Which topics would you like covered on SharePoint Magazine?

Sharepoint and AJAX. It seems to be something hot and everyone is talking about it, but finding good information on using AJAX in webparts etc is hard. Something of tab webpart and collapse panel controls would be great!!!

An interesting topic could be "using MOSS as a large document management system". Tips and tricks for a better document management solution. Could be possible?

Nice initiative, I could be interested a guideline of deployment depending of the user amount.
I read the one of Microsoft, but it still doesn't answer to the main question "which architecture for which user qty ?"
I'm starting a project, but I get stucked on this question....
I wouldn't want to have to change my architecture or my hardware in few months ....

So a simple article about scalability and deployment advice could be nice ;)

A series to help ASP.NET web application developers develop apps for SharePoint. Similar to what jhaebets has said about finding good resources. I've searched the web and books to help me learn to develop SharePoint applications and have come up short.

I'd like to have more info about the built of advanced graphic layout with moss. Maybe something about the built of accessible site.

An interesting topic could be the best practice on deployment in order to have an upgradeable SharePoint system. For example, how to construct the home page in order to be able to update it by changing webpart ?

Thanks

The way we choose at our company to deploy and use SharePoint (MOSS 2007 Enterprise), the IT team focus on solutions which require no development (no code)... Our goal is to offer users things they can reproduce by themselves and apply to their own problems without requiring IT to be part of the project... In this spirit (user-side, no code), here are topics we would like to be covered in your (amazing and really interesting) magazine:
- how to use InfoPath as a way to launch and feed a business process (ex. IT development, etc.)
- how to offer users views on databases content (datamart, SQL Server) and be able to manage access to these views
- how to link databases (SQL Server) data to key performance indicators updated automatically
- how to link ExcelWeb to databases (SQL Server) data (ex. performance dashboards, graphs, etc.) updated automatically
- how to "transparently" interface customers/associates/suppliers into business processes (workflows)
- how to use SharePoint as a eLearning center in business (ex. video sharing, tutorials, exams, history, etc.)
- how to "pack" things (ex. features) so users can reuse components (code and workflows, if necessary) created by IT (ex. a column showing a progress bar (picture) instead of a value, etc.)
- etc.

Thanks for such a great and welcome magazine !

I would be interested in an analysis of the ROI for a SharePoint implementation, including a list of the metrics used to calculate ROI. A lot of CIO's ask the question "what benefit do we get from spending the money on MOSS CAL's?"

I would like to see few articles under below areas…
1. ASP.NET /AJAX / InfoPath Integration for Enterprise level applications.
2. How we do tightly use SQL Server openly.
3. Workflow implementation with real world examples.
4. Site Branding…

Thx...

sharepoint governance & Sharepoint Best Practices (Planning and Deployment)

Effectively bending SharePoint components to actually produce accessible, web standards based Transitional XHTML.

I would love information and tips on how to successfully create a complex workflow with many business processes to execute.

Pain points ? Currently it is Migrations from 2003 to 2007. I have been doing Gradual upgrades & many times there are issues when i try to Export the upgraded 2007 (with the "versions -4" property) in order to Import it to my Production site. One of the sites will absolutely not export with the document & list versions. In general, i back up from 2003 production, restore to 2003 staging, then do a Gradual upgrade, export to 2007 staging & import to 2007 production. It's a slow, tedious process, especially with 6 GB sites. I would love to buy the Metalogix migrator, but no budget right now. I am looking into the Database style migration but it is slow going with other priority tasks.

Another topic i would love to see is custom Workflows with Designer. Things like using the People Picker object on Workflow initiation and similar challenges where i am emulating piece of the OOTB Workflow, but customizing the text, flow, etc. I would also love to figure out how to initiate Workflow (using Designer) from a button click.

How about a review of third party backup solutions with Sharepoint along with best practices for backups?

I guess Sharepoint database management in general is a broader category that we are struggling with. I'd be interested in seeing topics on that for any database issues that come up with Sharepoint.

