Portal: Difference between revisions

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== Definition ==
== Definition ==


* A portal is a door or entrance ...
* A portal is a door or entrance ...
* A web portal is a website that offers various services through a centralized interface.


* A web portal is a website that offers various services through a centralized interface.
This article only aims to provide a short overview. Please follow other internal links (e.g. the ones in the [[#Technology-based typology]] section.


== Typology ==
== Typology ==
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* Large Internet access portals, such as [http://yahoo.com Yahoo] or MSN
* Large Internet access portals, such as [http://yahoo.com Yahoo] or MSN
* Information portals such as [http://cnn.com CNN]
* Information portals such as [http://cnn.com CNN]
* Participatory information portals such as [http://slashdot.org/ Slahsdot]
* Participatory information portals such as [http://slashdot.org/ Slashdot]


=== Expertise and knowledge portals ===
=== Expertise and knowledge portals ===
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* Enterprise portals (frameworks for integrating information, applications, and processes across organizational boundaries)
* Enterprise portals (frameworks for integrating information, applications, and processes across organizational boundaries)
* Campus-wide information and adminstration systems
* Campus-wide information and administration systems
* [[Learning management system]]s
* [[Learning management system]]s


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* Community of practice portals such as the [http://tecfaseed.unige.ch/door TECFA portal]
* Community of practice portals such as the [http://tecfaseed.unige.ch/door TECFA portal]
* Community of interest portals such [http://www.linux.org linux].
* Community of interest portals such [http://www.linux.org linux].
* Educational portals that engage learners in various writing activities (e.g. [[C3MS]] and that are at least half open to the public.
* Educational portals that engage learners in various writing activities (e.g. [[C3MS]] and that are at least half open to the public).


== Technology-based typology ==
== Technology-based typology ==
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* [[Content management system]]s
* [[Content management system]]s
* [[Learning management system]]s (LMS)
* [[Learning management system]]s (LMS)
* [[C3MS]] (Community potals)
* [[C3MS]] (Community portals)
* [[Wiki]]s
* [[Wiki]]s
* [[Blog]]s (at least some that contain more than just diary entries)
* [[Blog]]s (at least some that contain more than just diary entries)
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=== Portalware ===
=== Portalware ===


* Most open source portalware is based on some sort of [[LAMP]] architecture, but java-based architectures are also popular (in particular within computer science communities). See various categories above.
* Most open source portalware is based on some sort of [[LAMP]] architecture, but java-based architectures are also popular (in particular within computer science communities). See individual entries in the technology-based typology above.
* Enterprise portals probably rely mostly on some java-based technolgy, although the Microsoft .Net architecture is gaining in popularity.
* Enterprise portals probably rely mostly on some java-based technology, although the Microsoft .Net architecture is gaining in popularity.


=== Standards ===
=== Standards ===
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** Transport, e.g. HTTP
** Transport, e.g. HTTP
** XML-based messaging, e.g. XML-RPC, SOAP or REST
** XML-based messaging, e.g. XML-RPC, SOAP or REST
** Service descirpiton, e.g. WSDL
** Service description, e.g. WSDL
** Service discovery
** Service discovery
* In the Java World:
* In the Java World:

Revision as of 19:50, 12 June 2006

Definition

  • A portal is a door or entrance ...
  • A web portal is a website that offers various services through a centralized interface.

This article only aims to provide a short overview. Please follow other internal links (e.g. the ones in the #Technology-based typology section.

Typology

  • Information portals: news, blogs, etc.
  • Transaction portals: sales
  • Collaboration portals

Most popular kinds

This is not a strict classification. Some of the entries may also have traits from other categories. In particular, business or educational organizations may centralize all services in some kind of "vertical portal" (with various access rights).

Information

  • Large Internet access portals, such as Yahoo or MSN
  • Information portals such as CNN
  • Participatory information portals such as Slashdot

Expertise and knowledge portals

  • Experience sharing portals such as epinions
  • Collaborative encyclopedias such as the Wikipedia
  • (Specific) knowledge management portals

Commerce and service

  • Commerce Portals, such as Amazon
  • Service portals, such as Swiss railways
  • Commerce and service portals also can be categorized as a combination of "B2x" portals:
    • business-to-employee electronic commerce (B2E) portal
    • business-to-consumer (B2C)
    • business-to-business (B2B)
    • business-to-dealer/distributor (B2D)
    • business-to-government (B2G)

Intranets

  • Enterprise portals (frameworks for integrating information, applications, and processes across organizational boundaries)
  • Campus-wide information and administration systems
  • Learning management systems

Community

  • Community of practice portals such as the TECFA portal
  • Community of interest portals such linux.
  • Educational portals that engage learners in various writing activities (e.g. C3MS and that are at least half open to the public).

Technology-based typology

Technology

Portalware

  • Most open source portalware is based on some sort of LAMP architecture, but java-based architectures are also popular (in particular within computer science communities). See individual entries in the technology-based typology above.
  • Enterprise portals probably rely mostly on some java-based technology, although the Microsoft .Net architecture is gaining in popularity.

Standards

  • Web services
    • Transport, e.g. HTTP
    • XML-based messaging, e.g. XML-RPC, SOAP or REST
    • Service description, e.g. WSDL
    • Service discovery
  • In the Java World:
    • Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE),
    • Portlets (JSR 168
  • Data standards
    • In DSchneider's opinion, there is a blatant lack of data standards, e.g. it is very difficult to move data from platform to an other.
    • In education, various IMS standards try to address this issue.