December 19, 2003

8:21 AM

I'm toying with opening a site based upon the MeFi model for LGBT issues and community building. What software programs do MeFi and other online communities use to administer the system? I've really only installed MT and other simple programs before, so I'm looking for ease of install as well as ease of use... Thanks in advance!
posted by moonbird to (9 comments total)

This should answer most of your questions.
posted by angry modem at 8:50 AM on December 19, 2003

If you want Metafilter-style, there's a few knocking about: FreeFilter and MetaPhilter seem to be most popular - a lot of the *Filter sites are powered by one or the other (BookFilter, MonkeyFilter, etc.). If you got MT going, neither should cause you too much bother.

Trickier to set up, and more complex are Drupal (which is getting a lot of attention thanks to the Howard Dean campaign in the States using it) and Scoop (which powers Kuro5hin). I've never tinkered with the latter, but the former had me scratching my head a few times during installation.

There's lots more listed at OpenSourceCMS, with live demo versions of the various options set up - it might be worth taking a tour around there to begin with, and CMSInfo is another similar site you might want to peek at.

But, to be honest, if you want a LGBTFilter, I'd go with one of the MeFi clones.

I can't find it now, but I'm absolutely certain someone has already set up a LGBT community weblog using a MeFi clone package - I thought it was called QueerFilter, but that turns out to be a directory of queer weblogs...
posted by jack_mo at 8:52 AM on December 19, 2003

Bugger - I should've re-previewed. Angry Modem is much more concise than me ; )
posted by jack_mo at 8:54 AM on December 19, 2003

It's not just you, jack_mo--I'm pretty sure Queerfilter used to be a MeFi type site as well.
posted by eilatan at 9:04 AM on December 19, 2003

I believe I tried more than once to register at QF, but the system was crap, actually.

I'd be interested in contributing to a properly functioning one, from a UK perspective, if you need assistance (I'm slightly less au fait with systems than you, moonbird - but keeen to learn!)
posted by dash_slot- at 9:09 AM on December 19, 2003

Other people have already made good recommendations; I just wanted to say I think I would be a great project. I would love a site like that.

BTW, for kicks I set up metapfilter up a subdomain of my site. It was pretty easy.
posted by tcaleb at 1:57 PM on December 19, 2003

Oh, and I could help if you needed it.
posted by tcaleb at 1:58 PM on December 19, 2003

Keep us posted moonbird; I'd like to see the outcome.
posted by kaibutsu at 4:58 PM on December 19, 2003

i'd be interested also.
posted by rhyax at 10:21 PM on December 19, 2003