Jay Rhome

A client who’s getting her site redesigned entirely wants a site where different small organizations can come and basically have private access to their own page(s) to add their info, logo, add content and update whenever they have an event and something new, etc. All inside the main site which will have a lot of content by itself.

It’s gonna be a WP site.

What’s the best way to go about it?

#1 Creating a subdomain for each organization and letting them access their own blog on the subdomain?

#2 Use the WP MU platform?

#3 Another option?


For #1, the issue I see is how to make sure the subdomains still fit graphically and menu tabs, and link seamlessly to the main domain

For #2, since I’ve never done WP MU installation, I wonder how tough that might be – or if it’s even needed for what she wants

As for #3, I'm all ears

Thanks

cma01

Hmm, let me address the WPMU issue first . . .

I love it. It used to be a little tricky to set up, but now it really isn't any more difficult than a standard WP install, other than you have to set a wildcard in your DNS settings.

WPMU also has the option to integrate with BuddyPress.

I guess I'm a little confused as to what she wants to do.

Does she want the main site where they each have their own page? If so, I would go the social networking route. You may be able to do that with Buddypress, but you could also use JomSocial or Community Builder on Joomla, or customize Drupal, or go for a straight social networking platform like Elgg.

If she wants them to have a subsite and then pull their information into the main site: for example, littlegroup.bigsite.com . . . Definitely go with WPMU. That is exactly what it is designed for.

If she wants them to have their own site on her install:

littlegroup.com with information featured on bigsite.com, then you could use WPMU for this as well. The only thing is the WPMU functions aren't as well laid out to pull info from blogs on independent domains as they are for blogs on subdomains of the same site. You can do it, you just have to dig and fiddle with it a little more.

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
~ Plato

Jay Rhome

If I get this right, the "little orgs" would have their WPMU subdomains, yet the main domain would pull in the info automatically? That'd be great.

Yet since I'm not too familiar with WPMU, and not at all with Buddypress, I though also of simply using indivual WP installs on each subdomain, with the same theme, with links goinf back to the main site.

Would that be too complicated? I mean installing WP is so easy. But if you say WPMU would make more sense I'm all hears as I've never done it, I only posted myself on WPMUs.


Also, I'll have to transfer for her TONS of html pages, with images and the like. I didn't realize she had archives dating back all the way to 1992, with videos, PPTs, etc. Ouch.

I thought of creating a page on the WP main site called "Old Archives" and use the years as links, and as BAIT for the WP search function to find the years for those looking for past events.

Each year would link to a HTML SUBDOMAIN. This way I figured I could transfer all the old archives as is, without the need for any modifications. Otherwise, I'd have to adjust every link, images, etc.

So... my question is: does it make sense to have WP as the main site and HTML pages also? I know it's easy to do an HTML site with a WP subdomain so it probably works to do it the other way around, but I'm not an astute programmer as you guys and gals on this forum

Thanks!

cma01

Yes, there are WPMU tags that will do that.

I don't think I would do multiple WP installs. Honestly WPMU really isn't any more complicated to install now. The only thing extra you have to do is add a wildcard to your DNS record to enable the subdomains. Eventually WP and WPMU are going to merge into one, so I would just go with WPMU now.

Hmm, you could do HTML subdomains. I think I would transfer them over to WP just to clean it up though. Do a search and replace to fix the URL's and then there is a plugin that will import HTML pages to posts.

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
~ Plato

Jay Rhome

Thanks for your answers. It's quite evident to me that I've become very good with WP sites, especially for IM stuff, but when it comes to WPMU, I'm a newbie, the more so since I'm doing a site for a client.


WPMU tags are similar to WP plugins? Anyway, I'll look it up.


Multiple installs would be complex to manage somehow, or it's just easier with WPMU? I mean I can install a WP site in under 3 minutes. And each "little org" would have their own password that they'd have to share with the main site owner. Maybe that's what WPMU is designed for, the thing is I have no idea.

Would I have to tell my graphist/coder to do something different for a WPMU theme than he would for a WP theme?


There is TONS of data in the archives - going back to 1889 (!). Each monthly publications has images, and most have PPT presentations and videos as well. I'd take quite a while to clean this all up and verify everything's working... unless I'm missing something.


Thanks and hopefully it helps a few more newbs out there