MyBB Community Forums

Development has stalled everywhere, not just on MyBB, people are moving on, causing development to be stalled. That's the hard truth.

(2023-05-19, 08:54 PM)ForceEight. Wrote: [ -> ]Development has stalled everywhere, not just on MyBB, people are moving on, causing development to be stalled. That's the hard truth.

 No, the development didn't stall everywhere. There are many projects that attract developers for years without any problem.

If you want to revive MyBB development then do the following:
 
•           1. Maintain backward compatibility. This can be done by implementing a switch that end user can select whether to use Twig (on which Dev team is so fixated).
•           2. Stop working against your users by swinging left (Laravel) and right (Twig) without any aim. And instead make small but constant improvements to the existing code 1.8 which was very good before Laravel and Twig insanity started. Small incremental releases like 1.8.35 made more often create feeling of activity and constant engagement to the community.
•           3. Focus on improving usability, for example implementing responsive templates.
•           4. Give the project some commercial angle, for example by allowing members of the Dev team and third party developers to sell plugins and templates on MyBB website for which of course MyBB will charge a commission. Money always stimulates developers.
•           5. And finally change the license to MIT so companies can use portions of the code for commercial projects. In many cases the commercial developers contribute back to the original project, however GPL license is the killer and companies don't want to use or develop projects with GPL license because GPL is incompatibile with proprietary code. BTW, changing the license to MIT will also open doors for consulting and side gigs for the Dev team as corporate code users often employ original programmers for consulting or full time engagements.

(2023-08-19, 10:31 PM)jimski Wrote: [ -> ]...because GPL is incompatibile with proprietary code.

While this statement is factually correct, I don't see how it has any bearing considering MyBB is licensed under the LGPL v3, which is compatible with proprietary software.

(2023-08-19, 10:31 PM)jimski Wrote: [ -> ]•           3. Focus on improving usability, for example implementing responsive templates.

yes, there is no need to release MyBB 1.9, the official mobile-friendly responsive theme will suffice for the current version.

(2023-09-02, 10:47 AM)wamp Wrote: [ -> ]yes, there is no need to release MyBB 1.9, the official mobile-friendly responsive theme will suffice for the current version.

Yes to this, I have been waiting for the new responsive theme for a year now! Hopefully, any new theme will stand up to updates without corrupting as my current theme does - every single time! I'd pay for a stable theme like this and what looks great on phones!

Has anyone an approximate time scale when the new theme or even the 1.9 update might be available? If it's not going to happen within another year, I'll have a custom theme made, which is very expensive and more worrying, may not be compatible with 1.9!

ATM I just don't know what to do for the best.

(2023-09-01, 06:16 AM)Settyness Wrote: [ -> ]While this statement is factually correct, I don't see how it has any bearing considering MyBB is licensed under the LGPL v3, which is compatible with proprietary software.

"The GPL 3 reads as follows:
"If you modify a copy of the Library, and, in your modifications, a facility refers to a function or data to be supplied by an Application that uses the facility (other than as an argument passed when the facility is invoked), then you may convey a copy of the modified version:

  a) under this License, provided that you make a good faith effort to  ensure that, in the event an Application does not supply the function or data, the facility still operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose remains meaningful, or

  b) under the GNU GPL, with none of the additional permissions of this License applicable to that copy."

So any propriatary software that uses any modified part of MyBB will have to make this code available for free under the GLP3 or GNU GPL license. For profit companies make things "for profit" and not for free giveaways. Since MyBB is not deriving any profit from its code then it won't lose any revenue from changing the license to MIT, however companies will not touch MyBB code for the very reason outlined above. But, if MyBB managed to attaract some companies to use its code for commercial reasons then the open source MyBB project would benefit greatly.

The best example of this practice is PostgreSQL which uses license similar to MIT and because of that dozends of companies contribute back to Postgres open source project, even though they are selling modified, propriatary versions of Postgres, or parts of it, as proriateary code for profit. https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/

I don't entirely disagree with you, but your prior assertion that MyBB is incompatible with proprietary code is still incorrect. There is nothing stopping a company from developing proprietary modules, plugins, or themes for MyBB for profit. The reliance on MyBB for these products alone would compel a company to better upstream code, but the license ensures it. With the MIT license, we'd just be crossing our fingers. I think a commercial MyBB product under MIT is just about as likely as my hypothetical scenario with the current license and a vibrant addon market.

I'll also add that I typically choose MIT personally, but only because I hate lawyers and do not wish to litigate.

(2023-09-17, 08:19 PM)Settyness Wrote: [ -> ]I don't entirely disagree with you, but your prior assertion that MyBB is incompatible with proprietary code is still incorrect. There is nothing stopping a company from developing proprietary modules, plugins, or themes for MyBB for profit. The reliance on MyBB for these products alone would compel a company to better upstream code, but the license ensures it. With the MIT license, we'd just be crossing our fingers. I think a commercial MyBB product under MIT is just about as likely as my hypothetical scenario with the current license and a vibrant addon market.

I'll also add that I typically choose MIT personally, but only because I hate lawyers and do not wish to litigate.

I didn't say "that MyBB is incompatible with proprietary code".  I wrote "...GPL is incompatibile with proprietary code..". 

And, YES,  litigation is another aspect that creates aversion of companies to using any code with GPL licenses.
There have been numerous lawsuits over usage of GPL licensed code.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Genera...gal_status

BTW, you are "crossing your fingers" right now by hoping that MyBB development will somehow get revived using the old GLP license and old rules of doing business, so maybe is time to try something mew since the old approach is clearly not working?  As I understand MyBB was a subject of corporate interest in the past and nothing happened, partially because of the license. 

As far as reviving the project is concerned I would also recommend getting in touch with professors at CS departments at universities and community colleges they are always looking for internships for their students. While unpaid internships are less desirable there are still many of them out there and many CS students are excellent coders who could contribute to the project. For example the company that I work for uses unpaid CS interns with a fairly good result. However, contacting universitieas would take some time calling and writing emails and then someone would have to manage assigning the tasks for the interns.

As of today MyBB has only one active developer, namely DVZ. All others didn't make any contribution since June 2023.
https://github.com/mybb/mybb/graphs/cont...-19&type=c

Quote:As of today MyBB has only one active developer, namely DVZ. All others didn't make any contribution since June 2023.
https://github.com/mybb/mybb/graphs/cont...-19&type=c

So, if DevilShakerZ is the only developer left, does that mean Chris Boulton (the founder) has abandoned MyBB?

(2023-10-16, 07:37 PM)Serpius Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:As of today MyBB has only one active developer, namely DVZ. All others didn't make any contribution since June 2023.
https://github.com/mybb/mybb/graphs/cont...-19&type=c

So, if DevilShakerZ is the only developer left, does that mean Chris Boulton (the founder) has abandoned MyBB?

No, Chris hasn't contributed code to MyBB since ~2010, but he's the one who finances and manages the infrastructure. His role is important but doesn't affect the development of the project.