Is there room?

spl1nter · 03-09-2004, 10:57 AM

I am developing a new PHP/MySQL based forum. I am hoping to make it extremely easy to customize, accessable for people with disabilities and expandable so that it can run not only forums, but whole sites.

I am hoping to release a commercial and freeware version.

Do you believe there is enough need for this?

I am not relying on it to provide a stable income and I am mainly creating it to see if I can, but I just wanted your opinions on this.

RJ · 03-09-2004, 11:50 AM

HotScripts lists 163 different PHP based discussion forum scripts. So in answer to your question is there room, I would say the market is oversaturated already. But if you're just doing it for the challenge of it, I wouldn't let that get in your way. Go for it!

http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Script...rds/index.html

painperdu · 03-09-2004, 08:16 PM

One can never have too many forums I always say

Anthony · 03-10-2004, 06:28 PM

Well, I definitely think you should go for it, especially if you are already thinking of some easy-to-use extra features that most other forum programs don't have. PHP is the way to go!

listenmirndt · 03-12-2004, 04:12 AM

There are alot of great forums out there, but there a bit pain in the arse to customize - Id personally like to see a highly (and easily) customizable forum - id switch in a sec.

spl1nter · 03-12-2004, 10:31 AM

I am going to make it so you can customize it online. I know phpBB offers this, but it's so complicated I have never bothered. Other boards probably offer it as well.

Each thing that you can customise will have a link with a popup window that displays a sample of what your change will look like. And if you mess up, you'll be able to revert to the default values.

Also, since the whole design is using CSS, it will be incredibly easy to customise.

Anthony · 03-13-2004, 03:16 AM

Well, I'd also advise you to establish a core set of features that you consider to be necessary for a forum and have them set up as a default, while providing easily accesible add-ons or switch-ons of other popular features, like a forum store, for instance.

spl1nter · 03-15-2004, 07:46 AM

That's what I had planned thanx. I am hoping the main package will come with several different templates.

MTsoul · 03-15-2004, 11:17 AM

Yeah.. I was trying to create something like that.. Until I saw VBulletin 3.. How can it be any better?

spl1nter · 03-15-2004, 03:58 PM

I haven't been able to get a copy as I am but a poor peasent

I dunno, but I still think I'll be able to bring in something new. Unless someone else adds it in while I'm working on this.

spl1nter · 03-22-2004, 10:20 AM

I've been pretty busy working on the main design. Nearly done now

I've been having great fun seeing how I can change the look of the site using the CSS alone. I can create new sites in 10 mins. It's really fun

Mateja · 03-22-2004, 11:21 AM

well my philosophy is that if you can bring something new to the table, you're always welcome at it, and by the sounds of it, you do have something new.

spl1nter · 03-23-2004, 12:37 PM

You can take a look at how it's shaping up here: http://home.graffiti.net/spl1nter:graffiti.net/

Don't expect the look to stay though

It's changed so many times in the past month.

Anthony · 03-23-2004, 11:15 PM

Wow, looks like a strong start! Please update us with feature lists if you can as you go along.

spl1nter · 03-25-2004, 12:19 AM

Will do

Wesley · 03-26-2004, 07:27 AM

Wow, it's looking great!!

At first when I began reading this, I thought, no way, don't go for it, InvisionBoard is the way to go.

I still think that InvisionBoard is the way to go for now, especially with there v2.0 coming out soon, however, if you can get the perfect look to yours, many people would probably use it. Also, if you provided free hosting without many ads, you could get a lot more people using it.

spl1nter · 03-26-2004, 01:39 PM

Thanks

I've been working pretty hard on the control panels look. It looks pretty nice in my opinion

Wesley · 03-26-2004, 01:49 PM

It definately looks really good

spl1nter · 04-01-2004, 02:50 PM

I have a question. Since the design is all in the CSS that's going to produce a large file (currently about 15Kb but this is unoptimised). Each page has it's own section in this file. Should I create multiple CSS files that are used by each individual page? There would be one general CSS file and one for the forum's main page, one for the inbox etc. etc.

This would also make each CSS file less daunting to hand-edit for the users.

03-09-2004, 10:57 AM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	Is there room? I am developing a new PHP/MySQL based forum. I am hoping to make it extremely easy to customize, accessable for people with disabilities and expandable so that it can run not only forums, but whole sites. I am hoping to release a commercial and freeware version. Do you believe there is enough need for this? I am not relying on it to provide a stable income and I am mainly creating it to see if I can, but I just wanted your opinions on this.

