Community Server

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently, but I've been busy running my annual March Madness Pool. This year I made an addition to the site to permit interaction between the pool players, powered by a nifty platform called Community Server. The platform, which runs on an MS SQL database through my hosting service, permits me to have an online forum, blogs, and any other content I want to include. Community Server also offers options for setting up photo galleries and other types of file sharing, RSS newsfeeds and blog syndication, and it can support thousands of individual users.

The control interface is quite user friendly, although customization is not quite as easy as the promotional copy would lead you to believe - a considerable amount of effort tweaking config files is required (no simple task for a non-techie like myself), although after reviewing tips offered by other users of CS, I was able to stumble and bumble my way through.

Besides, how can you complain when the thing is free (for the Personal Edition, that is). Powerful tools such as this that allow vast interaction and collaboration among thousands of people - coupled with virtually unlimited integration of constantly updated content - is part of what people mean when they talk about the concept of Web 2.0.

And how do I wield this mighty tool of the future? I use it to make a March Madness office pool more fun for the participants. Call it Pool 2.0...