Connect allows you to build a site with directories of information. The platform comes with several pre-built profile types like People, Places, Events, Groups, Businesses, Organizations, Topics, Ideas, Accounts and more.
You have always been able to add additional profile types, though they required configuration in an XML file. It takes about 30 minutes to think through and write up a new profile type.
One of the goals of Connect 7.0 / 2016 is to have a product which doesn't require coding and XML templating to achieve basic customization of the profile types.
With the latest code, you can now specify a Tab as "data-driven" in the online Admin editor. Once this checkmark is made, the tab's landing page behaves differently. The landing page has content areas, but also inspects the tab's data and chooses different portlets to display. Portlets for content areas, adding profiles, seeing sub-categories, recent category, profiles, search, and recent activity.
As the "data-driven" tab grows with data, the landing page adapts to show just the right amount of information, with links to get users to interesting pages.
So phase 1 of data-driven tabs is complete. The next phase looks to include further customization of the tab's settings – the profile record's form, the privacy settings, and ownership.
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The ConcourseConnect platform is customized using customization packs. Customization packs allow a developer to concentrate on the parts that make their app unique, while being able to plug into the core platform.
Each configuration pack can contain installation properties and scripts, upgrade scripts, configuration properties, and runtime components such as web themes, portal layouts, email templates, background jobs, workflow rules, decision rules, web modules, portlets, JSPs and APIs.
Concursive chose to keep the configuration and customization separate from the core application architecture so that it's easier to upgrade and allows the developer to make changes and improvements without forking the application.
Please see the document "Customization Packs Documentation" for more information.
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Over at the official ConcourseConnect Wiki, the changelog for version 4.0 has been updated. There have been many improvements documented so please take a look for more information.
The version 5.0 changelog has also been started. Overall, these new features enable businesses to launch social sites quickly; build programs with process and workflow; and create mobile app communities.
If you haven't tried Concursive's ConnectElements.com community - feel free to give it a try. ConnectElements.com allows you to sign up for free, create groups and projects, and invite others. The site hosts groups of all kinds, and projects of all types.
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This update is recommended for all installations of ConcourseConnect, adding Tomcat 7 compatibility, PostgreSQL improvements and fixes. This update includes security fixes for CONCOURSECONNECT-SA-CORE-2012-001.
When upgrading, be sure to install the version that corresponds to your installation:
- If you use ConcourseConnect 3.0 or 4.0, upgrade to ConcourseConnect 4.0 (2012-11-21).
- If you use ConcourseConnect 2.0.2, upgrade to ConcourseConnect 2.0.3.
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Here are some notes on using Tomcat with SSL. The default Tomcat uses a Java keystore, while a Tomcat with the native libraries installed uses APR.
The most versatile way of using SSL with Java is to first generate a self-signed certificate using a Java keystore. From there, you will have to obtain a signed certificate from a certificate authority (like GoDaddy) and then import it into the keystore you have used for the self-signed cert.
Using Java keytool, import the registrar's bundle and then the signed certificate, this results in the following messages:
Certificate was added to keystore
Certificate reply was installed in keystore
At this point the keystore can be used directly with Tomcat, or if Tomcat APR is being used then you must export the private key and certificates as PEM encoded files. Keytool doesn't export private keys, as far as I know. So, over the years I've been using an Open Source product called Portecle in which I open the keystore and then choose to export the "Private Key and Certificates" as "PEM Encoded" and then copy the generated *.pem file and the *.crt file straight from GoDaddy into Tomcat. That's it, then just use them with Tomcat APR.
If Tomcat is upgraded on that server then you must also install APR or just use the keystore file directly.
If you have a different or better way please post your comments.
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An exhaustive list of features that have been added to ConcourseConnect can now be found in the ConcourseConnect 3.0 Changelog wiki.
ConcourseConnect 3.0 marked a major change in Concursive's development strategy. For the first time we have taken the development source code repository internal to our operations and worked directly with customers to produce the latest version.
Some of our favorite new features are Gamification/Challenges, Real-time audio and video collaboration, streamlining the signup process, and opening up the social backend for mobile applications.
