#1 (permalink)

Does anyone have any software they might suggest that I could use to create a user driven website that would allow people to go on and write comments and post reviews? I am thinking of creating a site about camping and would most likely use phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com/) to create the user forum portion.

I am new to phpBB and am unsure of its full capabilities. I would like to have a section of the website open to people making posts and starting threads much like webmaster-talk does. However, I also would like to have a section of the site where I can essentially have a database that is full of campgrounds and when the user clicks on a certain campground it will pull up a description of the site that I have put up and then the users can rate the campsite. I would also like them to be able to post a review of that campsite and then have it pull up whenever someone clicks on that related site.

I guess what I am asking is if this is something phpBB would be capable of or is there other software I would need (like something that runs on mySQL). I would ideally like something that is freeware and open source.

Thanks!

#2 (permalink)

You really must make something bespoke. Can't you use a search engine? There are large quantities of free code, training and other information on how to build any kind of scripted system, such as what you mention.

Also note that 95% of people choose to use some junk like a forum script - so if you make it yourself you are already ahead of 95% of the market in technical capability and brand uniqueness.

#3 (permalink)

If you want a forum solution, I would recommend vBulletin hands-down. But you want something free, so I would then suggest MyBB. It's a better alternative to phpBB (in my opinion).

__________________
Regards,
Nick