Can I create a website/forum with wordpress?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jarfi
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of creating a website or forum using WordPress, particularly focusing on custom design and functionality. Participants explore various programming languages and frameworks, including PHP and Java servlets, as alternatives for building a media site with features like user profiles, forums, and chat functionalities.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to create a media site with login features, forums, and chat, questioning whether WordPress can be customized sufficiently with themes and plugins.
  • Another participant suggests using the bbPress plugin for WordPress to add forum capabilities.
  • There is a debate on the merits of different programming languages, with some arguing that PHP has a strong community and may be more suitable for the task than Java servlets.
  • A participant shares their experience with Java frameworks, recommending the Play! Framework for web applications.
  • Several participants recommend exploring existing open-source forum software like phpBB instead of building a custom solution, citing the potential redundancy of reinventing the wheel.
  • One participant mentions that if custom functionality is needed that existing forums do not support, then developing a custom solution may be justified.
  • There is a suggestion that learning PHP or ASP and understanding database backends like MySQL or Microsoft SQL would be beneficial for future customizations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on whether WordPress is sufficient for the intended website features, with some advocating for its use while others suggest alternative programming languages or existing forum software. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to take.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the potential need for specific functionalities that may not be available in existing solutions, indicating that the choice of platform may depend on individual requirements and technical capabilities.

Jarfi
Messages
384
Reaction score
12
I am trying to create a website that has a login/registration/logout and profiles with avatars, it also has forum like comment boards, blogs and stuff like that.

It's basically just a media site where people can talk on, there might even be a chat box.

I have finished all the concept work and all that so I am trying to create a prototype,

I started with HTML but realized learning it would take too much time to be worth the work(more efficient hiring a programmer)

Then I moved on to wordpress and after trying it I saw you can only use or design themes,

so my question is, for my website that is a bit forum like but has other possibilities, can I custom design a new theme with plugins in wordpress so that it does just that?

or is it better for me to use php, or maybe even java servlets(since I know java)?
 
Technology news on Phys.org
There is a lot of debate on which is better to use. That is, servlets or PHP or ASP or Perl or Ruby. Off the top of my head, PHP has a strong and large community. Using PHP or any of the above would be more suitable for your task.
 
check out phpBB or some other open source forum software.

Writing your own is re-inventing the wheel and I wouldn't suggest it unless you intend to do it better that what is already out there.
 
DavidSnider said:
check out phpBB or some other open source forum software.

Writing your own is re-inventing the wheel and I wouldn't suggest it unless you intend to do it better that what is already out there.

Agree. The other exception I'd say is if you're going to program your own, it should be because you want specific functionality that isn't supported by any forums or plugins for the available forums. I did that with one of my sites, mainly because I hate going through other peoples source code, and modifying them for certain functionality (such as adding a "like" feature or integrating some other software / processes that may serve as the foundation of your forum/web app). Since I do a lot of game development in my spare time, I ended up switching from phpbb (very excellent forum software btw) because I wanted a method of integration with achievements being tied to the profile, as well as for future leaderboards and other functionality that would just take too long to hack away at phpbb.

But to the original question, yes, you can use Wordpress, but if you're going to eventually move forward with more custom functionality, it would be more beneficial to learn php or asp, and how to utilize a database back end, such as MySQL (php/Linux servers) or Microsoft SQL (windows/asp), or if you're into torturing yourself, oracle database :p
 

Similar threads

Do you want to build a website?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Creating a Website: Advice for Beginners (fog37)
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Boss asked me to create a spinnable image in a website, but. .
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Tools needed to create a website?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
16K
PHP Would like some help understanding website management
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
Python What Projects Can I Build Using Django?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Java Problem in creating JAR file - "no main manifest attribute"
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
7K
How Do I Start Creating My Own Email Service?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
Comp Sci How to Integrate XML and JavaScript in Web Development?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
PHP How Can I Replace My Static Website with a Dynamic Website Using PHP & MySQL?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K