Concursive is now moving along on ConcourseConnect 4.0 which provides 3rd-party and mobile clients access to the social backend. A number of services are now integrated as well, including:
Authorize.net
http://developer.authorize.net/
Concursive Services
http://www.concursive.com/
CyberSource
http://www.cybersource.com/developers/
eTouches
http://developer.etouches.com/
Facebook
http://developers.facebook.com/
Google Analytics
http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/
Google Maps
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/
OpenMeetings
http://incubator.apache.org/openmeetings/
Twitter
https://dev.twitter.com/
Ustream
http://developer.ustream.tv
Vimeo
http://vimeo.com/api
Yahoo! Placefinder
http://developer.yahoo.com/geo/placefinder/
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/dev
A public distribution is not expected of version 3.0 – with all the integration work and enhanced features of what Concursive is delivering today, I'm not sure ConcourseConnect can be distributed the same way. We have kicked off a beta partner distribution of version 4.0. Please contact us to learn more about it.
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This release of ConcourseConnect is compiled for Java 5 and up. We've fixed a wiki export bug and added some proxy parameters for those that need them. The compiled version is available now (direct download link – 36.1 MB) and with it comes our stable Enterprise 2.0 and Collaboration Suite integrated with Concursive Services. You can also download the source from Google Code and SourceForge.net.
Here are the highlights from ConcourseConnect 2.0:
- Twitter-like activity stream for collaboration and status updates
- Facebook-like rich user profiles
- Email subscriptions which include activity stream updates
- A very functional Wiki with inter-profile wiki links and exporting to PDF
- Improvements to Ideas, Blog, Reviews, Discussion Forums, Document Management, Lists, Badges, Issues, Participants, Search, Tags, Classifieds and Promotions
- Dozens of other major features and hundreds of minor improvements
Concursive Services is an application store for ConcourseConnect and ConcourseSuite CRM widgets. If you develop Java Portlets, we want to host and help you sell those to Concursive users. Today we're launching with an HTML/Ad serving portlet, but we're working on a few others. For more information, please contact us!
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Today we're releasing ConcourseConnect 2.0. The compiled version is available now (direct download link – 36.3 MB) and with it comes our stable Enterprise 2.0 and Collaboration Suite integrated with Concursive Services. You can also download the source from Google Code and SourceForge.net.
Here are the highlights from ConcourseConnect 2.0:
- An intelligent Activity Stream for rapid collaboration and status updates
- Email subscriptions which include activity stream updates
- A very functional Wiki with inter-profile wiki links and exporting to PDF
- Improvements to Ideas, Blog, Reviews, Discussion Forums, Document Management, Lists, Badges, Issues, Participants, Search, Tags, Classifieds and Promotions
- Dozens of other major features and hundreds of minor improvements
Concursive Services is an application store for ConcourseConnect and ConcourseSuite CRM widgets. If you develop Java Portlets, we want to host and help you sell those to Concursive users. Today we're launching with an HTML/Ad serving portlet, but we're working on a few others. For more information, please contact us!
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Now that 2.0 could be released at any moment, I wanted to do a quick write up of what to expect. You can read the entire software change report in the ConcourseConnect 2.0 Software Changelog Wiki which describes the improved functionality, but what about the actual process of upgrading?
For Users, things will just work better. Better browser compatibility, fewer clicks to do the same things, and curiously new portlets. Users will generally 'get' these portlets.
For Community Managers, I can't think of anything that needs to be configured before you start using 2.0. If you haven't been using the embedded ratings links... (Do you like this content, etc.), then you'll want to because those ratings can influence the way portlets display data. New to this release is an optional tie-in with ConcourseSuite. If you're curious then read about ConcourseSuite Integration.
For System Administrators, this may be one of your easiest upgrades yet (if things go well). Give your users ample notice that you will be performing an upgrade. You should provide links to this blog to let them explore the features coming. They can also take a look at the sample sites as well. When it comes to upgrading, be sure to backup the database, the old application, and the old build.properties file in the fileLibrary. The upgrade is automatic, and depending on how much existing data your site has, the upgrade could take 5 minutes or upwards of 30 minutes.
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