting on releases being issued because of their own personal wishes.

The same people then moan when they install a beta version on a live site and their community falls over.

The software is only one component of a community and will either flourish or fail under 3.4.x or 4, so whether you upgrade this summer or next spring should not make one iota of difference.

Enjoy the software both now and in the future and don't worry about whether the staff have released a blog or not. Trust me they have it all in hand.

[CheersnGears]

If people are desperate for a time-scale, why not pretend you had never heard of V4.

Then you can concentrate all your efforts into 3.4.x and then when V4 is stable you can upgrade.

After all if IPS had kept it a secret, then you would be doing precisely that.

The vast majority of IPS customers will not even be aware of V4 and are quite happy to be building their communities on their current platform.

What an absolutely terrible idea! Why should I waste extra development dollars/time on a product that I might not be using in 4 months? If I have a set budget for a project to be developed and followed your plan, I would essentially have to double my spending.

[Soniceffect]

So why aren't there any f***ing updates for 3.4? Dat lazy staff over at IPS!! -.-

Any reason whatsoever why you think the language is warrented? These lazy staff work their backsides off to make the software that you purchased better than any other on the market. Most of the people who state they are wanting an update, need a date, want to know why their are no blogs, are worried they are behind etc etc I'm sure will be completely against your comment, let alone those who are happy to wait. That comment is out of order and if you were on my forum you would have been removed from the site. There is just no need!.

[CheersnGears]

Those of us who have been around software for as long as you have been born, have seen many people jump up and down insisting on releases being issued because of their own personal wishes.

The same people then moan when they install a beta version on a live site and their community falls over.

The software is only one component of a community and will either flourish or fail under 3.4.x or 4, so whether you upgrade this summer or next spring should not make one iota of difference.

Enjoy the software both now and in the future and don't worry about whether the staff have released a blog or not. Trust me they have it all in hand.

This would only be true if one is only using IP.Board as a forum software and nothing more. To those of us who wish to expand and add on with other developers, it means putting expansion projects on hold.