Building Social Networking Application in Drupal

This course helps people to build Social Networking software using Drupal as a framework. The course has been created for Drupal users, developers, project managers, directors and anyone who is interested in Drupal and Drupal modules related to Social Networking. This course starts by explaining module functionality and then works through Drupal limitations and alternative solutions. Some architecture, code and database related aspects are discussed in the context of optimization and scalability.


Social Networking in Drupal Overview
Drupal as a Social Networking platform
Open Source and Commercial solutions
User Profiles
Modules related to user profiles and their extensions, performance and interoperability (profile, nodeprofile, usernode and other modules)
Profile Counters and Recent Visitors
Commenting on user profile
Keeping fields private or visible only to friends or certain groups
User registration process
Terms and Conditions
Images and Photo Galleries

Comparing existing solutions (gallery, acidfree and other)
Forum
Core forum module and its limitations
Form module alternatives
Subforum, locking threads and permissions
Forum performance
Buddylist/friends
Buddylist module and alternatives
Buddylist module performance
Friend's reciprocation
Organic Groups
Organic Groups functionality
Organic Groups and nodeaccess
Organic Groups and performance
Events
Events module
Repeat events
Calendar module
Private Messaging
Private messaging module and alternatives
Blog
Blog module and alternatives
Search Facility
Indexing
Moderation
Content Rating and Voting
Tags
Feedback and Contact forms
Sending emails to users
WYSIW Editors
Dash Board and User Sites