Idea for forum - if legally okay

This forum has a cool facility; you (or only mods) can record soundfiles and post them in posts instead of having to record them by yourself, post them on your own site etc.

http://www.englishforums.com/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=22
http://www.englishforums.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=11323

I don't know if you could copy this, and if it's even allowed, but it would be rather useful. Maybe only respectable, knowledgeable, native speakers should be given the power to use it, to prevent newbies abusing it, or non-native speakers like myself confusing noobs with false pronunciation and accent. Newbies could ask Mike or Admin personally to use it, if they want to have their pronunciation checked.

I don't recognize the messageboard software they are using and there's no identification so it seems like they custom-scripted it. This means: 1) we couldn't download it and install it anyway, and 2) if we did install it then its database would probably be incompatible with the phpBB one we use now. In other words, if you got upset before because all the posts and users from August were deleted, imagine how you'd feel if every one of them were gone and we had to start all over again.

But the idea is very intriguing and now the challenge to find/write an open source version of this software compatible with the phpbb database (or maybe just a module for phpbb2, but I'm unfamiliar with their API) will bite at the back of my neck all week. Integrated with the penpals system? The newsletter too? The elusive super secret course that only 5 of you with golden tickets have been chosen to use? I'm getting aroused just thinking about the possibilities here.

Thanks a lot :mad: :cry:

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! If it's too much of a problem, forget it. I just thought it would be a nice idea. Though I'd guess there are a couple of programmers on this forum, maybe they could help...

Imagine the scandal! "Russians caught in attempt to steal internet message board secrets..." :o