IBM Lotus Notes Domino Blog Template Steve Castledine

What is a Blog? A blog (short for weblog) is a online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author/s or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. The author of a blog is often referred to as a blogger. Many blogs syndicate their content to subscribers using RSS (Really Simple Syndication), a popular content distribution tool.

A blog (short for weblog) is a online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general consumption.

Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author/s or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog.

The author of a blog is often referred to as a blogger. Many blogs syndicate their content to subscribers using RSS (Really Simple Syndication), a popular content distribution tool.

What is a Blog (more)? Visitors can post comments to entries on the site. Each individual entry can be linked using a “Permanent Link” (or Static URL) from other sites Contains archives of posts – By Month, by Category

Visitors can post comments to entries on the site.

Each individual entry can be linked using a “Permanent Link” (or Static URL) from other sites

Contains archives of posts – By Month, by Category

A typical “Blog”

Where did blogs come from?

Blogs in the Enterprise So what do blogs do in the Enterprise? They enable groups of people to Communicate, Discuss, and therefore collaborate. So not just for personal use. Who are these Groups? CEO’s Office (organisation communication) Projects (You can email in Content, Central store of project data) Teams Organisations (free marketing, instant response to negative market information, product research, solicit customer opinion) Yourself – just sharing ideas with others

So what do blogs do in the Enterprise?

They enable groups of people to Communicate, Discuss, and therefore collaborate. So not just for personal use.

Who are these Groups?

CEO’s Office (organisation communication)

Projects (You can email in Content, Central store of project data)

Teams

Organisations (free marketing, instant response to negative market information, product research, solicit customer opinion)

Yourself – just sharing ideas with others

The IBM Lotus Notes Domino Blog Template Introduced at version 7.0.2 as part of the “Innovation Pack” (includes the blog template, Notes in a USB Stick and RSS template) – will run on 6.x+ but not supported or licensed Included within the server install Allows end users to create blog websites on a Domino Server Easy as creating a new database from the server side template Template is powerful and allows end users/customers to customize the web site entirely and without changing the underlying notes design.

Introduced at version 7.0.2 as part of the “Innovation Pack” (includes the blog template, Notes in a USB Stick and RSS template) – will run on 6.x+ but not supported or licensed

Included within the server install

Allows end users to create blog websites on a Domino Server

Easy as creating a new database from the server side template

Template is powerful and allows end users/customers to customize the web site entirely and without changing the underlying notes design.

It is a standard Lotus Notes Application Blog Database

Blog Database

Key Features Content can be added via a Notes Client or Web Client Inbuilt RSS feeds – Content/Categorised Content/Comments Comment System (with built in SPAM protection) Podcasting – iTunes feeds Social Bookmarking – Categories/Tags Automatic content archiving, searching, future publishing and expiry HTML Template and Tag based system for ease of Web Design editing

Content can be added via a Notes Client or Web Client

Inbuilt RSS feeds – Content/Categorised Content/Comments

Comment System (with built in SPAM protection)

Podcasting – iTunes feeds

Social Bookmarking – Categories/Tags

Automatic content archiving, searching, future publishing and expiry

HTML Template and Tag based system for ease of Web Design editing

Why use Domino for blogging? Key Features mentioned before Security Replication Ease of Use Existing Architecture Notes on a Stick – take your Lotus Notes Client on a USB stick and blog anywhere

Key Features mentioned before

Security

Replication

Ease of Use

Existing Architecture

Notes on a Stick – take your Lotus Notes Client on a USB stick and blog anywhere

Creating a New Blog Creating a New Blog is as simple as creating a new Notes Database from a Template

Creating a New Blog - Wizard Database then asks some questions and you are away

Database then asks some questions and you are away

Out of the Box Website – www.jeffeisen.com Lotus Notes Chief Architect

Customising the Blog Application Entire Website can be customised (via Lotus Notes Documents) Database can be customised via: HTML Template and Tag system Stylesheet (CSS) Configuration Document

Entire Website can be customised (via Lotus Notes Documents)

Database can be customised via:

