Whats best software/script to use for a magazine type site

I see sites like:

http://www.shadowness.com
http://www.karoo.de
http://www.ctgmusic.com
http://www.kvr-vst.com



I want to extend my website from just forums to have a front end like the above magazine style with tutorials and information and all sorts of things [my portal with IBF just doesnt do it for me].

But everytime i have done a website in the past i have had to manually edit the HTML each time i updated it [as i am a noobie].

I have tried news scripts combined with HMTL and different blogs but not found one versitile, secure or easy enough to use!

Also i have no clue how these sites interact with there own forums sometime with certain threads or forums.

How would i program a site such as the above? Would i have to take a year in learning amazing coding skills?

Is using a blog type install the only and best way to have pages you can update online and also be able to have others update certain sections of there own?

If not then can you drop some names or urls for me?

If so then which blog type thing is the best for front of site to have many sections and easily updatable on a daily bases and easily ustomisable?

TBH i really dont want to use a blog and i am sure the above urls don't. they are probabally just amazing programmers....oh i dunno! Can anyone give me some directions please?

What do you lot use and whats your experiences?

Thankyou for your time out in advance and for probabally another silly question from me!

it's just i so want to have a cracking good website but finding HTML with basic Java and Flash skills is just not enough these days and as far as PHP and CGI is concerned i am only good at altering whats already infront of me! There must be something better out there then bloggers!

There are loads of them. It really depends on your server - if it supports PHP (which almost every free one will not) you can use PHPNuke, which will do exactly what you described. You can find it at http://www.phpnuke.org - their actual site uses PHPNuke, so you can see if it's the kind of thing you're after before you download it. There are lots of community-made skins so the look of it is very easy to customise, and user made "modules" can add specific extra features that you need - it's a simple matter of downloading and installing them.

I have tried PHPNuke before but didn't like it, i have also tried another which i forgot the name of at this point in time!

Suppose i may give it another chance it's just no matter how i try to make them it look like a magazine and not like some kind of portal i never seem to be able to and just like the PHPNuke site itself which looks more like a portal!

I suppose it is what the majority do use so i suppose i will just have to settle for that i was just wondering if there was anything else which is better!

I have a dedicated server so i can do anything including shell access!

Well, yes, there are loads. Just none of them have the user-base of PHPNuke, meaning you won't get all that extra stuff.

Anyway, take a look at eZ publish (http://ez.no/ez_publish/cms) which is also quite popular, however the last time I used it I found it almost impossible to change the look or features of the site without some serious PHP coding. It wasn't pleasant.

If you want to spend some money, vBulletin with one of the excellent user-made mods can do all of what you suggested. If you aren't familiar with such a setup, you'll be amazed at what a forum can do.

Aside from offering all the web-based site-admin stuff, it's the best community-in-a-box solution you're likely to come across.

ATM i am using IPB forums as i for some reason [apart from them being free] like the overall feel of them!

Looks like it's back to PHPNuke to try out again!

BTW if anyone wants to check out my site its www.serious-sounds.net