Question about running multi-user/blog software

[1darkangel]

I am brand new to blogs and have none of my own, however I was wanting to install blog software to meet the needs of some of my sites regulars. This means I am not wanting to try getting up to the same level as myspace or livejournal in popularity. I need a program that not only allows for multi-users and multi-blogs on the same install but also the ability for people to signup and create their own blog upon registering. I did a brief search but most seemed to lack that last option.

Now that I have rambled to long about what I am wanting I will come up with my first questions. Has anyone here used the livejournal open source blogging engine? Can anyone help me figure out if bluehost can even handle it? I only want a limited number of users but I still am not sure if bluehost can handle its load and I have yet to have time to read through all of their material on it. I also am not sure just how hard it will be to install or not so if someone can give me a heads up on that one I would be greatful as well. If anyone wants to look at the requirments and such its over here:
http://www.livejournal.org/

Through that page you can get to everything.

Last question: If I can't use the livejournal engine, does anyone have any recomended programs for blogging that has livejournal like qualities and meets my needs? As far as features and what I want it seems to have it so anything that is secure and stable that works something like it would work too.

[Schelly]

Hey DarkAngel,

I use LifeType for my users to be able to sign up and create their own blogs. It doesn't enable any other types of functions, such as forums or polls or anything, but it does give people the opportunity to register and configure their own blog. I believe the url is lifetype.net but I don't know if I'm remembering that correctly or not.

I've not used LiveJournal so I'm not any help to you there. But I sure do like LifeType. If you want to, you're more than welcome to sign up on my free blog site and start your own blog as a test drive. You won't find any ads or anything there - just the ability to see what your end-users would see.

http://www.dittomarks.com

Best of luck!
:)

[nicolerork]

I use WordPress and Movable Type on mine. You can install the WordPress blogging software through your Fantastico control panel. Both of the programs allow multiple authors.

[Godrockzzz]

i would highly suggest using wordpress MU simply because they are the most supported and most developed platform. http://mu.wordpress.org
I've been a developer on with many others since the beginning and i adore it! You can easily make your site as good as wordpress.com

[1darkangel]

@ Schelly - thank you so much for responding and letting me sign up to your blogging site. I have joined and am currently looking around to get the feel of it. Do you know if there is any way to allow more control over the templates the users use? As in they can customize it in to some degree.


@nicolerork - I don't know anything about moveable type but I thought regular wordress was a program for one blog with multiple users/authors which is just short of what I need unless I am mistaken on that front.

@Godrockzzz - I checked out and installed wordpress MU to test it out only it is not working. The url's are messed up and no matter where I try to go it gives me a 404 page not found. This is even from directly going to the specific page. Also, again I could be wrong, isn't MU basically beta software? If so how safe is it to use live?


Again thanks everyone for your answers.