Where do I start?

[polygon]

I'm the owner of a 4L .com, it's quite aged and has been developed before. It's a good 4L, not like most of the crap we see in the liquid section of NP.

I want to turn it into a low-scale social media platform that is a competitor to 4chan.

I do not possess the programming prowess that is required for the ideas I want to implement.

Where do I start?

 

[johnn]

Another question with no answer.
You don’t know what you are doing and you ask people guess what you want to do???

 

[Recons.Com]

I'm the owner of a 4L .com, it's quite aged and has been developed before. It's a good 4L, not like most of the crap we see in the liquid section of NP.

I want to turn it into a low-scale social media platform that is a competitor to 4chan.

I do not possess the programming prowess that is required for the ideas I want to implement.

Where do I start?

Not sure about what 4L you are talking about, but I'd say the profile name matches the post perfectly.

 

[LucidDomains]

If you have money to can rent a freelancer to make the site for you. Try freelancer.com

 

[polygon]

Another question with no answer.
You don’t know what you are doing and you ask people guess what you want to do???

I struggled trying to interpret what you just posted.

Not sure about what 4L you are talking about, but I'd say the profile name matches the post perfectly.

?

If you guys have nothing of value to the question at hand, why did you post a comment? You just enjoy downing people?

 

[polygon]

If you have money to can rent a freelancer to make the site for you. Try freelancer.com

Thank you for the recommendation, I will look into it.

I can handle the majority, if not all, of the site's front-end. I just need a back-end programmer.

I do have funds to afford one, but the site I'd like to build is best suited for someone able to monitor it daily.

Not sure how much that would cost over time, but it would be much easier to do a revenue split.

I haven't reached out to any software development companies, but I know most would not be interested in such a deal, even if it was in their favor (like a 20-80 split in their favor).

Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Recons.Com]

I struggled trying to interpret what you just posted.

?

If you guys have nothing of value to the question at hand, why did you post a comment? You just enjoy downing people?

I am sorry. You are right. I will post my own thread and see what people think of me turning a family recipe for a beverage into the slayer of Coke and Pepsi.

 

[polygon]

I am sorry. You are right. I will post my own thread and see what people think of me turning a family recipe for a beverage into the slayer of Coke and Pepsi.

What do you get out of being discouraging?

 

[Recons.Com]

What do you get out of being discouraging?

Nothing. But you might get something from it, if you can sense beyond your sensitive skin.

E.g., lots of saved time, money and stress.

If you have never developed something large beyond a small blog or corp page, you have no clue what you are against trying to build a huge web project. It requires a large permanent team, and/or lots of own expertise in the fields of coding, security, hosting, social media, advertising, seo, community development etc.

 

[Future Sensors]

Where do I start?

This is a perfect question for ChatGPT, really.

I took the time to ask ChatGPT for you. Thank me later.

---

Starting a social media platform, especially one aiming to compete with established sites like 4chan, is a challenging but exciting endeavor. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Define Your Vision and Niche​

• Purpose: What is the unique value proposition of your platform? What will differentiate it from 4chan and other social media?
• Audience: Who are you targeting? Are there specific communities or interest groups you want to attract?

2. Plan Key Features and Structure​

• Core Features: Decide on essential features like user profiles, posting formats (text, images, videos), forums or boards, moderation tools, etc.
• User Experience: Plan the user flow, interface design, and overall experience. Consider how users will interact with the site.

3. Legal and Ethical Considerations​

• Content Moderation: Establish guidelines for what is and isn't allowed on your platform. This includes policies on hate speech, harassment, illegal content, etc.
• Compliance: Ensure your platform complies with laws such as GDPR for data protection and any other relevant local regulations.

4. Assemble a Team​

• Technical Team: Given your lack of programming expertise, hire developers who specialize in web development, particularly in building scalable social media platforms.
• Designers: To create a user-friendly interface.
• Moderators and Community Managers: For content oversight and community engagement.

5. Development​

• Technology Stack: Choose appropriate technologies for front-end (React, Angular, etc.), back-end (Node.js, Django, etc.), database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.), and hosting (AWS, Azure, etc.).
• Prototyping and MVP: Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test core features and gather user feedback.
• Security: Implement robust security measures to protect user data and prevent malicious activities.

