CMS + Social Networking

randombar

Hi Lads,

Looking for a free / cheap option for this? Basically want to get my site wouldyoukiss.me up and running, something like hotornot etc etc, was thinking of some kind of social networking site, movabletypes are promising this kind of thing with a link to facebook but the costs for the community version are frightening.

Thanks
Gary

Axwell

Hi Gary,

didnt real look through them but you might find something useful on hotscripts

oeb

GaryCocs wrote: »

Hi Lads,

Looking for a free / cheap option for this? Basically want to get my site wouldyoukiss.me up and running, something like hotornot etc etc, was thinking of some kind of social networking site, movabletypes are promising this kind of thing with a link to facebook but the costs for the community version are frightening.

Thanks
Gary

This article may be useful for you.

http://www.vivalogo.com/vl-resources/open-source-social-networking-software.htm

randombar

isocial seems like a route to go all right, trying to figure out how to download the bloody thing now!

randombar

Ya turns out I can't download it! Booo!

GazaM

I might be completely off the mark here, but if you have programming experience you could create that kind of app in no time using one of the popular web-frameworks available right now. CMS systems are more suited to written content, like blogs etc.

You could create a small web app with the functionality you're looking for in Django (if you know Python), Rails (if you know Ruby), CakePHP (if you know PHP) or any of loads more Open Source or freely available web app development frameworks. I personally use Django and I recommend you check it out, even if you haven't programmed before.

randombar

Php would be my kinda thing so would you recommend CakePHP over the likes of Joomla? I've set a few things up with wordpress (Basic stuff I know) but don't have much time for delving into the depths of Joomla!

So what are the benefits of the likes of Cake??

GazaM

GaryCocs wrote: »

So what are the benefits of the likes of Cake?

The benefits are numerous. CMS's like Wordpress etc. are intended for very specific use cases, such as blogs. A web application development framework, such as CakePHP, allows you to build you're own web application for your own specific purposes.

Think of it this way, Wordpress is an application. CakePHP is a framework with which you could build an application like Wordpress, but with certain things ready made to speed up the development (so you're not building completely from scratch). Things such as database api's, template language etc. are all there for you so you don't have to reinvent the wheel when you just want to get busy inventing your own thing!

I haven't used CakePHP, since I'm a python man myself and use Django, but the principles of all RAD (Rapid Application Development) frameworks are basically the same. Check out the site for CakePHP (I linked to it in my previous post) and look for the tutorials etc. and see if that's a route you might take.

Personally, I think using a framework would be better in the long run than struggling with a pre-existing CMS to do something it wasn't built to do (although I'm not saying you couldn't get them working how you want, eventually). In any case, I hope that gives you some help with what you want to do.

Sposs

This is some off the shelf software for social networking sites http://www.boonex.com/products/dolphin/

randombar

GazaM wrote: »

The benefits are numerous. CMS's like Wordpress etc. are intended for very specific use cases, such as blogs. A web application development framework, such as CakePHP, allows you to build you're own web application for your own specific purposes.

Think of it this way, Wordpress is an application. CakePHP is a framework with which you could build an application like Wordpress, but with certain things ready made to speed up the development (so you're not building completely from scratch). Things such as database api's, template language etc. are all there for you so you don't have to reinvent the wheel when you just want to get busy inventing your own thing!

I haven't used CakePHP, since I'm a python man myself and use Django, but the principles of all RAD (Rapid Application Development) frameworks are basically the same. Check out the site for CakePHP (I linked to it in my previous post) and look for the tutorials etc. and see if that's a route you might take.

Personally, I think using a framework would be better in the long run than struggling with a pre-existing CMS to do something it wasn't built to do (although I'm not saying you couldn't get them working how you want, eventually). In any case, I hope that gives you some help with what you want to do.

This cake stuff is tough! Very tough!

Bob the Builder

I don't think ELGG has been suggested yet. (www.elgg.org) afaik.

Brilliant piece of kit for open source social networking. Has the nuts and bolts in place already then you install that for free, and then pay for the modules thereafter. Simple piece of kit, with a big userbase, customizable layout, and good support(through forums, etc.)

GazaM

GaryCocs wrote: »

This cake stuff is tough! Very tough!

Everything is when you've just started learning it! :rolleyes: The type of site you're talking about could be made in just a few hours using one of those frameworks. And think of the time learning it as experience for the C.V.

Seriously though, you can't go wrong taking a bit of time to learn some new things (especially stuff that's "in" or "up and coming" at the moment, which would be frameworks like Cake, Rails and Django!). Brush up on your PHP skills and get stuck in, or dive into something new like Rails or Django. Again, I'd say get stuck into Django... you don't need to know Python from the get go, the documentation seems to be more beginner friendly than CakePHP's (there's even tutorials which cover building a web poll app from start to finish, and a free book available online) and the community is great. The automatic admin interface is also an absolute life saver...

oeb

GaryCocs wrote: »

This cake stuff is tough! Very tough!

]

Never liked Cake for some reason. You might also take a look at Zend Framework, but that could very well be just as difficult. (That's what I work with)