Roll your own Web 2.0

Continuing on yesterday’s theme of Open Source and other alternatives to build a Web 2.0 Site.

If you’d rather Digg your Myspace instead, it isn’t too difficult. There are two ways you can go about it. Option one – head over to Pligg, download the script, install it, and you’re on! If you want to take a look at what you’ll get, see the demo. This was originally developed in Spanish, by Meneame.net, and released as Open Source. After the translation to English, this has taken off. Like WordPress and other CMS software, Pligg uses templates & CSS with PHP/MySQL, so you can vary the look without too much effort or worrying about messing up the engine.

The other option is to have it hosted instead – you don’t have to worry about installing or tweaking it if that bothers you. Something like using Blogger for blogs. You still have options to host it on your own domain, if you wish. Crispynews has a free to use, ad-supported hosted version, plus an option to pay for removing the ads / using your own domain. You can see examples at OSviews or Putvote. Change the look, choose your topics, and get going.

Youtube, anyone? Mediasitescript’s your buddy. Small fee, source code provided; couldn’t find the license details so it may or may not conform to the general definition of Free Software. Or build Youtube-like Capability into blogs, forums or other CMS’s. Daniel’s Random Mutterings lays out the recipe, complete with links to resources.

Your own Blogger? WordPress MU and Lifetype lead the pack of open source options. Sixapart (Typepad, Movable Type and Livejournal) provide both hosted and installed solutions, if that’s more your cup of tea.

It really isn’t too difficult. Nor expensive, from a resource perspective. All you really need, is the idea, and a plan to get it done.

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Open Source Software
Web 2.0
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