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building a php social networking portal
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:51 am
by vihrao
I want build simple social networking portal for a special group. I would like to know if there is any open source tool that helps me do this. Any framework recommended? I really appreciate any pointers for me to start learning?
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:03 am
by designjutsu
Hi,
I think this page can help you out.

It got a list of social networking softwares
http://www.vivalogo.com/vl-resources/op ... ftware.htm
If you need graphic design or help customizing I can help you out. Pls visit our website at
www.designjutsu.com 
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:44 am
by Jonah Bron
You could set up a Diaspora pod. I'm sure you can isolate it from the rest of the network.
https://joindiaspora.com/
https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/wi ... g-Diaspora
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:00 pm
by matthijs
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:19 pm
by vihrao
The features that I would like to support in my portal are:
- Complete anonymity of user
- Support different groups of users
- Start/participate discussion
- Allow user to profile in a way he/she wants instead of predefined profiling
- Gather behavior based on profiles and suggest recommendations to users
- Multiple language support
I am looking for a very simple tool that does the above.
I want to be able to start coding rightaway and be able to freely customize the tool with PHP/SQL and may have to interoperate with other vendor modules. I just don't have time to worry about licensing issues or spend time learning/installing/builidng etc., beause I will be coding alone for the next few months.
By the way I don't know PHP, but can learn quickly with right pointers (although I have coded with other languages)
Can you please tell me the best way to achive this?
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:44 pm
by Jonah Bron
One option would be for you to look at the links we gave.

Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:38 pm
by vihrao
It is interesting concept.
I tried
https://joindiaspora.com/. Doeen't support IE browser - why would they block?
Also wiki says, diaspora has plans to "...plan to offer a paid hosting service for Diaspora seeds"
So I want to understand this. If I use this, can I create multiple groups(islands) of pods distributed across globe with their own user groups. Then how do I monitor them centrally and provide value to them?
Also I have to pay hosting fees to each of the diaspora pads, when I am trying to build something to serve the disadvantaged people and intention is not to make money - I should still cough up money? I want to know the busliness logic of how pods can flourish on disapora
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:14 pm
by Jonah Bron
vihrao wrote:Also I have to pay hosting fees to each of the diaspora pads, when I am trying to build something to serve the disadvantaged people and intention is not to make money - I should still cough up money? I want to know the busliness logic of how pods can flourish on disapora
If you want to setup a social network system, you have to host it. And hosting means hosting fees. There's really no way around it.
vihrao wrote:Doeen't support IE browser - why would they block?
Because IE is sub-par, and forces more complexity into an application by it's poor standards compliance.
vihrao wrote:Also wiki says, diaspora has plans to "...plan to offer a paid hosting service for Diaspora seeds"
I think that means you can pay them and they'll host it for you.
vihrao wrote:So I want to understand this. If I use this, can I create multiple groups(islands) of pods distributed across globe with their own user groups. Then how do I monitor them centrally and provide value to them?
That's how Diaspora works as a whole, not how you have to set it up. You only need to setup one Diaspora pod.
I didn't know about BuddyPress before... that could be a better solution because it's not meant to connect with all other instances of it.
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:25 am
by vihrao
vihrao wrote:So I want to understand this. If I use this, can I create multiple groups(islands) of pods distributed across globe with their own user groups. Then how do I monitor them centrally and provide value to them?
jonah wrote:That's how Diaspora works as a whole, not how you have to set it up. You only need to setup one Diaspora pod.
I didn't know about BuddyPress before... that could be a better solution because it's not meant to connect with all other instances of it.
Actually I like having mutiple pods, then one can have regional pods in different languages - if that is a possibility. Then hopefully you can connect them together and enforce over all security, overall profiling. is this true?
My question for you is how easy is Diasposra for development. The problem with complete open source is that you have so many products mashed together - in some contexts one ends up with utmost one way to solve a problem. And if you don't know that one exact way you are hosed indefnitely, because there is no outside help.
I am doing development alone.
Can you please tell me if you have worked with it and give me any input on the ease of development in Diaspora.
Re: building a php social networking portal
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:24 pm
by Jonah Bron
I've never actually used it: it's pretty new. Also, it's written in Ruby (on Rails), not PHP. You shouldn't have to do any development to get it going, though.