This sounds like a great direction to go. In my mind, you could break it down into 3 separate modules.

* userprofile - A way of users to register / log-in and add themselves to a profile database. This could be taken out of the forum, so that the forum's profile system relies on this.

* userfriends - This would plug an addition piece of data into the userprofile, namely, a friends list. You would want some way of filtering

* socialdatabase - This would be the basis of things like the "jobs" database. It would provide forms for creating and finding database entires. You could search for items that have been created by you, or by your friends. You could also implement things like commenting and rating at this level, and then search for items that you or your friends have rated / commented on.

The way to make this the most powerful would be to allow for any of the modules to be included / excluded as appropriate. For example, if you have a socialdatabase module without a userfriends module, then you would still get a working database, but the "search for items posted by my friends" options would no longer be included.

One possible way to implement this would be to create an API that allowed 3rd parties to develop new classes for different ways of searching.

The SearchFilter / SearchContext work being don on the roa branch could be a potential place for this kind of API: http://open.silverstripe.com/browser/modules/sapphire/branches/roa/search

That is a nice idea Sam. I will look forward to it. And I will start working on this module as soon as possible.

I figured it would be a lot easier for this short document to be as HTML.

This was my (Sigurd) initial scope for the Google Summer of Code work:

A generic module which lets “members” create an account, create listing within a directory, edit that listing, and some sort of billing of members for their listing in the directory.

* Note we have the notion of member signup form, newsletter system, forum, shopping cart members, blog, etc, and this should fit together somehow.
* Social Network Portability is a big issue. Can this module let people build social networks that play nicely with each other?

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Nivanka's concept
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I got this idea to work on such a module after seeing the post made by Sigurd for the Google Summer of Code 2008.

This module will be a kind of an online social network. As there are already registered members in the forum and newsletter system and shopping cart, I don’t think that creating a new membership system is necessary. This module will be a file and data sharing system, a messaging system among the members, or a system which can be used for making friends (extendable for job postings, dating, making friends, etc). And I will describe all these things later.

I would like to break the module into three Sections as follows:
1. Advertising
2. Managing friends and Communities
3. Fulfill needs

Advertising
Members will fill in their profile and make themselves visible to others. They will write up their own resumes and post their CVs so that the other community members can view them, and contact them via messages.

Managing Friends and Communities
Members will be able to manage their contacts, add people to their friends lists, and delete them if needed. And also they will be able to contact their friends with the use of the messaging system and even to do any files and data sharing with them too.

Fulfill needs
The members can note their needs and wants, for example, if one is seeking for a job he may be able to express it on a Social Network which is customized as a job finding network. Then any employer, who wishes to recruit, will be able to read the profile and contact him if interested. As this module will be highly customizable this can be used for any kind of social network needs such as the most well-known Social Networks on the internet (LinkedIn, Hi5, etc)

Nivanka, Sam, I'd check out http://diso-project.org/ as that's a very likely path that social networks will go, and would be awesome if SilverStripe was used to build the next generation (no, you won't catch me saying Web x.x) web systems...

Hi all

I didnt have much time to look forward this these 2 days because of the Vesak festivals. And had to attend some functions too. But now I am 100% free for this.

Sorry about that..

Hi Sam can you contact me directly, on my email (fonsekaean@gmail.com)

Hi Guys

Is anybody currently working on a directory module? :)

I will start work on this in the next week. :)