Creating a site focused around user-submitted content

I have an idea for a website that I really want to develop, but I'm not sure where to start. The site would be driven around user-submitted content, such as an image gallery. When users would submit their images, I would want them to have the option of including a description of the image, along with any other related data.

I currently Squarespace to run my primary site, thecreativeone.tv. While it's an excellent WYSIWYG editor, it doesn't seem to be the engine I need for this specific project. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to approach this? Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Edit: After much research, it seems Gallery 2 may be my best option. I currently use GoDaddy for hosting, but I've seen users reporting compatibility issues with installing Gallery 2 on their servers. Then I found out about SiteGround. They offer free Gallery 2 installation, which is a huge plus to me. Has anyone worked with them before? If so are they reliable?

Second edit: Nevermind, it appears PowWeb may be my best option. Their hosting is incredibly cheap and they fully support Gallery 2, as well as other popular scripts. What do you think?

dtyson said:

You should start by looking at http://www.flikr.com (among others).

I'm not getting anything unique from your description. If you mean you just want a small gallery site for a small community to use, which isn't unique in itself by any stretch, then I'm glad you found something that works for you.

Click to expand...

This will be far from a small gallery site, as I expect hundreds of visitors every week with uploads each day. I already have a large install base behind my YouTube channel, as well as my blog, so Flickr is definitely out of the question. I want full control over everything, and more.

Anyway I'm all set. I am using HostGator.com to host my site and Gallery 2 to drive the content. Thanks for your help.

I understand that, Topher15. I would never directly go head to head with a company like Flickr or YouTube in terms of content distribution. My site will be focused on a specific area. As far as I know, there isn't one site like the one I am creating, so it should be interesting.

When it's up and running, perhaps I'll update this thread with the URL.