HTML Template and Tag system

Stylesheet (CSS)

Configuration Document

Customised Template – www.edbrill.com Business Unit Executive, Worldwide Lotus Messaging Sales

Customised Template – www.stevecastledine.com Myself

Customised Template - developerWorks Blog

Domino Server Team Blog – www.dominoblog.com

Theme - CoffeeSpot

Theme - Regulus

Add On – Statistics Template Allows you to capture usage information for your blog. For example: Daily Page Impressions Monthly Page Impressions Referrers – Any “linkage” to your site from others Site Searches (including Googles if a public site) RSS Feed Hits Available from Lotus Support Website: http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=463&context=SSKTMJ&context=SSKTWP&q1=blog&uid=swg21246924&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&lang=en

Allows you to capture usage information for your blog. For example:

Daily Page Impressions

Monthly Page Impressions

Referrers – Any “linkage” to your site from others

Site Searches (including Googles if a public site)

RSS Feed Hits

Add On – Statistics Template

Add On – Theme Template Allows you to capture, manage and distribute themes easily between databases Build a list of preferred company themes “ Push” updates to existing blog databases Download Themes from a central source Available shortly (version 1 Early May) …. Probably direct from my website, maybe it will get upgraded to Lotus support download

Allows you to capture, manage and distribute themes easily between databases

Build a list of preferred company themes

“ Push” updates to existing blog databases

Download Themes from a central source

Add On – Theme Manager

Manual “Theme” editing/customisation HTML Templates (stored as Lotus Notes Documents) hold the html and system tags. Three Template Types for Customisation Page – For formatting each web page eg homepage Item – For formatting each entry Block – So we can reuse blocks of html within our pages

HTML Templates (stored as Lotus Notes Documents) hold the html and system tags.

Three Template Types for Customisation

Page – For formatting each web page eg homepage

Item – For formatting each entry

Block – So we can reuse blocks of html within our pages

HTML Templates

Tags Tags tell the blog application where to place key data <$DXSubject$> - Subject of Post <$DXAuthor$> - Author of Post <$DXItemContent$> - Actual Content of Post <$DXTitle$> - Title of Blog Example: <html><head> <title> <$DXTitle$> </title> </head> <body>

Tags tell the blog application where to place key data

<$DXSubject$> - Subject of Post

<$DXAuthor$> - Author of Post

<$DXItemContent$> - Actual Content of Post

<$DXTitle$> - Title of Blog

Stylesheet (CSS) Edited within Notes Document so do not need to edit Lotus Notes design. Database “parses” Content Rich Text when saved so stylesheet takes precedence on formatting (removes font tags – can be switched off)

Edited within Notes Document so do not need to edit Lotus Notes design.

Database “parses” Content Rich Text when saved so stylesheet takes precedence on formatting (removes font tags – can be switched off)

Configuration Document Configuration document stores all the key settings for the database – including: Any text/html generated by the system Site Settings/Options Switching on/off various features: Emailing Content, Logging Statistics, Email Subscriptions, Technorati Pings, Podcasting

Configuration document stores all the key settings for the database – including:

Any text/html generated by the system

Site Settings/Options

Switching on/off various features: Emailing Content, Logging Statistics, Email Subscriptions, Technorati Pings, Podcasting

Configuration Document Location

Resources Lotus Support site under “Domino Server” – search “Blog” Lotus Notes 8 Help Documentation Personal Website http://www.stevecastledine.com

Lotus Support site under “Domino Server” – search “Blog”

Lotus Notes 8 Help Documentation

Personal Website http://www.stevecastledine.com

Resources Two Articles on creating Themes from Scratch: http://www.stevecastledine.com/sc.nsf/dx/Creating-a-new-Theme1.htm http://www.stevecastledine.com/sc.nsf/dx/Creating-a-new-Theme2.htm

Two Articles on creating Themes from Scratch:

http://www.stevecastledine.com/sc.nsf/dx/Creating-a-new-Theme1.htm

http://www.stevecastledine.com/sc.nsf/dx/Creating-a-new-Theme2.htm

Questions