CU Forums software

dsessom · February 17, 2011 12:47AM

Ok, this is slightly OT but not TOO far off...

I spend a lot of my time buidling and maitaining commercial websites, and have been in the business for the last 12 years, so I have created plenty of forums similar to this one we are all posting on. Just out of curiouslty, I checked into the cost of the software used to create these forums and fell out of my chair!
I was shocked to see that our host pays $5,000 (maybe more) per year, just for the forum software! My hat is off to PCGS and the crew. They cirtainly don't cut corners! When they do something, it's the BEST that can be had. No wonder I am more partial to these forums than the one across the street. Quality is quality!

PS: Thank you Mr. Hall and the PCGS crew for all you do, and especially for the FREE use of these very expensive forums! You guys ROCK!!!

LindeDad · February 17, 2011 1:05AM

I agree and will continue to pay my dues to the PCGS Collectors Club mostly for the reasons you versed so well.

blu62vette · February 17, 2011 1:21AM

Ditto. It is great this forum is provided for us and I hope others realize it is not a right to be here. Our hosts put a lot of time and money into this forum and I am sure they want to dump it at times. I just hope they keep it going for a long time.

ianrussell · February 17, 2011 1:44AM

<< Ditto. It is great this forum is provided for us and I hope others realize it is not a right to be here. Our hosts put a lot of time and money into this forum and I am sure they want to dump it at times. I just hope they keep it going for a long time. >>

Double ditto.

- Ian

mbogoman · February 17, 2011 1:55AM

This forum has paid for my annual dues umpteen times over! It's more valuable than the free submission vouchers IMO, at least it has been for me!

DonWillis · February 17, 2011 2:05AM

Thanks for the good words!

Coming late this summer.....

We have a project underway to update our forum software. This will allow us to add new features and probably a new forum or two. We will update everyone as we get closer.

BlindedByEgo · February 17, 2011 2:07AM

<< Thanks for the good words!

Coming late this summer.....

We have a project underway to update our forum software. This will allow us to add new features and probably a new forum or two. We will update everyone as we get closer. >>

Sweet!

Thanks again for all you guys do!

lordmarcovan · February 17, 2011 2:11AM

I've heard this before. Apparently FuseTalk ain't cheap.

Add my thanks to our hosts for this site. The FuseTalk format is worth the expense, I say (but of course I would say that because it's not my money being spent). It's much more user-friendly than a lot of other message boards, and has lots of nice features. I have seen one or two other (non-numismatic) sites out there that use it, but not too many. I have become so comfortable with it over the past decade that I sometimes use the Testing Forum for drafts of random projects, instead of Word or Notepad.

I just made my first post "across the street" last night but will likely remain here as long as I'm allowed to, since most of my friends and contacts are here. And the forums themselves are a comfortable fit.

AuroraBorealis · February 17, 2011 2:18AM

Great place great people... Thank you PCGS...

AB

scottgardener · February 17, 2011 2:19AM

Yikes. It's a reminder that PCGS and Collector's Universe is a premium company, more akin to Lexus or Mercedes than the used car lot with the inflatable purple gorilla out front. This is a company that has actually handled the greatest coins known. It has been my experience that premium companies will go out of their way on customer service and will handle with the same dedication and care a submission of pocket change as they would any other grading submission. It is a myth that upscale companies are "snobbish." I have found them to be quite the opposite--very approachable and respectful of all.

Going back to the car comparison, a few years back my wife and I were car shopping, and we were considering a Toyota Highlander or a Lexus RX. Both share many components and are built on the same platform, so we wanted to know whether or not the difference between the regular and luxury counterpart is worth the price. It really is. the RX itself is certainly a more comfortable and well-appointed vehicle that feels better built. But also, the customer service is superior beyond comparison. The Toyota dealership sold cars the stock cliche way--buy now! Only one left, and someone else is test driving it today! At the Lexus dealership, there was no pressure, because the product spoke for itself. Car buying was more a consultation and advice about which features were worth having versus forgoing.

I really prefer working with the premium companies. The better product will offset the up front cost by saving you headaches and time.

FilthyBroke · February 17, 2011 2:20AM

<< Thanks for the good words!

Coming late this summer.....

We have a project underway to update our forum software. This will allow us to add new features and probably a new forum or two. We will update everyone as we get closer. >>

Cool, might I suggest adding a photo gallery?

illini420 · February 17, 2011 2:32AM

I would expect that they keep the forums for awhile and it's nice to hear about the upcoming improvements.

Pretty much any coin related search on the search engines leads to a post of some sort on this forum pretty quickly. That's how I originally found this forum. I was doing a search on the new First Spouse gold series as I has some cash burning a hole in my pocket and I was thinking of investing in some bullion at the time. Most of the information I found on the series was posted here by the members. Within a few months I ended up joining myself and from reading the forum I ultimately ended up changing my plans somewhat and got into certified rare coins.