Also, perhaps you should consider a Site Template of the Month, or something similiar, the way old DIY programming magazines did back in the day.

I would like to see how to configure Kerberos in a Server 2008 environment.

MOSS Best Practices: Web Content Management, User Adoption of MOSS, BDC, Delivering Complex SP Projects, Doc Management Deployments

Customisation and Branding including inc. Features and Solutions.

1. Help around custom worklow
2. My Site "lockdown" and AD integration. Pre-Populating the colleagues.
3. How to restrict contributors from deleting other contributors entries. Only delete own.
4. How to enable a list to accept emails and launch a workflow

As a Sharepoint newbie but not an IT newbie, I'd love to see a regular section on 'Intro to Sharepoint'. A perfect way to launch a magazine on Sharepoint would be a basic test install. This could then be used in later articles as a platform to build on. To comment on above posts, a developer section is always nice, but so is information on how to do things without code as mentioned by Jean G.

One thing that keeps cropping for me is Feature Stapling. It would be great if someone could write a guide on this with some details on the timings of when a feature stapler is executed, as I haven't found any guides on the web which explain this fully yet

Accomplishing true single sign on (SSO) via SharePoint.
It would be extremely helpful to have some direction on how to use SSO in SharePoint as Microsoft defines it, and how to accomplish SSO the way the rest of the world defines it. That is, how can MOSS be utilized as an authentication gateway to other web applications. This doesn't mean pulling the other applications into MOSS, rather - authenticating into MOSS then jumping to the other apps (their own environment) without having to log in again.

I would like to see some documentation on Project Server 2007 integration with MOSS. It seems to be something a lot of companies are interested in doing and I am not finding much info on this at all. When I, do it's not very detailed!

Definitely Global Site Branding. There is a lot of documentation on Single Site Branding, but not a lot of step by step info on applying branding throughout a farm/web application/site collection.

I would like to have a introduction article on sharepoint customization. Most of the time, for beginners, it is very difficult to understand from where they can start customization. For example, how to customize quick launch navigation, to define custom list/document library, customize menu navigation, etch.

I want to understand the content database structure and how those list data is being operated and want to know is it possible to hv some kind of API to use SQL to Select, insert, Edit, Delete. (If there is a post already, plz let me know, I know really lack in this area... and its make me feel not safety to use sharepoint. (Boss yell to you coz u cant do some simply request.)

Agree with brianreeves, global branding is something that a lot of people struggle with so more instruction on that front would be of great help.

Best practises regarding large scale document management, mysite management.
BDC

And my main one: performance monitoring on MOSS - what counters to monitor and how to interpret the results to diagnose and improve MOSS performance across the business.

I see SharePoint being divided into four huge factors:

- administration/configuration
- development
- design & branding
- management/pre-sales

It would be good if we can get to see a variety of the above covered. Also, having content on Windows SharePoint Services (WSS 3.0) only would be helpful, and well appreciated.

Would be nice to have topics covered in varied manners, such as below:

- Real world experiences (where authors get to pour their hearts out)
- Beginer Corner (for WSS and MOSS novice)
- Success stories
- Tips & Tricks
- Visual How-To's

Thanks,
Harish

Hi Arno .. SharePoint is touted as an application platform. I just did some consultancy to talk developers out of attempting to build a relational application using MOSS OOB functionality. SharePoint is obviously geared towards development of collabarative workspaces but I think new developerds get confused about what "application platform" provides. I really think you would be doinfg the whole SP developer community a real service by proving a whole series (best practice) of articles on building/adding/integrating bespoke relational web apps (ASP.Net/SQL Server etc_ into an existing MOSS platform. Perhaps starting off with the limitations of lists and why you should not attempt to use these to build a relational app (Bamboo solutions have spotted an oppertunity here). Great site guys keep it up ...

I would like to see some articles and / or example of creating custom web part buckets - perhaps with rounded corners or shading within them and allow them to include widgets or web parts of choice.

