Ning runs on ning’s servers.
Unless you are implying that I’m with Ning, which, while vaguely flattering, is not true.
I have followed this thread for the same reasons - I’ve been looking to run on the server I have - but it does seem that the ning thing offers a lot I have been looking for, in a very customizable platform. AFAIKT, you can have your domain, you can strip all their nav bars, you can run your own ads (for $5, $8 and $20 monthly…) I have been looking to spend a lot monthly, and this would be less.
So it’s worth looking at before dismissing, especially since similar but much more restrictive products have been offered… though it just launched. Who knows…
Ning looks interesting, but won’t work for me. There’s no ‘groups’ function, and the forums are a bit odd.
That said, it DOES look interesting, and very well done.
My vote is still for drupal. Strawberries, when is Datemill due out? They’re already 8 weeks late.
Kat, no definite word yet re datemill. There was talk recently of the end of March.
But it’s been longer than 8 weeks, as suggested. I’ve been hanging around waiting since early/middle 2006. 
Very informative community here - took a couple hours to read through this thread, and by the end of it I had to join. Thanks to everyone for their input.
I would like to run a social network on my Expression Engine site. Do any of the aforementioned scripts support integration with EE? Or can that be done manually with any of them? (I’m no coder but I could probably get someone to do it if it’s possible.)
The closest I seem to get to a solution is integrating EE with the [URL=“http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?showuser=61416”]pimped up IPB forums that someone on this thread posted about. But I would like audio and video sharing with media players included (since it’s a fansite), and the IPB thing seems to allow only file sharing.
Ideally I want to avoid doing it through forum software, but through an app devoted to running the “fanspace” while integrating with the site’s existing login/db. Right now I’m using KickApps, which is pretty revolutionary and really great out of the box, and does the job, but I’d like to use a script installed on my server while continuing to integrate with EE’s existing database, if possible.
Any ideas? Thanks.
PS: Kat, I would LOVE to run it on Drupal too, just don’t have the resources right now.
I searched high and LOW for a solution to make an SNS using EE. If you figure it out, you’ll be my hero.
To be honest, while EE is a great CMS (I’m using it for TheWeighWeWere.com ) I wouldn’t use it for anything remotely sns-related UNLESS they opened up their system to full integration with vBulletin.
For the price of EE, and the cost of custom coding, you’re better off hiring someone to create a drupal site for you. (You can save on design costs, by using something from Template Monster.)
If you read the boards at EE, you’ll see a LOT of bellyaching about the inability to use the script in a ‘social’ way. Plus there is no official written documentation on EE - that can be downloaded, and that bugs me to NO end. For just about anything I need to do, I need to consult the boards. While the responses are fairly prompt, courteous, and helpful, it’s a pain. If you have programming skills, you might not need it but I’m use to the back end ease of scripts like Movable Type, vBulletin, WordPress - you name it. EE makes me want to pull my hair out.
EE offers no ‘member’ benefits. If you were considering if for it’s CMS power, you’re better off going with WordPress and it’s vBulletin bridge. (Maybe even WordPress MU which allows you to run hosted blogs…)
I still think, however, that end the end, you’re better off with Drupal.
Thanks for the response, Kat. I’ve liked EE so far, but I’ve taken note of your displeasure with it - I really can’t spend any more on a Drupal site, though… not anytime soon. I don’t even rely on ads, I do what I do just as a service, I get nothing out of it except the pleasure of helping likeminded people meet and interact and meanwhile helping support a band I’m friends with. So I guess I’ll make do with what I got right now - and it’s certainly not bad. But Drupal is now on my radar, mostly thanks to you.
If you don’t mind having the script hosted at their server (though it’ll appear to your users as if it’s hosted by you, thanks to domain mapping), then I highly recommend KickApps. It’s the best software of it’s kind, IMO. It not only gives you a community, but allows you to make “viral” widgets of videos, audio, etc. and put that in your blog/site and let other people embed it on their own sites, and all of those embeds link back to your site. It’s really easy to set up, too. Check out some of these sites that run their communities on KickApps:
ABC’s ‘Lost’ on UGO
National Lampoon’s KnuckleHead Video
WUAB Cleveland’s My43.net
GolfNow.tv
Arena Football League’s ‘MyAFL’
Star 96.7
I’m sure you can implement it on EE. I used them on a Blogger blog, and now I that got EE I’m gonna move KickApps to the EE site, but was wondering meanwhile if there was something as good that I could host on my own server instead. Kickapps runs from their server, but you get to customize the CSS to make the site look as you want it to look so it’s seamless - nobody will feel like they left your site to use a third-party software. And it’s free if you don’t mind one AdSense text banner on the KickApps pages.
Nice site, 3000 members is great, but I was wondering why you haven’t designed/skinned your forums to match your site?
Thanks! The site just got completed a few days ago, and the board (members and all) is going to be moved to another site. I have 40,000 members at another board, so 3000 kind of bums me out:confused:
If I had to do it again, I’d build it on Drupal. That said, since putting it on EE, the traffic has doubled in just a few days, so I guess I should stop bellyaching.