6. Launch and Marketing​

• Beta Testing: Launch a beta version to a select group of users to iron out any issues.
• Marketing Strategy: Develop a marketing plan to attract users. Utilize SEO, social media, content marketing, and possibly influencer partnerships.
• Community Building: Foster a community around your platform, encouraging user engagement and loyalty.

7. Monetization and Growth​

• Revenue Streams: Consider how to monetize the platform—advertising, premium features, merchandise, etc.
• Scaling: Plan for growth, both in terms of technology (server capacity, etc.) and community management.

8. Feedback and Iteration​

• User Feedback: Continuously gather feedback from users to improve and add new features.
• Iterative Development: Keep evolving the platform based on user needs and market trends.

Getting Started with the Right Team​

Since you don't have the necessary programming skills, your first step should be to find a technical co-founder or hire a development team. You can look for developers through:

• Freelance Platforms: Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal.
• Tech Communities: GitHub, Stack Overflow.
• Professional Networks: LinkedIn, local tech meetups.

When hiring, ensure that the developers have experience with the technology stack you choose and are comfortable working on social media platforms, which often involve complex and scalable architectures.

Conclusion​

Launching a social media platform is a complex task requiring careful planning, a skilled team, and a clear understanding of your niche and audience. Start by clarifying your vision and gathering the right people to bring it to life. Good luck with your project!

 

[Grilled]

Fun thread! I hope it stays it stays light hearted and everybody remains friends!

As for where to start, perhaps this question would be best suited for those who have experience with chan like sites:

Have you tried reaching out to Fredrick Brennan or dare I say @Kirtaner

 

[bmugford]

I'm the owner of a 4L .com, it's quite aged and has been developed before. It's a good 4L, not like most of the crap we see in the liquid section of NP.

I want to turn it into a low-scale social media platform that is a competitor to 4chan.

I do not possess the programming prowess that is required for the ideas I want to implement.

Where do I start?

The domain itself would be a very small part of such a big project.

Brad

 

[scithe]

Find webhosting with Cpanel and use softaculous to install Xenforo, Simple Machines Forums or PHPBB. You should probably try out all 3 in different directories.

The biggest reason most of the hundreds of thousands of forums have failed over the years is community. Hiring people in the Philippines to create multiple accounts to initiate conversations will help only if you and they know what types of content will entice people.

Avoid creating Discord servers, FB groups, subreddits and other areas where people would spend time interacting off of your message boards.

 

[polygon]

Nothing. But you might get something from it, if you can sense beyond your sensitive skin.

E.g., lots of saved time, money and stress.

If you have never developed something large beyond a small blog or corp page, you have no clue what you are against trying to build a huge web project. It requires a large permanent team, and/or lots of own expertise in the fields of coding, security, hosting, social media, advertising, seo, community development etc.

I've developed large scale websites by myself from scratch before and know far too well the time, stress, and money involved. I've decided to not put myself through that hell again and need to establish a team, just don't know where to start as I've always programmed alone.

And me acknowledging your discouragement doesn't make me sensitive. You could have led with the bottom portion of your above response and that would have been that.

I took the time to ask ChatGPT for you. Thank me later.

Thank you, your post was extremely helpful and I'll be filling out the blanks for every bulletin point mentioned.

Have you tried reaching out to Fredrick Brennan or dare I say @Kirtaner

I have not, but will do so when I have the time, thank you.

The domain itself would be a very small part of such a big project.

Brad

I agree, but I do respect the importance of having a catchy and memorable brand name. And I really only included that detail to eliminate any "have you come up with a brand/do you have the domain yet?" questions.

Find webhosting with Cpanel and use softaculous to install Xenforo, Simple Machines Forums or PHPBB. You should probably try out all 3 in different directories.

The biggest reason most of the hundreds of thousands of forums have failed over the years is community. Hiring people in the Philippines to create multiple accounts to initiate conversations will help only if you and they know what types of content will entice people.

Avoid creating Discord servers, FB groups, subreddits and other areas where people would spend time interacting off of your message boards.

Good tips across the board, thanks. I've considered Xenforo prior to opening this thread.

 

[dirk]

Where do I start?

Drop me a line, including your budget. I charge €249 by the hour.