website with forum and blog

Hello there
I would like to ask you a question concerning a site I want to develop:
0)How many databases would I need to run a website with forum and blog?

1)First, I would like to say that I have been seeing joomla, wordpress and smf but I am not sure what I am going to use yet. Nevertheless, I have thought about paying for a domain registration in a free hosting which gives me just one mysql database for free. My dilemma is that I do not know if one database is going to be enough to be able to run a website with forum and blog. Let's say I might integrate either joomla or wordpress for the blog and smf for the forum. Well, if you told me that I should get a hosting with more than one database, I would think about it.


2)Second, I know that smf requires a database. Moreover, wordpress requires another database. But I do not know whether I can use the same database for running wordpress integrated with smf in a site in which I already installed smf. Well, I have not installed wordpress yet because I just have one database available and I do not know whether smf will stop working after sharing the database with wordpress.

3)Third, would I need more than one mysql database if I wanted to integrate joomla with smf? and joomla with wordpress and smf the three of them?

4)Fourth, I still have not decided what tools I am going to use. I have had the opportunity to try installing smf and it is easily installed. Nevertheless, when I have tried to look at the index.template.php file to modify the look and feel of the forum, I have noticed that this customization is not a really friendly experience. Then, I would like to ask you what tools you suggest to be able to run a site which includes forum and blog? Well, my initial idea had been wordpress+smf. But since smf seems hard for customizing its look and feel I have thought that may be I should ask you for your opinion before devoting more time to customize smf. If you tell me that smf is the best choice, it's ok, I mean, just wanted to hear you opinion.

Thanks in advance

 

I am not an expert but my experience is that you need a mysql database for each one. That means you would need two.

For the blog, I would use WordPress without a doubt. For the forum, I had great luck with Yabb. It had great security and was easy to customize. I prefer vbulletin but it is not free.

The other point is do not use free hosting. It may be free but you will pay with downtimes and other problems. You can find cheap hosting for what you need for under $2 a month. That is the way to go. I have been with my host for 6 months and only had one downtime when they had a server problem. It was fixed before I even knew about it and they notified me of the problem. I get two mysql databases for less than $2 a month.

 

All you need is one database, Vbulletin, wordpress and the vb / wordpress bridge

Vbulletin - http://www.vbulletin.com/
wordpress / VBulletin bridge - http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=177625

I do not recommend free forums, all I use is VBulletin. I tried SMF bridged with joomla for 6 months - it was a really bad experience. The problems I had are so many, it would take an hour to write about them.

If you want a real commercial site, go with VBulletin. At least there you can get real support. The SMF support forums will just leave you hanging.

Last year the joomla developers had a problem with joomla being bridged with certain software, such as SMF. At one time the SMF community stopped offering a bridge to tie smf and joomla together.

When you go to upgrading joomla, the updates can break the bridge between joomla and smf. At that point it turns into a freaking nightmare trying to get your site back up and running. When it works, it works - when it dont work, its really bad. I had constant problems with members not being able to log into the site, or forum. After 6 months of headaches and no support, I gave up and moved on.

 

Thanks and I would like to hear your suggestions about hosting providers like the one you said. Can any of you tell me a cheap hosting provider like the one stated by allout? What do you think of freehostia? They have a plan like this:

500 MB Disk Space
10 GB Bandwidth
2 Hosted Domains
2 MySQL Databases
25 MB Database Quota
100 E-mail boxes
Unlimited Parked Domains
for 1.95$/month

If you have any good suggestion about freehostia or any other hosting provider, I would like to know.

Thanks a lot

 

I have never used them but I use http://www.a1whs.com/ . It is owned by a member here on DP and I have been very happy. I pay $1.55 a month for close to what you are listing. The support is awesome and they reply the same day with an answer.

 

Since I am not sure what my needs are going to be and bearing in mind what you tell me, question:
If I register a domain with a concrete hosting provider and I realize after a while that I need to change my hosting provider, will I have to pay again anything for using my registered domain with a new hosting provider?
Thanks in advance

 

I highly recommend that you register your domain separate from the hosting. I use NameCheap for all my domains. It is easy to use and easy to change nameservers to point to your new host.

The reason not to register with your host is that if you having a spam report or something filed against you, the host may shut down your site. In that case, you will also lose control of your domain. However, if you have the name separate, you can put a site back up elsewhere with back ups of your files.

 

Ok, but if I register my domain with NameCheap or whoever, then, will I have to pay additional money to my hosting provider X for being able to use this domain not registered by this hosting provider X?

 

Negative - there are no extra cost like that.

All of my sites are registered through namecheap as well. Over the past 2 1/2 years I have have never had a hosting company charge me extra because I did not have the domain name registered through them. The cost of the domain name, and the hosting are separate.

 

Nope, all you have to do is get the name server information from the host and go into your Name cheap account and point your domain to the servers provided. The only charges from the host should be for the hosting package you choice.

One more piece of advice, look for the latest coupon from Name Cheap, there is a thread going here on DP if you search. It will save a little money when you register your domain.

If you need any other advice with your site, check out the blog next to my user name.

Good luck!

 

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you only have one database available you can install drupal which comes with a built in blog module and built in forum module, plus tons of other features.