Can a new site be cheap/free and robust?
I need to set up a serious non-profit web site soon. It must accommodate a large number of members (> 100,000). It needs a forum, a blog, news, articles and possibly some Web 2.0 features.
It can be of minimal design and features within this. There is no budget to speak of.
I've set up sites before with all of the above, using individual PHP scripts, and also by using content management systems like Joomla and WordPress. The new site will have professional hosting.
SO MY QUESTION IS, if I do all this with free scripts and my own efforts, am I asking for trouble? Any particular areas where professional design will be necessary? Any particular things to avoid? The site does need to be robust and fast.
Many thanks for your input.
What kind of signature would move someone to post a message about it? And would they know if they should make that post, or not? I was hoping someone here would know. But apparently not.
Michael James Swan posted this at 12:09 — 5th August 2008.
He has: 400 posts
Joined: May 2008
Because you are doing it for a non-profit sort of thing then i shall look into giving you a free business package on Corporate Internet Solutions.
I will have to have a few weeks to arrange this for you but i will give it to you for free for one year.
Please let me know, if you like the offer...
kaat posted this at 13:25 — 5th August 2008.
He has: 11 posts
Joined: May 2004
I will have to have a few weeks to arrange this for you but i will give it to you for free for one year.
Please let me know, if you like the offer...
Well, it's a wonderful offer, of course, and thank you! I must first understand what exactly is being offered (I guess it's hosting, yeah?). And I must plan for the site to be basically permanent, so I'll need to understand deals for multiple years. Also, because of the site's international nature, I wonder if strategic geographic host location is worth considering, in terms of speed of access world-wide.
What kind of signature would move someone to post a message about it? And would they know if they should make that post, or not? I was hoping someone here would know. But apparently not.
Michael James Swan posted this at 13:48 — 5th August 2008.
He has: 400 posts
Joined: May 2008
The hosting is the business package on Corporate Internet Solutions but at half the cost.
I will give it to you free for the first year.
Yes, it is hosting.
We have 2 data centres, one in Mainhead, london and the other is in Florida, USA.
For multiple years we can work something out to be half the cost or roughly £39.99 a year for business hosting after the first year.
This saves around about £80 a year.
Ideas?
You also get a free domain.
Megan posted this at 14:33 — 5th August 2008.
She has: 11,421 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
Can you two please take this discussion to private email or PM? Thanks.
Your project sounds like a job for Drupal, to be honest. If you have a good CMS/framework in place it should be do-able.
Whether professional design would be required depends on your goals and your own skills. Do you want it to look like a high quality professional site? Are your design skills good, adequate, or poor? Would you be satisfied with a default CMS template or do you want it to look unique?
Jeevesbond and I built this site and its partner A Padded Cell completely using free (FLOSS) tools. It's always a work in progress. However, I would definitely not consider it a free/cheap site - we put a lot of time and effort into developing the sites. I don't know about you, but my time is not "free" (as in beer
)
Megan
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kaat posted this at 16:04 — 5th August 2008.
He has: 11 posts
Joined: May 2004
Sure thing.
Thanks. Do you recommend Drupal over other CMSs for my type of application?
My goal is a clean, minimal, and effortlessly functional site that is fast, and capable of having >100,000 members (but not necessarily the very high traffic that implies). I'd be happy with a default template.
Nice site. Probably just the kind of thing I need. My skills and time are good.
What kind of signature would move someone to post a message about it? And would they know if they should make that post, or not? I was hoping someone here would know. But apparently not.
Michael James Swan posted this at 19:11 — 5th August 2008.
He has: 400 posts
Joined: May 2008
Thanks Megan, Will DO.
Have A Nice Day..
kaiz49 posted this at 16:22 — 18th August 2008.
They have: 16 posts
Joined: Aug 2008
definitely somewhat cheap .
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