Website suggestion needed

[venomdog]

Hi Guys,
I am thinking of building (or have it build) a social networking site with the possibility of back end management just like CMS, site administrator can add/modify things on the sites etc.
Plus I am also looking for plugin/widget container inside it, so developers/enthusiasts can add plugin or widget paid or free on the site to enhance existing features.
What technology you suggest can help it develop in quick time, I need a honest opinion and what can it cost me any suggestions/pointers.

[Kayo]

I've never tried it, but you could look at Elgg.

[Ronald Roe]

You need to hire out, or take the time to learn: HTML, CSS, JS, some sort of server-side scripting language and some sort of database. And that's just the technical side of it. You'll still need basic site design, user experience design and testing, branding, marketing and a slew of other things I'm probably forgetting.

[TheGAME1264]

That depends on the nature of your site. If you plan on an idea that's the same as say a Facebook or a LinkedIn, you'll find all sorts of clone scripts for that. That will get you going quickly, but it won't give you the monster you're probably looking for quickly.

If you're looking for something original or you have ideas that don't fit into the standard for social networking sites, you're not going to find anything that will do what you want. The fact that you want plugin/widget functionality suggests that you're going to want the latter, and you're not likely to find many people that can even do what you want, never mind do it quickly. You need someone that knows a common language such as PHP and knows it well (that eliminates most so-called coders), since you're going to need someone that can develop a framework under which other coders can add to it. That is not going to come cheaply, especially if you want it done quickly. Building sites such as these is a very difficult practice. I did one that never got launched in ASP.net recently, and it's a bugger. There's no other way to put it...it's an absolute bugger, and I wouldn't ever do it again.

Look at it this way...if you're prepared to spend in the 5-digit range to get what you want and you have a sufficient revenue stream to cover off the expense, you'll be okay. You might even find someone to customize a clone script in the 4-digit range, although you'd need the right clone script and the right developer...this is one of those "requires too many variables to be likely to happen" things, though. If you were thinking a few hundred bucks and a clone script or a "CMS" to get it done, you're not going to find what you want.