40,000. wow. haha 3000 looks so puny in front of that. 
I set one up for my site a couple weeks ago and we have 72 so far… I’d be very happy with 3000.
Sorry for the offtopic question but since you brought up moving forums, I’m reminded to ask if you (or anyone) have any idea how I could import the threads from my vB forums to the new EE forums I’ve set up? I’ve been researching quite a bit with no luck. Thanks.
So what script did you end up choosing for the Christian dating site you were planning?
Ugh, why would you want to import from vB to EE forums? Bleh.
Take a look at iPod Lounge. They use EE CMS and vB. To avoid comment spam at the EE, they use the captcha image for comments. Site members only need to register at the vB.
I designed it for someone else and contracted out the work to a coder…it was a VERY hacked out version of vB combined with PhotoPost and vBa. Worked great! If I had known about Drupal at the time, I would have considered that, but it worked fine. For super vB hacks, I only use one guy - I think he can code ANYTHING on vB. PM me if you need a good vB coder.
After paying 4 different developer companies to create my website over a 1+ year of development using Drupal and its many modules, it is clear to me that there are not enough truly experienced Drupal developers out there. In addition, it is a very (over $12K spent 
) expensive option for a website. It is also buggy (user registration in 4.7x version) to some extent. I am now looking at revamping my whole website using something custom like PHPFox or BuddyZone integrated with Clip-share. 
You might want to ask around before opting for Fox or Zone.
I don’t have experience with either. My comment is based on the comments of others. Run a search here, and check out the threads.
Me? I still want Drupal. It’s working just fine for US Weekly Magazine, Lime, and PopSugar…
I’m about ready to work on the launch of my site this weekend… can’t wait!!! While I may have a phpfox site up just collecting dust and stray visitors, I can tell you with great assurance that I will not be using it. Enough is enough. But as challenging as that may be - and some have pretty nice size membership (I didn’t say active users) - I am not altogether confident about Buddy Zone. Fox has lots of member support with a forum so that if anything goes wrong you’ve got a whole lot of other people in the same shoes as you do looking for a solution. If it’s a choice between the two, I opt for Fox.
Then again… I’m hoping to dazzle you all with a nice integration of several products making for a truly kick butt community site that rocks. It isn’t perfect but it gets me where I need to be and with flair. Good luck with your site. And Kat, if you’ve got a coder recommendation for vbulletin work I’d love to get someone reliable… never have enough of them. 
Slinky…once your site hits production will you share the URL with us so we can take a looky-see?
why do you want to integrate buddyzone or phpfox with clipshare? they already have video modules available
Well I have been away from this thread for awhile. But I took some hands on time with Drupal and started working on my own community based web site.
At first Drupal is a little intimidating. But alot of long hours reading through the code talking to other developers and reviewing what other sites have to offer based on Drupal. I look at it like this. Drupal is like a open framework. Even the modules themselves most of them arn’t truely complete and most take alot of work to get to a point where there fully sunctionally (functional in terms of displaying data on a site the way you want).
But after some long hours sifting through the forums and getting frustrated by trying to find existing modules and solutions to the things I wanted to implement within my site. I realized once you learn the core of what Drupal is and how it works. For the most part it’s easier to just customize it all yourself. Using the tools Drupal gives you with Themes, Views, and Taxonomy you can accomplish pretty much any type of design and data arrangement.
Ok that was kind of long winded. But in short Drupal is really cool if you force yourself to get familier with it and if you have a base knowledge of PHP.
Well after working with both PHPFox and Drupal. I personally would recommend Drupal over PHPFox. I know that probably doesn’t offer you much conciliation after spending $12k. PHPFox is fairly buggy itself and doesn’t offer the flexibility that a Drupal community would offer for your site. PHPFox is PHPFox and what you see is what you get. Drupal can be organized in any way and all Drupal sites can look completly different. So the PHPFox I’ll agree has more out of the box features. Drupal may be better for getting that final product you want.
I really hate to be critical of other developers. But your site:
http://www.artisticpursuit.com
I can see were you were trying to go with it. But it looks like it’s more an issue with the design and the way it’s all laid out on the page. There is no real organization to the content and the way everything is laid out. So it makes it look “cluttered”.
Again just my 2 cents. Can take it with a grain of salt.
James
I can see where artisticpursuit.com is going. At least it is trying to break out of the PHPFox mould of sameness. The market that this site is aimed at, is more intune with a busy layout, but how unstructured is a LHS/RHS Column/centre galley layout?
For a budget of $12,000, the site could have been developed from the ground up.
I read this thread regularly and artisticpursuit.com is the only website so far to get away from the quagmire and offer some alternative approach. I do suggest getting a better designer, as I think this layout could ROCK!
Dalt
I agree I can see where it was intended and the target audience it was intended for and my purpose wasn’t to bash or talk down regarding the site.
But yes for 12K it could have been alot more graphically pleasing and maybe more then the basic Header, Left, Main, Right layout.
James