I had been a casual coin collector for around 20 years or so up to that point, just buying sets from the Mint and collecting from my change. Before running that search for the First Spouse Gold, I had never even heard of PCGS or any of the other certification companies! I'm sure I'm not the only one who got sucked in by the forum in this manner... but maybe the only one who started down that path with the First Spouses

Dollar2007 · February 17, 2011 3:24AM

This is really the most pleasant forum software I have come across, it is so easy to read each post. I hope the new change doesn't affect the readability of it. I find most updates that occur to websites in the last year or two make them worse.

Russ · February 17, 2011 3:33AM

<< I was shocked to see that our host pays $5,000 (maybe more) per year, just for the forum software! >>

They aren't paying $5K a year for this ancient version of Fusetalk.

Russ, NCNE

Goldbully · February 17, 2011 3:47AM

Fuse Talk Forums

Dollar2007 · February 17, 2011 3:52AM

<< Fuse Talk Forums >>

Yeah, I definitely like this one better. It may be 10 years old but it gets the job done quite well.

Russ · February 17, 2011 3:56AM

Here's an interesting fact: Fusetalk was originally developed in conjunction with Anandtech. At the time, their forum was growing so rapidly and had gotten so large, they needed a more stable, robust solution than what was available. Anand, (serious whiz kid), hired a programmer and together they developed the software. It worked. All the crashing, slowness and other issues we had went away. It was a SERIOUS improvement in the market. While it is still an excellent platform, the alternatives are now just as good.

Today, Anandtech - with 288,000 members, runs vBulletin. The phpBB forums have 399,000 members. vBulletin cost $195, and phpBB is free.

Russ, NCNE

QuarterCollector · February 17, 2011 4:18AM

Best forum out there. Thanks again PCGS.

EagleEye · February 17, 2011 4:23AM

They probably make the outlay for a year back in a month with Google ads.

Studio60 · February 17, 2011 4:33AM

To spend 5K a year with no motive outside of helping the collector shows the purity of PCGS. Kudos! It is rare in today's climate of chasing after the fast buck for a company to genuinely care more for their customer base rather than pay so much attention on the bottom line.

Haters hate, but there is a reason PCGS is number one among dealers and collectors.

Russ · February 17, 2011 4:35AM

<< To spend 5K a year with no motive outside of helping the collector shows the purity of PCGS >>

Again, they are not spending $5K a year for this software.

Russ, NCNE

AUandAG · February 17, 2011 4:51AM

I've tried other coin forums and just can't cope with the difficulties of navigation
and posting.
This is the best, easiest and most pleasant!
bob

dsessom · February 17, 2011 5:17AM

<< 

<< I was shocked to see that our host pays $5,000 (maybe more) per year, just for the forum software! >>

They aren't paying $5K a year for this ancient version of Fusetalk.

Russ, NCNE >>

Version 4.0 was just released this month. This forum runs on version 3. While it's true that things in the IT world get outdated quickly, I wouldn't call it ancient.

jsf · February 17, 2011 5:18AM

<< 

<< To spend 5K a year with no motive outside of helping the collector shows the purity of PCGS >>

Again, they are not spending $5K a year for this software.

Russ, NCNE >>

sheesh, what can't these people understand?

pitboss · February 17, 2011 5:28AM

Thank you PCGS.

YogiBerraFan · February 17, 2011 5:48AM

This forum is great. I have made lots of great friends and the advice here has saved me a ton of money.

Russ · February 17, 2011 6:06AM

<< 

<< 

<< I was shocked to see that our host pays $5,000 (maybe more) per year, just for the forum software! >>

They aren't paying $5K a year for this ancient version of Fusetalk.

Russ, NCNE >>

Version 4.0 was just released this month. This forum runs on version 3. While it's true that things in the IT world get outdated quickly, I wouldn't call it ancient. >>

When this version was released, enterprise edition cost $1000. Now enterprise edition costs $8000. There were many, many revisions between the two.

Russ, NCNE

dsessom · February 17, 2011 6:15AM

I've always used phpBB and been happy with it, although I've had it hacked a few times. But as long as you keep up the updates, it's generally good software and runs well on the Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL combo.

Russ · February 17, 2011 6:20AM

<< I've always used phpBB and been happy with it, although I've had it hacked a few times. But as long as you keep up the updates, it's generally good software and runs well on the Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL combo. >>

phpBB has come a LONG way since it was originally introduced, and is now completely suitable for any size forum. The issue would be whether or not the database from a fusetalk forum could be converted to phpBB. I know it's been done, but it takes a serious geek to accomplish it.

Russ, NCNE

Classof67 · February 17, 2011 6:43AM

<< This forum has paid for my annual dues umpteen times over! It's more valuable than the free submission vouchers IMO, at least it has been for me! >>

Same here, this forum is priceless!

Studio60 · February 17, 2011 7:18AM

Skimming through these messages I still think spending 5K is a bargain for the goodwill PCGS generates.

canadanz · February 17, 2011 9:28AM

<< Thanks for the good words!

Coming late this summer.....

We have a project underway to update our forum software. This will allow us to add new features and probably a new forum or two. We will update everyone as we get closer. >>

Awesome.

cladking · February 17, 2011 9:51AM

There are a lot of things that make this forum the best and most are the users and the hosts.

I hope its glory days are ahead it and not in the past.

CU Forums software

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