Internet Brands

[clyde]

I've been so busy with real life lately that I didn't see this until today...

Internet Brands (an IdeaLab subsidiary) has been on an aquisition kick, gobbling up a large number of forums (including those serving the automotive community like audiworld, mbworld, rx8club, mustangforums, corvetteforum, and on and on...). They already owned a number of varied e-commerce, community and infotype sites in different arenas (automotive, travel & lesiure, home, real estate, etc).

What makes this spate of aquisitions most interesting is that they've also bought up Jelsoft, the maker of vBulletin.

I don't know enough about them and nothing about their plans, but I do wonder what this may mean for the future of online communities.

vB is, by far, the most advanced and capable standalone forum package, but it's advancement into web 2.0 type stuff (blogs, wikis, etc) has been slow and and a bit lackluster. Meanwhile, community site packages have been evolving at a very rapid clip. The difference has been that few of them have decent forum componenets (of those that have them) and integration with vB (and most other forum packages) have left a lot ot be desired.

I just thought I'd post and see if anyone else has any thoughts on this as it's a topic of some interest to me. It's not really related to carmudgeons in any way other than the fact we use the product (and I think our annual license may need to be renewed soon).

[Doug]

I'd say it's too soon to speculate. My uneducated guess would be there will be no impact.
VB makes money so I doubt IB will change much.

[rumatt]

Internet Brands (an IdeaLab subsidiary) has been on an aquisition kick, gobbling up a large number of forums (including those serving the automotive community like audiworld, mbworld, rx8club, mustangforums, corvetteforum, and on and on...).

Did they buy us?

Am I now rich?

[dredmo]

Did they buy us?

Am I now rich?

Ha

and

Ha Ha

:lol:

[ZBB]

I'd say it's too soon to speculate. My uneducated guess would be there will be no impact.
VB makes money so I doubt IB will change much.

Although I could see IB adding features to VB that are only avail to the forums they own...

[Doug]

Although I could see IB adding features to VB that are only avail to the forums they own...

true, they may try to exploit any proprietary stuff

[undefined]

vB is, by far, the most advanced and capable standalone forum package

better than simple machines?

[Doug]

I actually see more sites using invision than VB

[Sharp11]

vB is, by far, the most advanced and capable standalone forum package, but it's advancement into web 2.0 type stuff (blogs, wikis, etc) has been slow and and a bit lackluster.

Thanks, I always wondered where V Bulletin came from and why everyone doesn't use it (some forums I'm on have crummy old-feeling kludgy software).

The buying up thing is likely tied to banner advertising(?). Too bad, as I'm seeing more ads on many of the audio boards and quite a slow down of pages loading (b'fest is slower than molasses at times).

Ed

[ff]

The buying up thing is likely tied to banner advertising(?). Too bad, as I'm seeing more ads on many of the audio boards and quite a slow down of pages loading (b'fest is slower than molasses at times).

Ed

Switch to Firefox browser, and watch the banners and flash content disappear.

[clyde]

better than simple machines?
I think so

SMF 2.0 may change that, though...we'll see

[rautox]

I think the technology gap is small enough that a SMF or something else could fill it. The mambo/joomla ... event suggests that alternatives would remain available, even if there was some thinning.

[stuka]

Well, they bought rennlist and 6speed, do you guys think the fest will be bought too?

Does this board need some money? Or will it be bought too?

[Rob]

This board doesn't have the traffic to be attractive. I bet Bimmerfest will be bought, as will Bimmerforums. I actually think that has been the reasoning behind some of Jon's choices for quite some time.

Who bought Rennlist and 6speed?

[Rob]

Never mind. I found an article. So now I think EITHER Bimmerfest OR Bimmerforums will get bought in the relatively short future. The current buyer doesn't need them both.

[stuka]

This board doesn't have the traffic to be attractive. I bet Bimmerfest will be bought, as will Bimmerforums. I actually think that has been the reasoning behind some of Jon's choices for quite some time.

Who bought Rennlist and 6speed?

Internet Brands.

