Thanks for making that clear that the MAMP download is meant for development. Does that mean I could develop all the content at home and then at some point port the content to a home server? The 5 friends are willing to help with expense but less techy than I even so it seems were doomed
One of the schools were I occasionally teach uses RenWeb and said RenWeb makes Moodle available as a separate service (they've never set it up since they see it as only for distance ed and don't know if there are extra costs but I'm assuming there are) but I need to find out what RenWeb's deal is and see if they providing/setting up the server and then letting the specific schools then login to pages and customize to their needs.
I'll take it slow and read all the pages you suggested - meanwhile looking for someone local to help set up the server in my little home library. My resistance to going to work for a school full-time and being a vehicle for their curriculum/moddle doodles stems from the desire to provide my own curated content (like creative writing/storytelling and analyzing letter-writing as a genre from 18th/19th century and Mary Shelly's use of letters and her infusion of political philosophy in her writing. I have an ongoing argument with a few friends (very few but who irritate me to no end) who talk down fiction as meaningless while my stand is that fiction is full of truth.
Thanks for the honest heads-up about the uphill climb. Cheers.