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There is a history behind the two versions which from what I understand is better not to elaborate on. In short the best I have been able to determine is the XOOPS 2.xvers. was started with great things in mind and does indeed offer some enchanced functions which currently the original 2.x.x does not have. But. The direction the coding was going and the enchanced changes the 2.x version incorporated was eventually going to lead to a serious problem with upgrades for the masses using the 2.x.x xoops. So the masters and the collective determined to keep XOOPS a top CMS and to bring it to an even greater CMS reverted back to the XOOPS 2.x.x developement.
With the creation of the 2.x version themes and modules didn't work properly unless they too were reworked. Many contributers, users and beginners were very frustrated by this sudden turn of events as XOOPS had already suffered a nasty attack by a vindictive evil person who tried to bring the org down. Imagine putting hours, days, weeks, months into building your site and user membership to suddenly one day wake up and not be able to upgrade to the latest and greatest of the very CMS you had resolved yourself to using and contributing to. Unless of course you trashed what you had or spent countless hours and days on end, reworking themes, code etc to only in the end hopefully salvage only part of what you had already created and built. I don't know about you but the mear thought and writing of this is giving me an anxiety attack!
The masters are now as I type devoting many hours behind the scenes to release the next version of XOOPS which I believe is the version which initially connects the 2.x.x and the 2.x together. Once this is completed Xoosphere can then be realized down the road.
This is all my own humble opinion and understanding which does not mean it is right.
Believe me, this was the short version!
Remember: Sacrifices are often made by great people for the better of the whole community than just the few.
Quest