Also note: features are for Admins most of the time not for end users , they do not come to directories to find sites, they come to directory : Submit site and disappear. There is nothing special about a directory with lots and lots of feature for admin only.
It's a philosophy break! I have to side with the idea that the importance of a strong admin area is an opinion, but an opinion that I support fully!
Darn now i have become a philosopher that totally sucks i wanted to be rocket scientist. Anyways choose what your pocket can afford is my solution.
We were just playing. I stand behind what I said. Powerful admin is very important for directory script. There are other aspects too like how easy is to change templates, script security,price and many others. I just wanted to say that it is good to have scripts that are different because every script can match someone's needs. If all are clones of one that would make people decide only based on price.
Speaking of cloning, i remember the mother of all directory script are gtlinks and ultraseek which written in perl almost 10 years ago. I myself write gtlinks clone and then sell it much cheaper, $450 compared with $99. Years later, the price drop more and more. You see now that $35 script can do much more than that $450. But still if you know the fact that the expensive script still survive and still have a lot of fanatics out there, just they do not appear here in this forum it doesn't mean that they're dead or less popular. My point is that the scripts has their own fanatics based on their experience. If you ask someone that has good experience of phpld because of it's free and easy to install than he will answer it's good. But if you ask someone else who need more than the script offer, then they will say it's not good. Justify the script with what do you need. It's good idea to try them all then you will see that they may different and you will can judge which one is the best for you. If you just a newbie in building directory website, then a free script is a good start up, just what like i do before. Once you need more you will need to see commercial script or hire a programmer to build a custom script.
I didn't read the whole thread but I would say that DO NOT use IndexU -- I used it quite a while back and I dont know what security hole it had and my directory got hacked. I use phpLD on many of my directories and it really works fine. Best thing about phpLD is its kinda open source and have much larger community ... many people are coding custom mods, cool templates and giving it free. you can get help in forums much better and many people are willing to give you custom mod for $5 or $10 .. and even free. I think no such benefit is with IndexU or eSydicat type of scripts. Some months ago, I used to wonder like you for 'best directory script..." -- now I have found phpLD, give its free version a try and see if it fits your needs. And btw, head of finance dept. of IndexU is my friend .. I still do not recommend this script.
A strong admin is indeed extremely important. Anyone thinking otherwise is just plain silly. You need to be able to set things up in a minimalistic way. How in the hell do you plan on running a directory if you have to spend 3x the amount of time modifying files? So for example, when I want to change something like a footer sitewide image(like on the bottom of directory dump), do you honestly think i have to manually log into an FTP, open the footer.tpl and manually write the entire line of code? if I want to change it from an image to an anchor text link, do you think I have to manually edit anything? If I want to disable it all together, do you think I have to manually edit it? If I want to change it from 5 to 6 to 3 or 4 etc, do you think I have to manually edit it? What if i want to change the image sizes? Do you think I log in and manually edit it? You must be insane. I do it all from the admin panel, and it takes all but 10-20 seconds of selecting options and saving the form. Done! admin not important hahaha good one, silly guy!
I see. Thank you guys for such a nice discussion here. I've got so many nice feedback here. Well since most of indexu users build a niche directories we may lack of knowledge how to satisfy people who build general web directory. But I found a treasure here. I agree with an0n comment about the importance of admin panel. With a strong and useful admin function, you will work smarter and save a lot of time. If you do not know what is indexu, please take a visit to our demo website, www.nicecoder.com/demo.html and see how our admin panel work. If you have any suggession and opinion, we would happy to hear it. As I learn from this forum, whatever script you use for building directory website, it doesn't make you success and getting rich. But working hard, invest your money and time will make you success. The software is merely a tool which only help you become success, but tool can not make you rich.
Well I can as I have all 3 directories and the time, one Esyndicate, one PHPLD, and last is IndexU......... All threes are nice...All threes have something I like about them. Esyndicat has a Strong admin panel but will be converted over to IndexU as it out right sucks upgrading.. And has cheesy looking templates....I love the support in their forum....That's all I like about this script. PHPLD is very nice with strong admin panel. Tons of mods and templates. However most of the templates are really cheesy in appearance. I mean damn right elementary in appearance too. Although I have seen a few that are commendable in their looks... I like PHPLD and will keep it on board. No doubt I would recommend PHPLD any day. Support Forum is nice with moderate to strong support.........But.... IndexU I'm in love with this script. Strong Admin Panel.... At first it really threw me. Then I realized how easy this bad boy really is to admin. Templates arn't bad at all. Still basic but better in appearance from the above mentioned. Support Forum needs help but is coming alone better. The help Desk ticket system is best I have seen to date. All of my questions were answered swiftly..... No need to go out and ask directions on how to install all the mods with IndexU, their already installed for you. I can get deeper in detail but there isn't enough time for me at the mmoment to comment. I will say this. Spend 75 bucks on PHPLD, then mod it up. You are at or there about the same price as Index you. If you know how to install the mods. If not ! Then you go over the price of IndexU..Main difference is you didn't have to research, pay someone to install for you. To this day I purchased the linksforever mods and still haven't found anyone that will take the time to help me install them. OMG and the Deep links mod...don't even ask. But it is already installed in IndexU.. Quotes of 25 bucks a piece is a bit unreasonable if you ask me to install the linksforever mods. That's 75 bucks more on the script plus time and headaches. Like I said many many more feature about IndexU that I love. My designing skills (SUCK) ain't worth a crap. My Phpld site looks like crap as it is a free template. My Indexu site looks very nice and it is a free template from IndexU. I changed some css colors....looks better than 80 percent of PHPLD templates for sure and far more professional. I will leave my Indexu site as it is. My PHPLD site needs a custom job. But I must search for a designer carefully as their are so many cheesy designers for PHPLD all charging 300 bucks minimum...and giving you a cheesy looking designing all the while telling you how nice it looks. There is a guy here (in this forum) who had one of the best phpld designers create his custom template...OMG my kids can draw crayola pictures better than what he got for 300 bucks. I didn't have the heart to tell him his sight sucked in appearance.. I highly recommend IndexU. If you already have another script and are happy with it.... Keep it! If not then look at IndexU. Thats my point of view and I'm sticking to it... All three are nice but one is head above shoulders... IndexU ! Easy choice for me!
Is there a place where I can find all of the features offered in indexu's latest version. PHPld is alright, but I have to agree so far that set up is not really that easy. And you are right about the mods and installing, it took me a minute to figure things out but luckly I know how to read code so I was able to get it going. One more thing regarding mods, it seems that everyone wants your login so they can install it for you, that does not make sense to me, the mods should be easy to download and ready to go after purchase. I bought a suggest category mod from linkforever and those guys have not even sent me an email saying they received the order. The money I spent to try and test this stuff was small so I guess I'll just cut my loses on that. And after looking at the indexu demo site I think I may need to go that route instead since support and help is so small on phpld.
Oh yea you can PM nicecoder for a discount being you are a DP member. He's giving a 50 percent discount which bring a single key to 49 bucks..... Thats a deal in anybodys book! ask him for DP member coupon and enter the coupon at purchase and smile casue you getting a deal.
I had only bought the $25 version of php because I did not mind linking back. I should have check other scripts for the features first but oh well. But I did not see the deep link mod any were on the list of features. Do you have a site that can verify that?
Thanks for all of your help. Green has been added. I'll contact nicecoder for more information. Thanks again.