Also , best practices and tips/tricks on BDC and Excel Web Access would be great

We would love someone to be able to provide practical, real world examples for using Infopath forms with a SQL database - and how this should be implemented end to end. There are lots of easy examples of how to use Infopath with forms libraries, but what good is any of that data if it cannot be used for reporting, querying.

Thank you

Hi! Nice challange.

I would love to see webservices retreiving data across diferent APPPools in a kereberos authenticaltion enabled farm. And also in a NTLM environment.

Tks! Nice work with you magazine

Style, Style, Style.

Great mag - Thanks!

Great site!

I'd like to see:
- Reviews of 3rd party applications (free ones from CodePlex up to full commercial CRM and EDRM packages).
- Reviews of books/resources/training
- Intro guides for novices about each aspect of MOSS (Installation, Excel Services, BDC etc).
- Programming and development (e.g. Feature Stapling) tutorials
- More of the same!

Thanks

Ben

hi, i am a noob with sharepoint, but this puts me in a unique position: i can see from this perspective the possibilities one has when one starts with this complex subject...and so far it's been horrific: there is so much about sharepoint that it's apt to blow your mind! so what i am looking for is a sort of "idiot's guide for sharepoint services/sharepoint server/sharepoint designer"...for example: i am a trainee here at an enterprise here in germany...this company wants to use the sharepoint technology...so the first question one has to ask: what are the crucial criteriae to decide: WSS 3.0 or MOSS? you can find a lot about the subject i know, but it's all pretty much scattered over so many sites! books? yeah, plenty! haven't found one convincing books so far...microsoft? no, i wont go into that...i guess you know why...although you can go there for starters...so i am lacking the preciseness and clearness of information here...this is probably asking for too much...maybe you better forget i wrote this ;-)=)

Hi There

I would love to see some tips around MOSS look/feel customization. all our customers wants to add their own CI colours etc. There are quite a bit of info out there regarding cutomization, but it would be nice to see some high level step by step guidance...

Everything under the Shared Service Providers services:
- profiles
- audiences
- excel services
- business data catalog
- reporting

hi
As a Sharepoint, biztalk & dotnet enthusiast & coder, involved in good amount of project related to internet facing sites, intranet & extranet sites. I have been using Sharepoint from its 2003 version to MOSS 2007. Also integrating other technologies, tools with sharepoint viz, Project Server, MS-CRM 3.0, PeopleSoft, Biztalk.

I am interested in looking at good articles by experts on the following topics
1. Testing Sharepoint internet facing sites
2. Best Practices & Guidelines for Creating Sharepoint Sites (features included, Capturing Data using Lists, Document Libraries, Infopath Forms, Client Side Infopath forms, browser based forms)
3. Approach for Deployment Solutions for any B2B / B2C Sites - moving the site from Development/Integration Server to QA, Staging and Production)
4. Applying Changes to Sites already deployed to Production (we have heard about Chris OBrien talking about Feature Stapling), how do you apply a Change Request (used in SDLC) which has changes to existing modules/features of the site and new enhancements and modules to an existing Production deployed site.
5. Using Workflows (when to use WWF and sharepoint OOTB Workflow features)
6. How do you convert a ASP.NET site to a Sharepoint Site
7. Configuring End to End SSRS (Sql Server Reporting Services with Sharepoint.2007).
8. Integration best practices with Sharepoint 2007
9. Best practices for Custom Development in Sharepoint 2007.
10. User Management (security) , State Management, Caching in Sharepoint.

Regards
Ram
Technical Architect
Zensar Technologies Ltd.
p.chenna@zensar.in, parshu1@vsnl.com

Hi nice to see your website. Topics I would like to see are:
- How to truly brand a MOSS07 intranet for a customer
- Book recommended for everyone

I would be delighted to know more about MySite. I see MySite as a really powerful tool for tailoring an information users requirements but I'd like to understand the limitations of using MySite.
Looking forward to following your new site.

I would like to see a detailed article on users, user profiles and groups within WSS and MOSS. I am a seasoned SharePoint developer and consultant and I think people assume too much and know too little about this important area of the product.

