...something (free as well) with a large and very active community...<
sounds like one of those dreams, usually such combinations do not exist. If there are some, then not for long. Beeing a programmer, if one reaches a certain 'level' of knowledge, one would be a Dummie to just throw away 'sellable' brainwork for FREE to possible future Competitors.
Still, lot's of Webbers have developped great free Open Source Software during those Years. Some of it is still beeing upgraded, but the bigger Part is either not longer 'Free' or then, upgrading has stopped, because 'Key-Donators'(phrase explained below) to the Project have left the scene, for whatever reason.
after beeing around the web for long, my impression is:
Community Platforms are a great way of assisting each others, when it comes to customizing existing Software. At least, as long as everybody participates in 'both ways', donating and receiving knowledge. Most User-Forums i have seen, there where few Donators, but many Receivers, coming from nowhere, withoutany knowledge about Servers, Scripts, SQL or whatever, barely even HTML, now expecting assistance. Free and Fast, because, next week, they plan to surprise the world with a new Site. Many of them usually leave, after beeing helped, without leaving any trace, anywhere, any longer. To come back only with the next 'totally Newbie Problem'.
Open Source Software, generally spoken, started up, once beeing a one script source. They became popular to other programmers, and under the pressure to allow 'easy' addon-adoption, they where ripped a part, but they kept fundamental Standards, so possibly hampering, up to today, easy future upgrading without the need of actually rewriting key-routines - with the consequence of so risking acceptance by others, and so, eventually, the future of the whole Project.
I have tested a lot of software lately, seeking something to meet, or better, complete my next OpenSource EveryAuction 2.53 Perl Platform. Sample Sites are:
Click Here on my JTI.LI server
Click Here on my JTI.LI server
Click Here on my JTI.LI server
They may only function in part, I just wanted to see how they look and what they do, not if everything is installed...
Yabb is programmed well, Webapp is Multi Purpose, partly meant in some of my comments above. I could use some of it, but the HTML Source would have to be refreshed to a great extend to meet my expectations on writing HTML.
My personal Advise:
I would start up easy, build up on something you understand, at least, basically.
NoOne can build up a real business without knowledge. In case of emergency, one can be lost, as well as one's business, or one has to pay a pro price, for pro assistance, to keep the online business alive.
This the way, things go. In Business...
Ernie