A Basic Tour of Web Crossing

Web Crossing Features
Getting Started with Web Crossing
Resources

Web Crossing Features

Web Crossing, sometimes referred to by the nickname, "WebX," is an industrial-strength collaboration server. It can handle small, "out of the box" sites as well as large sites with complex customization like Apple's technical support forums and Salon Magazine. It's available for several varieties of Unix, Windows, and Mac servers. Web Crossing can be run either as in Direct Web Service mode or as a CGI under another web server. Message databases can be easily moved from platform to platform if necessary or mirrored for mission-critical installations. Built-in stress-testing protocols allow you to test server load, if necessary.

Web Crossing allows users to connect using a familiar web interface with the simplest of browsers, but if you wish, it also supports "Protocol Independent Participation," meaning users can connect and read the same database of messages via web, electronic mailing list, or newsgroups. On the web, this same material can be presented in either threaded or conversational view, or the choice can be left up to the reader. In addition, your users can talk to each other in real time through either of two chat interfaces.

Web Crossing is infinitely configurable, with dozens of settings accessible though the web-form-based Sysop Control Panel. You can always get to your Control Panel by logging in as Sysop and looking in the lower-right corner of the toolbar at the bottom of the page.

The Control Panel includes sections on

• general site setup and management (logging, backup, usage counters, memory usage, search index status, etc.)
• customization (cosmetics, adding features with our Plugins Server)
• user management (add, edit, delete users, registered user privileges, guest user privileges)
• (see the Quick Setup Configuration Checklist for a more complete list)

In addition to that, Web Crossing has two built-in server-side scripting languages [Web Crossing Template Language (WCTL) and Web Crossing Java Script (WCJS)] to allow you to create or edit template files as desired.

Individual users or groups of users can be given a different level of access to any area within Web Crossing:

• no access (the user doesn't even see the link)
• read-only (user can read but not post)
• moderated (either all of user's posts are checked by a moderator, or posts containing possible objectionable words are checked by a moderator)
• participant (normal participation)
• host (privileges to edit, delete, etc.)

You can set up Web Crossing to work with an existing external database of users, or use its own internal registration database. You can add your own user fields if you wish, to track additional information about your users or run surveys, etc. Existing message board content or user lists can be imported into Web Crossing in SGML format.

Getting Started

As you might imagine, there can be a significant learning curve when you first try to make use of all these different features - especially if you don't come from a programming background. Even so, it's possible to use and customize Web Crossing with just a basic knowledge of HTML.

Here are some things you can do to get started:

1. Take the "Guided Tour" within Web Crossing. It comes automatically with the installation when you first start up Web Crossing.
2. Look at the Quick Setup Configuration Checklist. It will give you an idea what's possible and where to start looking to set up Web Crossing in the way that's best for your community.
3. Read this documentation. It's written so you should be able to go straight to the page or chapter in question to get the information you need quickly.
4. Check the sysop documents after you've read the information here. Often they go into more depth or have more technical information than we're presenting.
5. Check the Web Crossing Technical FAQ list, which is constantly updated with fresh information.
6. In a few cases we've suggested specific books or websites we think might be helpful.
7. We would encourage you to set up a development copy of Web Crossing to experiment with. The simplest thing, if you're setting it up on your home computer, is to install it in Direct Web Service mode. Then experiment with the various settings and configurations. There, you can explore the Sysop Control Panel and experiment with webx.tpl files without worrying about breaking anything that's live on your public site! To get a developer's certificate for your development server, email edu@webcrossing.com.

Resources

Quick Setup Configuration Checklist

Sysop Documentation

Sysop Control Panel

Web Crossing FAQ

Web Crossing Tech Support Forum

WebX Harbor

Education & Developer Center