Hi, I'm looking to build a network of sites. Everything is ready to go except for the logic.

The network would be similar to the way the envato marketplaces work i.e. themeforest

There will be one login for all sites. Users will be able to manage profile pages and submit work for our approval.

What I don't understand is what CMS to use, if any, to build one infrastructure that is used by all the sites where the only difference between the sites will be the content and theme, just the functions will be the same and they'll all use one login.

Now I've looked into using Wordpress 3.0s multisite network feature but it doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for since the new sites go either to a subdomain or a subdirectory of the main site. I want each site to have its own unique domain name/brand.

Please don't tell me what because of cookies this isn't possible. I understand that for security reasons cookies are only per domain. But if that is the case, then how to envato do it?

Thanks everyone in advance for your help. It's greatly appreciated.

Don't you mean install rather than build? If you build one it would be better for you and for the site, its users and humanity. Install means "buy/use assorted products created by others" whereas build means to use technical abilities or those with them to create an infrastructure specifically for yourself. If doing that you would very easily find a clever solution or two to making the cookies known to a script on a new domain... pretty simple really I mean let's say bob joins your A-site and gets his name and cookie. Then he visits b-site, uses his a-site password, the b-site looks in its database and finds bob, as you told the machine to take any a-site users and make them the same database for b-site, c-site, y-site, hell-site, heaven-site, the whole lot. Thus the script loads up any data you want shoved into cookies and writes it afresh with the new domain. It's not really a big problem or some kind of insurmountable or even DIFFICULT hindrance as you seem to have believed.

CMS's are for users not developers. Can't you write your own interfaces? How could you have decent back-end controls of any kind of network if you couldn't create interfaces of your own? It does not make sense. If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.

Thanks for the reply.

Actually I am not a developer, I'm a designer which is why I need a CMS for this. On the other hand I am considering finding a partner developer for this in exchange for equity in the company.

If I have to go it alone, I've found that joomla or magento might be best for this type of project. However, I would rather not do that and have my own built but all I can offer is company equity but with my unique niche (new problem solved in a saturated industry), the risk is pretty low for the partner and myself.

If anyone is interested in doing some work for equity, let me know.

Partner developer is a good plan, then, if you're not able to just hire hands at the going rate. I'd like to be interested in the equity offer myself but have such a heavy workload right now. Plus all work is longterm in the technical world - you do one thing and you know you'll have to do 100 more. It's hard to sacrifice time for non-riskfree equity. No doubt there's plenty of skilled folks here who you could partner with.

Definitely do try to get it made rather than relying on pre-existing publishing environments - that way when you make it big, it's all your own stuff and no one else will directly or indirectly get free branding off your back.

Originally Posted by CannonFodder

that way when you make it big, it's all your own stuff and no one else will directly or indirectly get free branding off your back.

I like the way you put this

Well ya, this would be an ongoing project for anyone who's interested in partnering, especially for getting a share of profits but of course the workload would depend on the amount of revenue shared.

If you have an interest, let me know and we can chat about it.

Originally Posted by Whathadiv

Thanks for the reply.

Actually I am not a developer, I'm a designer which is why I need a CMS for this. On the other hand I am considering finding a partner developer for this in exchange for equity in the company.

If I have to go it alone, I've found that joomla or magento might be best for this type of project. However, I would rather not do that and have my own built but all I can offer is company equity but with my unique niche (new problem solved in a saturated industry), the risk is pretty low for the partner and myself.

If anyone is interested in doing some work for equity, let me know.

What's your definition of "developer" and "designer"?

What are YOU designing?

What's your definition of "developer" and "designer"?

Probably similar to mine.

Designers design (do the pretty stuff)

Developers make it work.

With envato the sites I looked at were all on the same IP which does make it easier to share cookies.



Cross domain cookies with ASP

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Probably similar to mine.

Designers design (do the pretty stuff)

Developers make it work.

This is right for the most part. I'm not having much luck in finding a partner though so I'm actually starting the building process using codeigniter. It's actually easier than I thought it would be but still, it's not my thing.