This is a bit beyond basic, but I came across a great article on open source software from the NAME Journal, and couldn’t resist adding my two cents:

If you’re hoping to build an online exhibit, there are two stand-by methods for doing this:  coding the thing in HTML as you would anything else on the website, or programming it in flash. Both methods have their drawbacks.  If you’re going the HTML route, things can quickly get involved.  Say you would like to have an exhibit with 20 pieces (each being a chunk of the exhibit, including a photo and the “label.”).  That’s 20 pages to code.  Now, if you’re doing this by hand, the old fashioned way (i.e., in notepad), this is a significant project.  If you’re using Dreamweaver, it isn’t such a big deal, as you can set up a template.  You do still have to set up the navigation, assign urls to each page, check all the links, etc.

Flash has all sorts of drawbacks.  For one, a lot of web users still just don’t get flash.  Either they’re one of the three people in the U.S. still using dial-up, or they don’t have the flash plug-in, and aren’t quite sure how to change that.  It’s also more diffiult to create (Adobe/Macromedia Flash has been the standard (expensive) tool for doing so, although there are now other cheaper, easier options.

As is the case in web design in general, there is a definite movement toward both open-source and content management systems, and this can only be a good thing.  As Jim Spadaccini notes, there are a few possibilities coming along for building online, interactive exhibitions.

One is Pachyderm.  I have not yet been able to get a good feel for Pachyderm, as it is difficult to install, and not really compatible with my server.  The first issue is supposed to be resolved soon, with the next stable release (sometime before the end of the year).  I’m not sure about the second issue.  Here’s hoping!  There is also a hosted option, which is $99 a year.

Another is Omeka.  Omeka comes to us from the Center for History and New Media,*  and seems to be farther along than Pachyderm, but also seems more suited to a framework to upload collections, and allow visitors to create their own exhibit.  It also seems to work well for archives based exhibits, and I’m not completely sold on it being perfect for a artifact/art exhibit.  It was super easy to install and get running, however.

Exhibit Screenshot

Both Open Exhibits and CollectionSpace sound like they have good potential.  I’ll be waiting!

Yet another possibility is Drupal, with the Exhibit module.  I haven’t used this yet — it seems infinitely more suited to yet another build-your-own-exhibit scenario for site visitors, based on a largish database of images/data.

What other possibilities are there?

*If you’re not familiar with the Center for History and New Media, they have all sorts of wonderful tools and resources.  For anything related to digital humanities, they are a fantastic resource.

Feed Readers — Browse your favorite blogs the easy way

So, you’ve found a blog you like (maybe even this one!).  Option a: check the page every time you’re bored to see if there is new content.  Option b: get a feed reader to do that work for you.

Now, it is quite possible that those who are finding this blog already know all about feeds and feed readers, but from talking to some of my colleagues around the area, I know that this is a not a solid assumption.  There are a lot of otherwise reasonably web-savvy people (although general users, not programmers) who haven’t yet gotten up to speed on blogs.

Blogs, news sites, and all sorts of things on the internet offer RSS or Atom feeds.  (RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.  If you’re thinking “Gee thanks, that really helps,” you’re okay.  What it means doesn’t matter all that much.)  Basically, web content can have a feed, that usually is published through an XML file.  Again, don’t get caught up in that.  If you’re planning to simply use a feed, what exactly constitutes an xml file doesn’t matter.  (If you’re planning to create a feed, keep reading below.)  In short, that xml file is updated whenever there is new content, and a feed reader parses that for you.

While there are a number of possibilities out there, I’m a big fan of Google’s Reader.  It works out nicely with Google’s other goodies (GMail and Calendar), and that makes my life easier, but find an option that works for you.  There are some blogs that allow you subscribe via email, but I hate cluttering up my email with stuff that I simply want to read, so my feed reader keeps it all in one place, where I can go to easily find something I might want to read.

