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Web Community

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:02 pm
by The fix
I am wondering if there are any tutorials on how to build a web community similar to this such as, home page + added pages and forums. Are there any free web builders you would suggest, hosting, servers, etc? Other suggestions and guidance is welcomed.

I have no coding background. >.< So, I would need some sort of tutorial.


I am wanting to have few graphics added such as,
buttons pop up and/or flash back color, or vines upon mouse over (something akin to Indies-resources home page)
possibly falling dust
a few very tiny firefly, glowing bug/balls of light

However as mentioned before, I want to keep it pretty clean, similarly to Indies-resources website/community.

Re: Web Community

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:26 pm
by Torniquet
well good luck trying to build that with no coding practice :s

this is where i started...

http://www.developphp.com/view.php?tid=132

tells you how to build a community website such as facebook etc

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 12:32 am
by hallsofvallhalla
look into Joomla also.

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 1:48 am
by The fix
Thank you for your responses.


I have so far tried Wix and google/yahoo

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:04 am
by hallsofvallhalla
joomla is a very easy way to have a website with lots of features, then use phpbb3 for the forums, both are very easy to setup and install.

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 3:59 am
by The fix
Thanks! I will look at them asap.

I thought about taking coding classes in college; however, with finishing my graduate studies in medicine (M.D.), I find the lack of interest to tack on extra classes in my spare time.


Perhaps, I should eventually. Would you suggest it, or do you think teaching yourself is just as good as taking any class? I have looked at coding behind the scenes. I must admit I have a lack of confidence in my capability to learn coding necessary for what I like to set up, on my own. Is it truly easier than it appears at glance?

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 9:56 am
by Torniquet
depends how easy you take new info on...

if you struggle to learn things without proper hands on guidence. dont teach yourself because u will only be here every day posting problems that are simple to over come.

if you can learn new things by yourself, then dont waste the money on courses unless you plan to do it as a profesion, because you will probably find 90% of things you will be taught, you wont accually use.

like halls said, if its only a community website you want, start with joomla and phpbb/smf or another forum, and build from those. they all have massive comunities to help you along the way and they can help you build onto it to achive what your looking for.

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 1:30 pm
by hallsofvallhalla
to be honest if you are in med school I would give teaching yourself a shot. It is not terribly over complicated and sure is easier than surgery ;)

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:25 pm
by Jackolantern
There are some advantages to classes that you typically don't get (at least for a while) with teaching yourself. At a good university, programming is taught at the same time as software development (they are not the same thing). However, 99% of programming books only focus on the former. This makes coding large-scale projects and working with other programmers much more difficult. It can also make some documentation harder to read because it makes assumptions that you know software development concepts such as design patterns and development principles, such as agile, etc.

Re: Web Community

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 7:12 pm
by Torniquet
Jackolantern wrote:There are some advantages to classes that you typically don't get (at least for a while) with teaching yourself. At a good university, programming is taught at the same time as software development (they are not the same thing). However, 99% of programming books only focus on the former. This makes coding large-scale projects and working with other programmers much more difficult. It can also make some documentation harder to read because it makes assumptions that you know software development concepts such as design patterns and development principles, such as agile, etc.
i have to agree here. but that kind of thing is only usefull if you want it as a career. for a simple networking site like the title suggests then its easily taught yourself in all honesty.

there are plenty of video tutorials splashed over the internet which will walk you through basics (and sometimes more complex areas) to show you practically all you need to know.