[web] Sites like "myspace"

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10 comments, last by Encicra 17 years, 10 months ago
If you were to make a site like that but only with the bare features eg, a profile page ability to upload 4 pics and ability to leave comments on eachothers page. How difficult would that be?
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technically: easy. easily done within a 1-month timeframe if you know what you're doing. The only annoying code is the picture uploading because you have to deal with the whole file-part nonsense; but there's readily available code that you can find for that.

There are some practical matters that might make it "difficult":
1) purchasing web space if you don't have any cash to spend
2) not knowing server-side progamming like PHP or Java/JSP or ASP
3) not knowing how to use a SQL database and make your app talk to it.
4) that afforementioned file-part crap

-me
In my case, I don't know any of that. I would either have to make a team of people with similar interests or pay cash but I am seriously conisdering setting one of these up. There is always potential of growth from the basics and there is a large potential for profit.
Making it is not that difficult. Running it and keeping it running (while being engulfed by AOL kiddies, spammers, crackers, and general allround assholes) is an entirely different matter.

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Sander Marechal<small>[Lone Wolves][Hearts for GNOME][E-mail][Forum FAQ]</small>

Well that's not true, what I said before, I would be able to do the artwork for the site.

Yes there would be alot of people to deal with but I think its pro's would outweigh its cons. I think it would be a fun project and it would be something completly differnt then hopping onto differnt game development teams pour all your time into somthing that dies shortly lol.

I still have alot of planning to do before even attempting to have it made, I just wanted to know if it would be to difficult to attempt and now that I know it's not i'm going to put a little more effort into it.
yeah, the starting up is the easy part. it's just the keeping it running part that starts to cost hundreds then thousands of dollars a month. =)

anyway, good luck.

-me
At the point of costing hundreds and then into thousands, It would most likely be a good place to advertise. I'm sure most costs would be covered by advertisers.
I think the big challenge would be finding a target audience. MySpace is pretty much used for everything from emo teens, bands, movies, etc, which makes them a tough competition.

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yeah but the upgrade will have to come before the rise in revinue. so you're going to be out ahead of the revinue. ideally, after the first big upgrade your income will outweigh your costs so you can build up a bank to pay for the next upgrade. but the first one will definitely hit into your pocket.

anyway, that's a business concern, not a technical one. as long as you have seed money all is well. It's worth working out a solid business plan so you know at exactly what number of users you break even. You can do some market estimations to figure out how long getting there might take (how many myspace clones are out there, how fast do the clones grow, etc).

Assuming you're paying people to help you: ~10-20k to startup
Assuming free labor: probably $100-500 just for basic server-space and such

-me
A business plan would be a good idea. When writing one, keep asking yourself: Why would anyone pick my site over myspace? You had better have some USP (Unique Selling Points) that drives visitors to you instead of to myspace and it's various clones.

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Sander Marechal<small>[Lone Wolves][Hearts for GNOME][E-mail][Forum FAQ]</small>

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