I suppose the first question to answer for many people is, what is Community Server? Well, Community Server is an application with the sole purpose of building online communities. It is a turbo charged set of applications that all play well together. Out of the box you get a rich set of membership tools, blogs, forums, photo galleries, and file downloads. Those are perhaps the key applications of the system. I should point out that the blog system supports any number of blogs, hundreds or even thousands if you like. The other aspect of Community Server that you should be aware of is that it is a commercial application, though it does have a free license now. It is built on asp.net technology and is basically one of my favorite web apps of all time!

I have had the opportunity to work with Community Server on several sites with clients through my work at TargetScope. It has been nothing but an awesome experience. You can pretty much mash Community Server around and get it to do most anything you need. The only live/public sample I can show that I have worked on can be found here. So I am clearly a bit biased when it comes to Community Server; but I think for good reason. And if your wondering, no I don't work for them and I wasn't paid in any way for this post! Believe it or not I really am just an excited user.

Get to the point

So, the real point of all this is to show some inspiring designs that have been implemented on Community Server systems. Not all of these samples are uber beautiful, and some are even based on templates that are widely available. I consider this a stage one article though, showing where things are right now, because I think there is plenty of room for growth. I should also point out that my focus was as usual on design and not content.

So all you Community Server developers, enjoy the links and get inspired, maybe go hire a designer to create something out of this world!

Sample Usage

Comments

Broom

2/22/2007 11:44:39 AM

Nice write up! i´m a designer that works a lot with CS and Telligent (the company that developed it). its a lot of fun and the platform is very flexible. Lots and Lots of opportunity to do great things.

see NurseLinkUp.com for a good example of some of the posibilities.

Disappointed

2/22/2007 12:48:14 PM

Hey guys, I understand you need sponsors and money but this is just M$ crap all over.

The money you make from them you´ll lose as fast as we decide not to come visit you again.

Shame, this used to be such a great place...

Patrick

2/22/2007 12:50:59 PM

That comment is just loaded with crap. This site is in no way sponsored by Community Server or any company associated with it. I probably shouldn´t have bothered approving your comment, but I did just in case any other morons say the same thing.

AS I SAID IN THE POST I am not sponsored by them, I am just an excited user. Why is it the association with anything microsoft somehow makes people say stupid things?

I just don´t get it.

The Wizard

5/1/2007 7:34:53 AM

Patrick,

Thanks for the really awesome write up! :-)

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Table of Contents

Helpful Books

Community Server

Editions:

The Site Type

Get to the point

Sample Usage

Links

Main Community Server Sites

Other links I have found very useful:

Comments