I would like you to have some posts on the customizaiton of the lists, developing of the workflows using visual studio, how to use the master pages in the sharepoint.

Branding and customization; end user support tips and tricks.

Most of the content on SharePoint is around MOSS - we focus on the SME market and the IT maturity levels are pretty low. We are finding WSS is a fantastic stepping stone to SharePoint and our focus will remain around this product for the foreseeable future. The problem with this, is that that when we need help on a solution the help is mainly focused on MOSS and doesn't always work in a WSS environment or the feature is no available in WSS - it would be great to see a section on WSS only

A thorough walkthrough on how to configure BDC for anonymous access on a WCM solution.
What rights needs to be set where? How to configure a BDC search scope to run anonymous? etc..

SSO and SAML with sharepoint.

I would like to view SharePoint large scale deployment scenarios & real time issues during deployment.

Regards,
Tariq Younas
http://dotnethotshots.blogspot.com/

Where could I find information regarding how to create sites between two sharepoints? For example, my company has a sharepoint site and it does project manahgement work for other companies with sharepoint sites. How can we get two sharepoint servers to share a single site?

I would like to see the following articles:
We currently are using WSS 3.0 as our Intranet and we would like to install MOSS in the near future:
1. Best practice for installation of MOSS.
2. Any lessons learned (do/don't).
3. Any suggestions for before, during and after installation.

These are the topics which I would love to get articles published upon:

1. How are requests handled by SharePoint?
2. How does Data interact and integrate within SharePoint?
3. Excel Services, Dashboards, Reporting, BDC?
4. Easy way to develop solutions in SharePoint?

I am trying to organize our site and the users are complaining about the search not working well. Is there a way to improve the search on SharePoint?

when I click on a top link bar there are topics below. They are on a list that expands and collapses with items under it . It is not the quck launch bar . How do I create something like that to organize our documents?

I would like to know how to create the expand and collapse boxes with the amount of how many documents there are under a topic.

I really like to see the creation of practical applications using lists. For example a simple training tracking applications where you have individual lists for Employees, Locations, Instructors, Courses, Schedules and Results. Well the question is how to get a mega join report from all the lists together. That will be really cool, do we need to use Desginer & Infopath, or jump into the mega mess of a complex join query to the UserData and retrieve what we need !!!.

Interested in some of topics mentioned here and "accessibility" of SP

My current pain is the Team Discussion web part in WSS3.0. I wish it had a selection of themes, and a little more functionality like a web discussion forum based on phpBB or ubbthreads. The default Team Discussion web part has only Flat or Threaded views, no Moderator tools, quoting seems to be everything by default, and it generally looks pretty unappealing. Would love to be able to drop a 'real' forum in there.....

I'm a pure newbie to SP, so I'd love to see a SP 101 section. Something that focuses on the basics - How about SP and AD integration? Why isn't there a simple web part that can pull the user contact info that we've entered into AD into an SP site? An article on creating web parts?

I would like to see some announcements and reviews of the numerous SharePoint conferences that seem to be growing in volume and attendance around the U.S.

I want to know whether following scenario is possible or not?And if possible then how?

I have an asp site and user logs in into asp site, so using that credential can we automatically allow user to login to sharepoint site i.e. user logs in asp site then redirect user to sharepoint site using the credentials he has entered in asp site. The authentication type should be windows authentication on sharepoint site

Has SharePoint Magazine reviewed the developer framework, Mobile Entree (www.mobileentree.com)? Most of the organizations I consult with have, at some point, wanted to make their SharePoint portals more mobile friendly. It would be great to see a review of this product by SharePoint Magazine.

I would like to see some articles regarding project management specifically BI reporting project management. Including using sharepoint for documentation of reports that have been created.

I'm new to your magazine. Do you have resources for training non-techie site administrators. Most of my site admins are Administrative Assistants, Healthcare Project Managers and Healthcare Analysts. Do you have any training tips for these folks who don't know code and don't work with the servers or deployment?