Is MODx right for the job

I have just come across MODx. I have been researching CMS for a while now and have a specific project that I am looking to implement a CMS. I am coming from an ASP/JavaScript and Access/SQL background. All my sites have been done in Dreamweaver. So I find this all a bit daunting. Anyway here it goes.

The site will be a member based system where users will be able to create their own website (a subsite of the main site). They will only be able to edit there own site. These users will be the general layman so a WYSIWYG editior is essential. The users will be creating community based sites for their local community.
I would ideally like to have the ability to give the users themes or prebuilt sites to choose from. I want to be able to validate the users before they can join and submit the site.
I would want to customise the database and generate reports for myself.

Components that I want on the site are;
Ad based system
Search Engine
Calendar
Blog
Forum

Is MODx ’out-of-the-box’ the right solution for the job

MODx "out of the box" is not the right solution for what you’re wanting to build. It certainly can be done in MODx though, but will take some effort and custom work.

What will it give me out of the box? Do I get the security I am looking for? This is the big drawback of most CMS systems that I have found. Do I get forum and blog? Can I edit the db?

Quote from: turnerl at Nov 29, 2007, 12:09 PM

What will it give me out of the box? Do I get the security I am looking for? This is the big drawback of most CMS systems that I have found. Do I get forum and blog? Can I edit the db?

There is some sort of a blog in the default install (never used it, so I can’t vouch either way for it).

Forum, no. But there’s a few forum integration scripts available (SMF, MyBB, etc.).

MODx is really more of a framework than a blog or YAPS (yet another portal system). It honestly really sounds to me that a portal with lots of pre-baked resources is exactly what you need. I’d look at Drupal and maybe Joomla! (don’t forget the exclamation point!) as they have easily (I assume) installable components for everything you’re looking for ... especially the forum bit.