Yep, it certainly explains some of Jon's decision now, doesn't it?

[John V]

6speed was always the ricer forum for exotics... no real useful content there. Rennlist seemed to be the snob board.

So long as renntech stays indie I'm happy :)

[stuka]

6speed was always the ricer forum for exotics... no real useful content there. Rennlist seemed to be the snob board.

So long as renntech stays indie I'm happy :)

I have to say though, at least you can talk about wine, Facom tools, Festool drills, possibly buying an F car, etc on 6speed without some middle class with multiple bimmers people start telling you to "get back down to reality where hard working men and women live."

It was interesting to find out about things like the Screaming Eagle wine, or restaurants like Urzawa, or where to get amazing Waygu with Foigra, or who is the best F car mechanic.

On 6speed these are just questions, and not seen by the insecure yet otherwise leading very nice material lives people as showing off.

Rennlist is populated by a bunch of self appointed track gods who don't need no stinking insurance coverage as they incessantly brag about their lap times.

Renntech is nice, kind of like Pelican, but I don't go there enough.

[clyde]

Well, they bought rennlist and 6speed, do you guys think the fest will be bought too?

Does this board need some money? Or will it be bought too?

:aty:

:p

;)

[JST]

Rennlist seemed to be the snob board.


Interesting. I'm having a hard time visualizing what you mean though, without some sort of concrete example. If only there was some way of illustrating this point...

I have to say though, at least you can talk about wine, Facom tools, Festool drills, possibly buying an F car, etc on 6speed without some middle class with multiple bimmers people start telling you to "get back down to reality where hard working men and women live."


See? That's why this is a great board. It's a team effort around here.

[Plaz]

:lol:

[equ]

Rennlist is snobby in an old and musty way. You're not a real porsche owner unless... (you have a 356, you've rebuilt your rusting 912, you're the cousin of Ferdinand etc. etc.) There is also a clueless yet numerous 997 contingent at rennlist (very similar to the 335-our-car-is-the-best-in-the-world crowds at e90post and bimmerfest).

[equ]

While I find little actual car info (and haven't been on in years) at 6speed, it's entertaining in a "Should I join gumball?" sort of way. It's more fun than the other porsche boards though the rice and show content is VERY high.

[zcasavant]

the 335-our-car-is-the-best-in-the-world crowds at e90post and bimmerfest).

Well, it is a pretty good car...;)

[equ]

Well, it is a pretty good car...;)

It is very good, as is the 997... But you know what I'm talking about. :slap:

[Theo]

Well, it is a pretty good car...;)

I sense Zac is breaking down and shopping.

[Rob]

I am not sure he ever stops shopping. It's the buying he doesn't do much of. (and I wish I had that "problem" sometimes.)

[Theo]

I am not sure he ever stops shopping. It's the buying he doesn't do much of. (and I wish I had that "problem" sometimes.)

HAHA true.

[zcasavant]

I am not sure he ever stops shopping. It's the buying he doesn't do much of. (and I wish I had that "problem" sometimes.)

:flipoff: :D Welcome to zach's world of waffling. I'd seriously have a new car right now if not for other life events complicating things.

[John V]

While I find little actual car info (and haven't been on in years) at 6speed, it's entertaining in a "Should I join gumball?" sort of way. It's more fun than the other porsche boards though the rice and show content is VERY high.

it seems that there is a very large contingent of super rich 18-year old kids over there whose parents bought them the exotic of the month and they're soooooooooooooo excited to show it off. :) It's funny at first but it's tiresome.

[Plaz]

IB just gobbled up northamericanmotoring.com

[stuka]

it seems that there is a very large contingent of super rich 18-year old kids over there whose parents bought them the exotic of the month and they're soooooooooooooo excited to show it off. :) It's funny at first but it's tiresome.

6speed is dead.

They started a migration to an invite only board and all the old timers left.

Now it's a bunch of noobs with 100 posts going on about nothing.

[zeroday]

they bought acurazine.com recently too. from their sec filings it looks like they offer about 20k or so for a site with a sizeable user base.