03-09-2004, 11:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
RJ NamePros Admin Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,919 Follow @DomainBuyer	HotScripts lists 163 different PHP based discussion forum scripts. So in answer to your question is there room, I would say the market is oversaturated already. But if you're just doing it for the challenge of it, I wouldn't let that get in your way. Go for it! http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Script...rds/index.html __________________ Reach me at rj at namepros dot com

03-09-2004, 08:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
painperdu NamePros Regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Louisiana, USA Posts: 661	One can never have too many forums I always say __________________ dotbob.com -Cheap Domain Name Registrations/Unlimited Web Hosting Plan $5.98/month

03-12-2004, 04:12 AM	#5 (permalink)
listenmirndt New Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 18	There are alot of great forums out there, but there a bit pain in the arse to customize - Id personally like to see a highly (and easily) customizable forum - id switch in a sec. __________________ Mirndtsoft PHP Scripts \| Featuring Automation for Paypal - Digital Goods, Ebay, Memberships, & Web Hostingwww.mirndtsoft.com

03-15-2004, 11:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
MTsoul New Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 12	Yeah.. I was trying to create something like that.. Until I saw VBulletin 3.. How can it be any better? __________________ life is like a box of crap.. except there is no box. cookies!

03-10-2004, 06:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
Anthony NamePros Expert Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 9,132	Well, I definitely think you should go for it, especially if you are already thinking of some easy-to-use extra features that most other forum programs don't have. PHP is the way to go!

03-12-2004, 10:31 AM	THREAD STARTER #6 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	I am going to make it so you can customize it online. I know phpBB offers this, but it's so complicated I have never bothered. Other boards probably offer it as well. Each thing that you can customise will have a link with a popup window that displays a sample of what your change will look like. And if you mess up, you'll be able to revert to the default values. Also, since the whole design is using CSS, it will be incredibly easy to customise.

03-13-2004, 03:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
Anthony NamePros Expert Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 9,132	Well, I'd also advise you to establish a core set of features that you consider to be necessary for a forum and have them set up as a default, while providing easily accesible add-ons or switch-ons of other popular features, like a forum store, for instance.

03-15-2004, 07:46 AM	THREAD STARTER #8 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	That's what I had planned thanx. I am hoping the main package will come with several different templates.

03-15-2004, 03:58 PM	THREAD STARTER #10 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	I haven't been able to get a copy as I am but a poor peasent I dunno, but I still think I'll be able to bring in something new. Unless someone else adds it in while I'm working on this.

03-22-2004, 10:20 AM	THREAD STARTER #11 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	I've been pretty busy working on the main design. Nearly done now I've been having great fun seeing how I can change the look of the site using the CSS alone. I can create new sites in 10 mins. It's really fun

03-22-2004, 11:21 AM	#12 (permalink)
Mateja NamePros Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: England Posts: 124	well my philosophy is that if you can bring something new to the table, you're always welcome at it, and by the sounds of it, you do have something new.

03-23-2004, 12:37 PM	THREAD STARTER #13 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	You can take a look at how it's shaping up here: http://home.graffiti.net/spl1nter:graffiti.net/ Don't expect the look to stay though It's changed so many times in the past month.

03-23-2004, 11:15 PM	#14 (permalink)
Anthony NamePros Expert Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 9,132	Wow, looks like a strong start! Please update us with feature lists if you can as you go along.

03-25-2004, 12:19 AM	THREAD STARTER #15 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	Will do

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

03-26-2004, 07:27 AM	#16 (permalink)
Wesley Account Suspended Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: MD Posts: 524	Wow, it's looking great!! At first when I began reading this, I thought, no way, don't go for it, InvisionBoard is the way to go. I still think that InvisionBoard is the way to go for now, especially with there v2.0 coming out soon, however, if you can get the perfect look to yours, many people would probably use it. Also, if you provided free hosting without many ads, you could get a lot more people using it.

03-26-2004, 01:39 PM	THREAD STARTER #17 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	Thanks I've been working pretty hard on the control panels look. It looks pretty nice in my opinion

03-26-2004, 01:49 PM	#18 (permalink)
Wesley Account Suspended Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: MD Posts: 524	It definately looks really good

04-01-2004, 02:50 PM	THREAD STARTER #19 (permalink)
spl1nter NamePros Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	I have a question. Since the design is all in the CSS that's going to produce a large file (currently about 15Kb but this is unoptimised). Each page has it's own section in this file. Should I create multiple CSS files that are used by each individual page? There would be one general CSS file and one for the forum's main page, one for the inbox etc. etc. This would also make each CSS file less daunting to hand-edit for the users.