How to Go About Making a Profile-based Web Site?

[radio]

HI im quite knew to web design and i only really have the very basics of how to make web sites down, I want to try and build a basic profile web site similar to faceparty or myspace but obviously not as complex as those, But ill upgrade it as i go along.

I know those two sites were developed by companys but i was wandering if there are any profile web site making software around that you can get and configure, sort of like how there are alot of different forum software out their? Or do you have to make a profile site yourself from scratch with forums and data base tools ect?

Point me in the right direction cheers..

[primesuspect]

Joomla (http://www.joomla.org)
Subdreamer (http://www.subdreamer.com)
Mambo (http://www.mamboserver.com/)

[radio]

thanx man those look great! Before i down load one< is that all ill need I wont need to use dreamweaver ect to create the actual pages and stuff?.

[airbornflght]

..you may be in over your head, but I'm not one to say somebody cant.

Yes, you could use dreamweaver, but the back end will already be in place, unless you are competent in php/mySQL, then I wouldnt touch it. You can make a template, and change a few things around.

Do you have any reason for making such a site?

[radio]

Im going to put up a forum and i want the site to go along with it, Im just messing about really trying to learn, I dont want it to the equal of faceparty or anything, I just want to make a site and get afew mates to join ect.

[GHoosdum]

If you want to make a site + forum and you don't already have the forum software, I know for a fact that Mambo is pretty easy to interface with Simple Machines Forum. The others could be too, for all I know, but I don't have any experience with them.

[radio]

I want this site to be able to hold detailed profiles and several 640x 480 sized pics on the profiles. Supose my site eventually grow to 5000 members each with afew pics on their profile, What sort of web hosting package am i looking at here? How much web space and bandwidth could i need for that? And what sort of sql data base size would i need?

[airbornflght]

hokay...

Bandwidth with 5000+ active members..a lot.
Space, probably in the neighborhood of 2-3 gigs. maybe up to 5, depends.

[radio]

what about the size of the sql database, How big are these in most web hosts these days?

[Leonardo]

I dont want it to the equal of faceparty or anythingSure you do! There are many successful sites out in the cybersphere that mushroomed because their owners had a burning desire to succeed and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. :thumbup

[airbornflght]

Yeh, just look at myspace. If you get enough buzz floating around, and make it easy to use, then they will come, because people that use *Social* sites usually arent the most computer literate people I have seen, they want something easy to use. Which comes down to the old dillema, make it easy to use at a loss of features, or make it feature rich and appealing to the 'power user' at the cost of potentially scaring away the casual user.



*Awaiting Thrax's reply*

[primesuspect]

The sql database size for this site is about 700mb. Attachments are another 3gb. Bandwidth is 3.5mb per second sustained - about 300-400gb a month.

[airbornflght]

And this is a pretty big site. although the likes of MySpace would probably eclipse us.

[lightnin]

i'm building a custom site now, i'll let you know what it's like when i get done. it's already a whole lot bigger than i'd planned. but it is very limited in scope and the profile view is a tiny part of a larger site, so it's nothing like myspace or facebook or anything.

[radio]

Iv been using joomla to try and build my site, But just out of interest would PHP-nuke be able to do that job im after? Iv looked at it and it seems a bit simpler to use than joomla, But is it capable of building and running a faceparty like site?

[RWB]

Joomla is great... and since what your trying to accomplish is pretty big I would not shrug off either, work with both, be patient and learn it. Then decide which you want to use.

[█Mike█]

Well my friend has hosting packages that will surely fit your needs. If you need more than what is noted on the site, you can just contact him, and ask request your needs. He has very reliable service and enough bandwidth.

Lockdown Web Hosting (http://www.ldw3b.com)

[Hawk]

Here's a friend of mine that has great webhosting.
They'll even build/design you a website that your looking for.
sarcnet.com (http://www.sarcnet.com/index.htm)

[█Mike█]

Thats a cool webhoster, but how would it interest me if I dont see any numbers? Thats what I look for. I cant spend time on an email or phone w/o seeing the numbers infront of me. Just a perception.

[Thrax]

Psst, the owner of Sarcnet has already posted in this thread.

[primesuspect]

we don't sell to the general public, that's why. We deal directly with each customer. I definitely don't try to compete with that kind of budget pricing ($20 a year? He can have it.... :crazy:). We are geared for larger sites and larger customers :D


All plans come with a .ldw3b.com subdomain and include Cpanel and FTP access. To setup one of these plans, contact me by email : pizzabob1950©...

No offense, Mike, but if perception is your game, I get a real bad perception from dealing with "pizzabob" and having .ldw3b tagged onto the end of my domain....

[RWB]

Prime is that man, he hosts my website shown in the link... hehe... I am just too lazy to build my own site. LOL

[airbornflght]

Prime hosts my site too, he is awesome, havent had any problems yet, one of the best hosts I have dealt with, not to mention he is right here if I need him.



ps,

prime, I need to catch you on im sometime.

[Daxx]

But just out of interest would PHP-nuke be able to do that job im after?
I used PHPNuke once and after about 3 months online, the main page got hacked and the hackers put up a "calling card" image. It was a school site..very embarrassing.

[primesuspect]

phpnuke is notoriously insecure.