Site Idea!!! Help Deciding!!! Suggestions!!!

[cyberhookup]

Hi all I need suggestions on the best way to set up a new site. It will be an upload site targeted at videos and images but it will be free with ads of course.

There will be 2 different sites but both will be linked together. One will be a blog type site featuring:
1. Forums allowing anybody to post without registration.
2. Linked account creation. Make an account on one site and it will give you the option to create an account

with the same information on the other site.
3. Latest forum threads and posts.
4. Latest file uploads from upload site.
5. Featured post section.
6. Plenty of ad space.
7. Ad bar on top of page along with network bar that shows all the sites in the network.

Now the upload site will feature these things:
1. Upload progress bar.
2. Multiple file uploads.
3. Clean layout with ad space and network bar at top.
4. User registration
5. Top files page.
6. Recently uploaded and downloaded page.
7. Statistics page.
8. Email file to friend option.
9. Bb code, html code and link to each file uploaded generated.
10. The option to create account to gain access special statistics about the files uploaded by that user.
11. Paid account to be able to remove ads.

Now for the blog site I was thinking about using wordpress and then having some custom codework done to pull

the latest threads, posts and have the ad and network bar on top. I will also need a clean layout like

coomgirls.com and unscripted360.com have. For the upload site I am thinking about using encodable.com file

chucker and userbase to run on although they lack some of the features I am wanting. I am open to any

suggestions on cms's or coders that can do this at a reasonable price since the whole goal behind is to

provide good service, learn and make money since I am still going to college and need money for education. I

am also hoping to find out what a good server configuration is for this type of project. I have heard

dedicated and vps are good but I am not sure of what the best configuration is and any good hosting companys

that can provide excelllent service with excellent support along with reasonably priced services.

I hope some of you have some suggestions to features, cms's, hosting companys, coders and anything else you

think I need to know.

Thanks for looking at this thread.
cyberhookup

[Apostropartheid]

...And why do you need two sites? What’s wrong with directories? I know that I’m personally very wary of being asked to be signed up elsewhere when I create an account and decline when possible. Don’t make your users feel uneasy.

[Millenia]

...And why do you need two sites? What’s wrong with directories? I know that I’m personally very wary of being asked to be signed up elsewhere when I create an account and decline when possible. Don’t make your users feel uneasy.

I agree, It's that or I have misunderstood your site description. How about a sub-domain?

Wordpress for blogs is great. If anyone can find better blog software i would like to know. Hacking and modifying Wordpress is almost as easy as installing it... (in case you wondered that's easy)

Edit:

As for the upload site, quite a lot of the features could be made in AJAX and the rest in PHP.

[cyberhookup]

...And why do you need two sites? What’s wrong with directories? I know that I’m personally very wary of being asked to be signed up elsewhere when I create an account and decline when possible. Don’t make your users feel uneasy.
I didn't mean 2 different sites. One being either a sub-domain like Millenia suggested or a folder add on to the regular domain name. ( not sure exactly whats its called)

I agree, It's that or I have misunderstood your site description. How about a sub-domain?

Wordpress for blogs is great. If anyone can find better blog software i would like to know. Hacking and modifying Wordpress is almost as easy as installing it... (in case you wondered that's easy)
Yes but I need it to be able to do all the things I mentioned above. I have had a few suggestions to go with Joomla or drupal but again I am not a coder so I wouldn't know much about which is best or not. Any insight on the subject? I saw your edit. I am not a coder and don't know much about php except that it is used a lot and is very powerful. I would prefer using some script that has been tested and is simple for me to use. Or if somebody would do all this for me at a reasonably price I would love that. I am in college so my budget isn't much but I guess I could opt for something like that.

[Apostropartheid]

It’s called a directory. Then why would you need to ask to be signed up somewhere else—surely a centralized account name system would be implemented anyway?

WordPress is a blog authoring platform. It’s not a piece of forum software, or, at least, isn’t intended to be.

