Project: PHP Shout Box
Technologies: PHP, AJAX, Text Files
Cost: $49 USD

Shout boxes are pretty cool, and relatively simple tools that anyone can plug into their webpage and allow visitors on your website to ‘shout out’ to each other.  A shout box is like a mini chat room, but dumbed down to just take a username and a comment. The shout box automatically checks for new shouts every 5 seconds – so no need to refresh your webpage.

This PHP shout box is pretty simplified – it takes a username, email (optional) and comment only as input. But the back end filters for coarse language, some HTML tags, and is customizable to filter for anything you want.

The shout data is stored in a simple text file – so no database required. I like keeping these projects as simple as possible so anyone, of any technical level can set them up.  You can sort the order of the shouts from newest to oldest of vice versa, and customize other settings in a config file.

I also include a readme document to walk you thru setting up my PHP shout box. If you can use a text editor like TextPad, and use FTP to upload some files – you’re in business!

I’ve added a password protected admin section now, so you can delete shouts from your box if they get out of hand

There’s lots of additions that can be done to this project; adding IP logging and create a ban IP list; colors for user’s name etc; emoticons – the list is endless. If you want to see some of these features adding to your shout box, or want me to set up your shout box – please contact me.

Here’s a working example of my PHP Shout Box – have fun with it!