How about we all chip in and give u some donations? U can hire 1 assistant to help u manage the old forum, how about it?
I've had enough of the old one. It was absolute crap both in terms of content and admin functions. It became of a forum where people go to express hatred rather than friendship. I have buried it for good.
Vbulletin is much better. There's a whole host of features that delphi never had.
It's easier to navigate. Community group features are available. The search function actually works. Private messaging is a breeze etc etc.
Best of all, I won't have Walt Howe barging in deleting messages/threads plus banning members without even having the courtesy of informing me what's going.
It is only natural that everything feels strange and unfamiliar. However, in time, everyone will get used to it and they'll wonder how they ever put up with delphi for so many years.
The sex forum started on the Delphi platform too. When it was closed and moved to the vbulletin platform, everyone complained and tons of wannabe Delphi sex forums sprung up from nowhere to replace the one that Delphi had shut down.
7 years on, the sex forum on vbulletin is thriving and draws 40,000 visitors every day. 3000 messages are posted daily.
I started this new forum with the hope that the mature and reasonable members who stopped posting will come out of the woodwork and give this place another go. I can only provide the canvas. It's up to you guys to paint a winner or to rip it up.
To the detractors and haters who want the Delphi forum back so they can continue to hurl their vitriol at each other, my suggestion is simply to find some other forum where they can continue in the same vein. However, please do me a favour... don't advertise the url here. I see no reason why I should be providing free publicity. If you want to advertise your new forum, do what I did and go through the hard yard of building up your own traffic. It isn't easy and it costs a lot of money. However, it can be done if the right amount of effort is put in.
If this forum succeeds, I'll invest more money into the hardware and new features to the benefit of all. If the traffic and participation rates do not reach expectations, I'll simply shut it down and terminate the hosting contract to cut my losses. I have more than enough on my hands to keep me busy these days. There is no point my investing time and effort to keep things going if the support is not there. It's up to you guys and gals to determine the fate of this little corner of cyberspace. :p