Feeds — Distribute your content the easy way

If I have to subscribe to content via email, I’m not happy for a number of reasons.  For one, I have to give someone my email.  The other issue is that subscribing to blogs or other often-updated content via email can really clutter up your inbox.  I really don’t like having something I’m going to want to just read in my email — my email is for work that needs to be accomplished.  I’m not the only person on the planet that feels this way.

I’m not saying you should not have an email list, but there are different purposes for email lists and feeds, although they sometimes overlap.  Consider the audience you are trying to target, and how they might want to use your content.  While blogs are the most common thing to get a feed, I’ve seen press release pages with them (targeted to both media and supporters), updates on legislative issues, calendars, etc.

There are about three main ways to build a feed:

1. Build it yourself (i.e., program the xml file).  For instructions on this, see “Making an RSS Feed.“  Now, unless you have a lot of time on your hands, or content that changes very infrequently (in which case, why bother with a feed?), I don’t really recommend this approach.
2. Use a feed creation tool (some options at RSS Specifications).
3. If you are using a CMS, it is a safe bet that it can automatically create a feed for you (and submit it to search engines any time there’s something new).

And voila, you have a feed.  You can also use a service like FeedBurner to track your subscribers (not in a privacy-invading way, but you can get some basic info, like with other types of web analytics).  If you’re choosing option 1 or 2 above, you’ll also need to then host your feed (by uploading it to your website, generally at www.example.com/rss.xml or /feed.xml) (if using option 3, your CMS will do this, again, automatically).

Software is expensive.  Why spend your oranization’s hard-won money on software you can get for less, or, better, free?

If you don’t yet know about TechSoup, go check them out.  In addition to useful information (including webinars and a host of useful articles), TechSoup also serves as a clearinghouse for discounted technology for non-profits.  You can get discounted Microsoft software, access to eTapestry, scheduling software, and more.

There is also the wonderful world of open source software.  Here are some of my picks:

AVG or Avast — Options for virus control instead of Norton.  Free for home use, differing rates for business use.  (At least Avast has an option to request a non-profit discount — not sure about AVG.)  Combine with Spybot for great protection.

OpenOffice – Like Microsoft Office (although not the horrible Office 2007), but free.  It is completely compatible with Office, so you won’t lose the ability to send documents on to others.  It will even write your files to pdfs!

Firefox — If you’re still surfing with buggy Internet Explorer, stop!  Not only does Firefox have fewer vulnerabilities than IE, it has so many other benefits that I can’t imagine going back to IE (in fact, I only use IE for testing how my org’s webpage will look in it).  Firefox has many optional add-ons or extensions you can choose to use.  The chief of these is Adblock Plus, which helps you avoid popups, and the now-ubiquitous ads on every website.  There are also a variety of GreeseMonkey scripts that will strip any remaining ads, and do just about anything you could possibly imagine to your browser. Other additions include the Developer Toolbar and Firebug, which can be a great boon if you’re trying to manage a website.

Audacity (download from SourceForge or Download.com) — Audio software, that can be used for making podcasts, audio tours, or even digitizing cassette tapes.

Irfanview — Image editing software.  It certainly doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of Photoshop, but it will help you resize or change format.

Gimp — Another option for image editing software, about on par with Photoshop.

Various CMS — as discussed previously, Joomla, WordPress, and Drupal are all open-source content management systems.

Notepad ++ — Regular Notepad doesn’t have much in the way of features.  If you’re trying to tweak your website code (say, the php files for your CMS), regular old Notepad can be a pain, and opening DreamWeaver can sometimes be a bit much.  I’ve been much happier since I found this.

Ajax Animator — Adobe’s Flash (to program it, not to just view it) can be pretty pricey, but there is a free way to nevertheless build flash components.

PicMarkr – A utility to help you add watermarks to your images (I’m not saying you must watermark your images, but it’s there if you want it).

Zamzar — A web service that will convert your files (emailing the new file to you) to any number of formats.  It can take a little while to receive the email however, so be sure to plan ahead if you’re converting files on a deadline (say, for grants submittal).

Osalt – Not software itself, but a great resource for finding Open Source alternatives.