[Millenia]

I didn't mean 2 different sites. One being either a sub-domain like Millenia suggested or a folder add on to the regular domain name. ( not sure exactly whats its called)You mean a directory :thumbsup:

(DANG, cyan beat me to it again)


As for the fact that you are not a coder, I cannot help you. I don't use site software and therefore lack knowledge. Sorry :(

Yet another edit: I heard wordpress can be a forum, I don't know how, I just heard it somewhere.
I don't think there are any scripts that do all this that you want.

[Apostropartheid]

It’s probably possible to, seeing as it has the elements. Each “post” would be a thread, and the comments its responses. You’re probably more likely better off with a dedicated forum platform, though.

[Millenia]

It’s probably possible to, seeing as it has the elements. Each “post” would be a thread, and the comments its responses. You’re probably more likely better off with a dedicated forum platform, though.

So now the question is;

Can we turn a forum into a blog? :thumbsup:

[gnomeontherun]

(DANG, cyan beat me to it again)

I know EXACTLY how you feel Millenia...that Cyan character...:cool:

Well as to some of the other topics raised in the OP, at this point I see no reason to do dedicated hosting. You don't have the money to finance it, and if the site grows in size and is profitable, you can then invest in that. The problem with video is the size, and it is hard to manage uploads to video if there isn't a way to convert the video to a proper format on the uploaded server. Otherwise you'll have people putting 2 Gigs of their home videos on, and you can't manage that with PHP. There is a thread somewhere about this on the Graphics/Multimedia forum, but your hosting will need to be able to provide a video conversion feature for this to really fly. I'm not an expert in all of this, but those kinds of hosts are more expensive (probably) and harder to find.

[cyberhookup]

It’s called a directory. Then why would you need to ask to be signed up somewhere else—surely a centralized account name system would be implemented anyway?

WordPress is a blog authoring platform. It’s not a piece of forum software, or, at least, isn’t intended to be.

Gotcha. Oh I thought with a sub domain it would have to have to login systems. Oh well yes one centralized login system would work then. I only suggested wordpress because I have been using it and I like its interface, but if another cms will do the job better by all means let me know. Or if you have another way to do this let me know.

[cyberhookup]

I know EXACTLY how you feel Millenia...that Cyan character...:cool:

Well as to some of the other topics raised in the OP, at this point I see no reason to do dedicated hosting. You don't have the money to finance it, and if the site grows in size and is profitable, you can then invest in that. The problem with video is the size, and it is hard to manage uploads to video if there isn't a way to convert the video to a proper format on the uploaded server. Otherwise you'll have people putting 2 Gigs of their home videos on, and you can't manage that with PHP. There is a thread somewhere about this on the Graphics/Multimedia forum, but your hosting will need to be able to provide a video conversion feature for this to really fly. I'm not an expert in all of this, but those kinds of hosts are more expensive (probably) and harder to find.
I will have a look and try to find that thread. I thought most hosts could do this with a few things installed? Like ffmpeg and a few others?

[gnomeontherun]

Yes ffmpeg is the name of it, but I don't think it is a standard feature on most hosting services. I found this though,

http://www.hostingdiary.com/2008/02/ffmpeg-hosting.html

[cyberhookup]

Yes ffmpeg is the name of it, but I don't think it is a standard feature on most hosting services. I found this though,

http://www.hostingdiary.com/2008/02/ffmpeg-hosting.html

Thanks for the link. I am doing s little bit more research as I write to all of this. Although I am still needing the best way to go about this project.

[Apostropartheid]

I know EXACTLY how you feel Millenia...that Cyan character...:cool:
You love me really. Please say you do :(

Anyway, you’re probably going to have to implement a quota, at least till it takes off. Unless you find a high bandwidth and space plan which you can afford for a while…

[gnomeontherun]

You love me really. Please say you do :(

Love cannot be forced out of or upon anyone! ;)