esantoro Report post Posted November 1, 2008 I've decided to start my own blog on current events, politics, literature, and society, and I like how the software for Leatherworker.net works. Is this software that must be bought, or must I subscribe to a special server to set it all up? Ed, who ain't working on Maggie's Farm no more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tashabear Report post Posted November 1, 2008 Do you want a blog or a forum, though? They're very different. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted November 1, 2008 Do you want a blog or a forum, though? They're very different. I think what I want is something identical to the forum we have here. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johanna Report post Posted November 1, 2008 If you want a forum, use simple machines forum It's easy to set up and maintain, and free. If you want to blog, try blogger. ~J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted November 1, 2008 If you want a forum, use simple machines forum It's easy to set up and maintain, and free. If you want to blog, try blogger.~J Thanks, Johanna. Here are my intentions, as posted to the blog for PBS' The Journal: What I have to say I've been wanting to say for some time. Moyers' querying about what regular people can do to stay informed has prompted me to post. Here is what can be done by 5:00 pm Monday: 1. Reformat the forum here so that insightful and informed posts have a lifespan greater than a few days and significant threads stay alive. 2. Create a blog or web page that takes numbers and names names. McCain has said that he would publish the names of individuals, companies, and corporations whose practices are culpable at least in part for the breakdown of democracy and civility in this country. Obama should be willing to do the same. But instead of waiting for either of these candidates to publish such information, we should do it right here on The Journal. We can call it something like The Wall of Shame. Here are some ideas for what it could contain: Names of culpable individuals, companies, and corporations who have engaged in practices destructive to this country, details of those practices, and names and details of congresspersons who have been in their pockets. For example, if a corporation gets a good sum of money from Congress, we can post how much money was received, justification for this financial help, how many domestic jobs this corporation created and how many it outsourced, and on and on. 3. Relevant links to audio, video, articles, etc. can be placed so that arguments can easily be researched. 4. A complete and easily comprehended conservative-right playbook that illustrates and deconstructs the ideology behind the conservative-right rhetoric, arguments, and strategies. You get the picture. All of this is already being done to some extent. There are many websites that have great information, but none puts it all out there as easy to comprehend as Fox News. The Columbia School of Journalism has a useful website on who owns what. The information there could be even more comprehensive, but it serves as a good model for what can be done. Now I'm off to research blogging software that will allow me do all of this myself. Since The Journal already has a research and technology team, they should be able to beat me to it by the 5:00pm Monday deadline. It's all so insanely simple. -- Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted November 1, 2008 I've installed Serendipity on a couple of web sites, and it's a very nice blog system. If more of a forum is what you're after, I second Johanna's recommendation of SMF. Both are open source, you can download them and use them for free, and are easy to install. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johanna Report post Posted November 1, 2008 I don't think you want an IPB board. The real board looks and acts a little different. This one is pretty heavily modified. There is an annual fee to use it, plus you have to buy a license. Setting up an IPB board is a little more complicated than a SMF. Setting up a vBulletin board is kinda like pushing bamboo shoots under your fingernails, and they cost money, too. You need a host with a control panel that allows you to have a mySQL database no matter which option you choose. LW does inexpensive full cPanel hosting to offset costs, so let me know if you need webspace. You need to be able to CHMOD so you'll need an FTP client like CuteFTP or Filezilla. If you need a domain name, I can register them for less than $10 a year. There is a free version of this style board "invisionfree" but it lacks a lot of the features, and has some security issues. There are also free boards that force your viewers to see their ads. I've never tried them, so I don't know how stable they are, or what it takes to set them up. I have done two SMF boards, and the last one took less than an hour to put together. The vBull board has just as many options and features as an IPB, but it always seems like you have to "go the long way around the barn" in the ACP. That's just my opinion, YMMV. Johanna Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Is it possible to build a regular computer with say 1 TB of storage space and operate it as a server with cable internet access or is it better to rent space on a real sever? If any of you sell space on a server, please PM me with your rates. Ed Edited November 1, 2008 by esantoro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted November 2, 2008 If you're hoping or expecting to get a lot of traffic, it's better to lease the space from a hosting company. There's little perks like redundant backups, and guaranteed "up-time". It's probably cheaper once you consider T&M to build the machine, buy the bandwidth, and set aside $$ for back-ups and maintanance materials. Plus, if you ever need to upgrade your bandwidth, it's easier. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tashabear Report post Posted November 2, 2008 If you're hoping or expecting to get a lot of traffic, it's better to lease the space from a hosting company. There's little perks like redundant backups, and guaranteed "up-time". It's probably cheaper once you consider T&M to build the machine, buy the bandwidth, and set aside $ for back-ups and maintanance materials. Plus, if you ever need to upgrade your bandwidth, it's easier. And if you want to do this, I can highly recommend StartLogic as a web host. I've never had a lick of trouble with them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted November 2, 2008 You could build a regular computer and set up web services on it. The problem would be that residential internet service providers will block any web services emanating from your node. To operate your own public web server, you would need commercial internet service, which would run you some $$$. In most cases, it's much more cost-efficient to rent space from a web hosting provider. Kate Is it possible to build a regular computer with say 1 TB of storage space and operate it as a server with cable internet access or is it better to rent space on a real sever? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted November 2, 2008 Thanks for all the help. ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
