Use Discourse as a prototype to build social network with an online library

[Issa]

Hi everyone.

I am a CEO of a startup. I would like to build a social network and a online library connected each other. But for now I don’t have enough support and money to build it. So I was thinking… maybe I can use Discourse to grow a community and improve it as a prototype creating some plugin that can give a close feeling of what I want to build. To promote it and call my community to fund this project.

So my questions:

• I need like a forum (Discourse) to organise posts by subjects. But I also need something like Twitter where users can follow each other and see all the comments from the users posted in all subject. Can I build something like that?
• I would like to build a online library like à Kindle and would like the possibility to highlight some ebooks and add it automatically in Discourse, to give the possibilities to comment it. Can I built that?
• Also I would like to show all comments directly inside the ebooks. Can I do that?
• I would like to tag all these highlights before publishing on Discourse and add the tag directly on discourse. Can I do that?
• I would like to give the possibility for the users to link their Twitter account with the option on Discourse to choose wich comment they can automatically promote on their Twitter account with a link to send the reader to the post written in Discourse. Can I do that?
• Is it possible to create with a paywall on Discourse 2 different offers that gives access to different group of private subjects on Discourse?
• What is your advice. Self hosting or hosting by Discourse?
• Can we migrate a Discourse forum hosted by you to our own server in the future? Is it easy?
• My development team works with react and node. Which language we need to create plugin on Discourse ?
• What is the best way with discourse to create an online school (need private group discussion, streaming video, comprehensive tests, add video, add audios, course progression, questions to the teacher, makes easy the teacher to see all the questions…).
• I saw there is a plug-in for creating a ranking for users. I built a donation plateforme. Can I integrate this ranking system to my donation plateforme (give more points when an user make a donation) ? I saw there is vote plugin. Can I build something like 1 vote give x points (and the user cannot give a vote to himself)?
• I would like to use Telegram or Discord to send push notifications to my users for announcements and in the same time for having a chat app. What is the best way to use Discourse and Discord/Telegram?

Thank you for answering to my questions.

[Decorbuz]

Great minds think alike!

Using Discourse as a social media platform

I’ve been pondering about this for a while now, but I’ve finally decided to get it off of my chest. Is Discourse customizable enough to be used as a proper (full-blown) social media platform? I’ve been dipping my toes into the world of start-ups lately. I have my own idea for a social network that combines the best of what brings people together online (more specifically, tech enthusiasts and people in the tech industry as a whole). While observing other social media platforms like Twitter and…

For starters, consider taking a look at Discourse Follow.

Official Discourse Follow Plugin

IMPORTANT WARNING: This plugin may affect whether laws that regulate social media apply to your forum. Consult legal for advice. Summary Discourse Follow allows users to follow other users, list the latest topics involving them, and receive notifications when they post. Repository Link https://github.com/discourse/discourse-follow Install Guide How to install plugins in Discourse Screenshots Followed users posts feed: [follow-fee…

Also, @nexo might be able to offer you some advice. He’s great in that regard, especially since he had his own Discourse-based social media platform at one point.

My fall and return on Discourse

Hello Discourse! If you don’t me, I’m the creator of a social media app and website powered by the incredible Discourse platform. I abandoned the startup when I was downright completely hopeless - both on finding success on my app as well as my life/mental health. I deleted my website, my server, and my apps off iOS and Android. I removed most mentions of me and the app on the web, too. All the excruciatingly hard work I poured in for ~12 hours a day felt wasted and forgotten. I felt like a com…

I’d be interested in learning more about your startup. Would you like to get in contact?

[RGJ (Richard - Communiteq)]

@Issa

• Also I would like to show all comments directly inside the ebooks. Can I do that?
• I would like to tag all these highlights before publishing on Discourse and add the tag directly on discourse. Can I do that?

You might want to look at this DiscPage: a plugin to create static pages and insert discussion balloons in the text

[Issa]

Thank you for your answers. I will check everything. Discourse Follow seems like a good start to what I want to do.

Sure. We can get in contact.

[Issa]

Thanks. This is the idea. But it needs a rework to suit what I need exactly (UI/UX, features).