Need Some Advice

[BGray]

I'm in the brainstorming phase of a new project and I could use some advice on the platform.

I want to develop the domain AffiliateProgramDirectory .com

My vision is to have very detailed affiliate program listings and allow registered user comments/reviews for each listing. I want some level of community interaction and I wouldn't mind having a blog attached to it as well. It is something I plan on working on daily for a long time to come which is making the decision on the initial platform difficult.

Right now I'm trying to decide between the following platforms:
- A directory script currently available
- A highly modified site based on wordpress
- A custom coded solution

My problem is that a lot of the directory scripts out there are appear pretty crappy and while I have worked with WordPress a bit I'm not sure I can pull it off the way I envision. Plus if I ever wanted to convert later it would be a nightmare if I posted everything manually in Wordpress.

I'd really like any suggestions or experiences with like scripts any of you might have that could pertain to this project.

Thanks!

[Chris]

I too am not a fan of existing directory scripts.

Wordpress has the benefit of being easy to add content to, and so it may make your ongoing work easier.

All things considered though a custom coded solution may work best.

[BGray]

Thanks for the reply Chris.

Just from re-reading my initial post the custom solution somewhat jumps out as the best choice.

I'm not opposed to putting in the effort or money but as most of us know the custom solution also has its drawbacks. I don't have a good coder to work with right now and finding one that is trustworthy and competent isn't always the easiest task. When outsourcing a site creation I also like to have work with someone that is him/herself fluent in good design and coding or has a team that can do both jobs and that is also difficult to find.
(If anyone can let me know of a good designer/coder please let me know)

I'm still thinking of taking a different approach to the whole directory thing with Wordpress though. If I did this route with a pseudo-blog style I could create entries by category over a longer span of time without it looking like a completely empty directory.

I find that getting the ball rolling on a site is the toughest milestone......