>> Ever considered selling the code? or making an open source version?

It's all the fine work of Holy McGrail, not me (except for the grid ref to long/lat algorithms).

phpnuke is pretty cruddy unless you're a genius with php and graphics, and can make it look good.

When building a website where people can add stuff you really do need a database. Flat files are a nightmare to manage. MySQL is superb for websites and does everything you'll ever need.