IBM On Using Open Source Tools To Create Collaborative Sites
This is a great endorsement from IBM on using open source collaborative tools to implement collaborative sites. We've been using them all, successfully, for the last few years to create social networks within organizations. I love it! For a small, niche consulting firm, Advancing Insights, IBM's endorsement validates what we've known and what we've been telling clients all along. "...the tools are powerful, they scale, and work better than vendor products costing tens of thousands of dollars".
Of course, there is a lot more to developing collaborative sites or community driven ones than slapping together software.
From IBM, "Using open source software to design, develop, and deploy a collaborative Web site.
...for complicated sites that require more than just the standard methods of interaction and update, Web site development is still not turnkey. Many customizations are often necessary for each application within an organization.
This collection of articles from members of the IBM Internet Technology Group shows you how to use open source tools as a basis and provides a methodology and set of enhancements to simplify the process of Web site development.
...the team describes a fictitious organization that requires a customized Web site that includes, among other things, document storage, discussion groups, specialized workgroups, conference scheduling, and schedule session descriptions. They illustrate the creation of this Web site using the following open source tools:
- Drupal - An open source content management system
- MySQL - An open source database store
- PHP - A Web-based language for supporting dynamic content with PHPMyAdmin and SQLBrowse
- Apache - An open source Web server
- Eclipse - An open source development environment
- CVS - A source code management system that tracks changes in your code
They provide step-by-step guidelines to the installation and use of the development tool suite described above.
These guidelines include:
- Building your development environment
- Getting started with Drupal
- Observing the interaction of Drupal with other software tools (such as MySQL, Ajax, and PHP)
- Building custom Drupal modules
- Deploying and tuning your installation"
Email or call us, 973.433.4007, to find out more about specific collaborative tools and social network implementations, training, and education.