I have been playing around with bridging three popular open source website applications that provide some impressive functionality in a highly customizable easy to manage package. I am currently running the latest version of WordPress, my favorite blogging tool and choice for content management, with the SimpleMachines forum software (SMF) for community discussion. SMF is a robust and well supported stand alone web solution that anchors the community with the best features and management tools of all forum software by my testing.
From an admin point of view SMF is amazing and simple to enhance and there are hundreds of modifications that can be easily added including to personalize your own community. SMF offers an easy to use Gallery feature but I wanted something better and found it was a simple plugin away from bridging Coppermine Gallery into things so community members can add, rate and comment on user submitted images. The first community I built was ZuneMAX.com which actually inspired my ideas to build a large community of open source applications from necessity.
The Zune site took off and we had loads of new members and it really just grew from what people needed for their Zune. What started as a single page blossomed into my blogging with WordPress and then the forums with gallery, directory and topsite added but not integrated. Bridging WSNlinks and a good topsite script is next. I have the WSNlinks port working but the member list isn’t working properly. The login is tied together but importing the wordpress users into WSNlinks may be a trick for me. Anyone worked this out yet?
Tags: Affordable Web
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