Blogs, Photo Galleries and More with Community Server

Web Developers Users’ Group, March 13, 2008 

What Is Community Server?

Community Server is a social networking application providing features such as blogs, forums, photo galleries and file downloads. Community Server allows non-developers to enable these features for their web site and build their own communities.

By default, Community Server uses local accounts created by the software. Web Works can customize a Community Server site to use Missouri State user IDs and passwords.

Missouri State Theme

Developed specifically to make Community Server comply with the Missouri State Web Policies, the Missouri State theme sets the color scheme, adds a link to the Missouri State homepage to the top and includes all of the required footer information. Once installed, developers can customize the theme to meet their needs. For a new site, just tell us whether you want the theme installed or not. If you already have a Community Server site, you can download the theme from http://template.missouristate.edu

Blogs

Community Server enables you to blog with ease. The free edition allows up to 10 people in your area to have a blog. Users can post comments to your blog entries and with RSS you can be notified of new posts.

Forums

You can have up to 15 forums. You can group forums and have sub-forums. Forums can be moderated or un-moderated. You can allow anonymous posts or require user registration.

Photo Galleries

You are limited to 10 photo galleries but photos can have unlimited tags. Photo uploads are easy, and either an entire gallery or just a specific tag can be linked from your main web site.

RSS

Almost everything in Community Server is RSS enabled. This allows you to monitor activity on your community from your favorite RSS feed reader.

Requesting Community Server

You can request a community server for your web sites at http://www.missouristate.edu/web/CommunityServer.htm Community Server is either your main site or installed to application development site as a companion to your main site.