The good news is that everybody has problems with software. Even training centers technical glitches. Trial software expires. Overhead projectors cease to function. The better news is that I get to write this entry and consume some free coffee. Not the best tasting coffee, but the best priced coffee I’ve ever had.

Today we, and by “we” I mean the “royal we”, will learn the intricacies of programming webparts for Sharepoint 2003 Server. It’s Webpartlicious. For the price, Sharepoint seems to be a nice alternative to the five-figure-priced alternatives and the patchwork free portals that are out there.

Given my personal druthers, I’d probably go with one of the free portals (phpNuke, .Netnuke). However, there are end users to think about. Code oblivious, uncurious acolytes who don’t want to tinker for days with a portal platform. They just want to post a calendar. I sympathize with their plight.

That’s what’s pretty nifty about Sharepoint (gawd, I’m shilling for Microsoft). The Webparts are drag-and-drop and provide functionality without the hassle. They’re just a little too clunky. It will be nice to learn to customize them. So, as soon as the virtual PC license issue is sussed, we’ll be golden.

West side.