Web software for a family web site?

[Ted Roche]

On Feb 8, 2007, at 9:04 AM, Randy Edwards wrote:
>    I'm debating putting up a family web site.  Like most families,  
> ours is
> scattered geographically and it's hard to keep track of all the aunts,
> uncles, cousins, nieces, etc.
>
>    A web site for this seems like a no-brainer.  And I'm sure some  
> people have
> written software to accomplish the "normal" tasks.

A general-purpose content management system would let you have forums  
for chat, a calendar, a photo gallery, news items, rss feeds, etc.  
Lock it down with authentication and let them use it as they wish.  
Most of the top CMS have pretty granular security, so you can keep  
private what should be private while still allowing enough of the  
site to be visible to the web that far-flung relatives might be able  
to Google you and join in the discussion. A few years ago, I posted  
scans of my grandmother's photo album that my dad had organized, and  
it was delightful making contact with my many relations in Nova  
Scotia and across Canada.

Coincidentally, Guy Pardoe is doing a presentation on Joomla!, one of  
the top dozen contenders (along with Xaraya, that GNHLUG member  
Jonathan Linowes presented last year [1]) this very evening in  
Peterborough:

http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.org.user-groups.linux.gnhlug/8437

[1] http://www.mail-archive.com/gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org/ 
msg13305.html

Ted Roche
Ted Roche & Associates, LLC
http://www.tedroche.com