New Online Community -- Questions/Ideas/Suggestions

[SpaceMonkey]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking at the possibility of designing an online community, and I would really appreciate some feedback, suggestions or anything you have to offer. So i'll lay out my idea, and you can go from there:

The concept here is an online community, free to users, that would offer sections for news, a public forum, private message forum for users to mail each other back and forth. A member search to meet new people, a photo gallery option, to upload pics & share w/ people on your "friends" list, or family members via a link you could copy and e-mail out. A groups section for people to join groups that interest them and receive e-mails and chat w/ people interested in the same things, etc. etc. etc.
there are many possibilities for something like this.

The things i'm facing now are:
1. Is this even feasable for one person (or a small group) to do (i'm not on a deadline or anything, so that's not a problem)
I have designed many databases, for use on the web and within business applications. I've programmed ASP for 2 years now, so I am quite familiar with it's capabilities, and think I would probably do the site in ASP.NET...
(which leads into question 2)
2. What thoughts do you have on a language to use? I am most familiar in ASP (3.0), but would like to tackle this one in .NET. But i don't know if something of this scale is best suited for .net or php/other language that i don't know about. If asp was used, it would make connection to an SQL Server DB far easier, and could eventually be hosted on the new .net server platform quite easily. It would also allow for a vb .dll to be created to assist in the background database work (which there will be A LOT!!).
3. Is a site like this overdone? Are there too many of these [online forum/community/meet new people] type things out there already?

Also, once I answer some of these questions, and if it looks like it is a go-ahead little side project, i would most likely need some help from anyone willing to put in some time on something like this. I have no graphics skills, i usually just piece together what other people give me
A layout would be needed... Along with some hours of coding.
(most likely vb & asp 3 or .net)
So would anyone be interest in working on something of this type?

Anything you have to say about this post is appreciated. Be it comment or criticism. I would just like to get a feel for how others react to this idea.

Thanks for reading this far
--S|M--

[RobRich]

You are essentially describing TechIMO. Your primary concern will be a content management system and forum software.

We use in an inhouse CMS, though many open source and low-cost CMS solutions are available.

An application like our PhotoPost software could drive your image section.

And finally, you will need forum software. Again, many solutions are available for free or low-cost. Some forum packages even include options for adding CMS operations.

Honestly, you could likely setup such a site in a few days with PHPNuke. Customizations will be needed to seperate your site from the millions of other PHPNuke-powered sites, but you appear educated in scripting and web programming, so I am sure you could apply such customizations with minimal effort.

Robert Richmond

[Bob The Great]

for the techincal aspects I can't give you any major pointers. I'd look into Scotts photo post software (check under store at the top of the screen), I think it might be what your looking for.

Wanted to say though is your goint to need some major Modage there! I think the natural corse for a forum like that would be to go towards the porn type of site. You'd have to have some good people to work on it with you.

If you want pointers just hang around here a bit. Not even posting, but watch the mods. If you find an inapropriate thread it will be gone in mins. Nobody especially the mods put up with bad behavior.

On the same token they are very forgiving and they really do like us. I think that would be what you'd be looking for in your site so that people keep coming back. A real comunial atmopshere where people are coming back for the great people they have met!

[Creosote]

I believe it is easily feasible for one, maybe two people to do. If you are wanting to use ASP.Net, I believe you will find it fairly easy to get your content out there. You may actually find it more time consuming to get your look like with ASP.Net

Going down the list of things you will need:

1. A forum. You can design a forum of your own in ASP.Net. I made one, but it is very, very plain as I'm not a photshop dude. There is a free, open source forum made in ASP.Net at www.ASP.net. It does require SQL Server on the local machine to set up, however. Which would be a probably if the SQL database was hosted on a server somewhere else.

2. As far as your file uploads. There is an article in the most recent version of ASP.Net magazine concerning this. Its using SQL again to store files. I tried it and had it up and running in about an 30 minutes. Its more for letting the user deal with the file via link which would open up an external program (I.E. opens up Word if a .doc was uploaded), but I'm sure it could easily be modified for what you want.

3. For your content, well, its hit and miss. I would argue that at this point, it would be hard to make a brand new computer hardware website as there are a lot of them that are already established. (Example, I only come here and a few other places for technology based news because they have what I want and I don't need to go somewhere else and read about similar stuff). You would probably need a full staff to manage it. I'm always looking for new development communites. Seems like most of the bigger ones are centered around employment issues and not as much "fun stuff". Other than that, it is hard to guess what would be popular and in demand.

But I would definately recommend .Net. If you come up with a good plan and idea, I could offer a hand. Always nice to add something to a resume