Personally, I wonder if not only YaBB, but forums in general, may be history. I know that every single forum I am a member of has seen massive slow-downs in the last year or two.
People just aren't into forums as much as they used to be ... hate to say it, but we've been largely replaced by Facebook. Which saddens me because while it is possible to have in-depth conversations in Facebook, it is not easy. Much easier to do the short bites.
As to YaBB itself, and Derek's call to change formats ... perhaps he is right, and perhaps that is what is needed to bring YaBB back to life. And perhaps it would be easier to get new coders if the software were in a language they prefer using.
But the part of it I see is that doing so might mean a steep learning curve to our current users to manage to continue making use of the software. Believe me, YaBB already has a somewhat steep learning curve.
I may get a new board set up perfectly the first time, these days, but I can remember when I had to scrap it and try again a couple of times to get something working, in the earlier days. If things are switched to a completely new style, I think it is important to try and make installation as easy as possible, for all those who will lose all their hard-gained knowledge getting things installed and working.
Either way, it has been a great ride with YaBB for something like 8 years for me, all the way from Gold 1.1, with just a couple of bumps along the way.
As long as YaBB stays around, it will be my forum software. And I really have to say that even with nothing new, I am incredibly impressed with all my 2.5 board can do, and would be happy using it for several years, even with nothing new coming down the tracks.
If YaBB rises from the ashes again, I will give the new version a try, even if it means having to learn some new stuff. If 2.5 is the final official YaBB release, I still thank everybody involved over the years from the bottom of my heart ... you did fabulous work, and I will still have my forums running for years to come!
I have reached the point where I have no clue what I am trying to say, or where I am trying to go with this ... but hopefully something in the above muddle was worth some kind of consideration. If not, sorry for wasting your time!