Description of Template
The Discussion Database SharePoint template helps teams organize track public discussions on topics generated by team members. When a new discussion topic is generated, the owner designates a category, which helps structure the discussions so they can more easily be located by those interested in the content. Additionally, team members can subscribe to the RSS feed of the discussion database through an RSS reader such as Microsoft Office Outlook®.
Activities Performed in this Application Template
- Category Creation: Site owners have the capability of creating categories that team members can use to group interrelated discussions. When a new discussion topic is created, the user selects a category, which allows grouping of discussions by category name within the site.
- Site Based Discussions: The Discussion Database allows users to discuss topics directly from the Discussion Database site. Users can post replies to topics which are visible to all members of the web by using the ‘reply’ button. The main page of the site makes it easier for members to track recent discussions by listing both recently created topics and recently updated discussion threads separately.
- RSS Feeds and integration with Office Outlook: Users also have the capability of viewing discussions from within an RSS Reader such as that provided with Office Outlook. Instead of forcing users to visit the site track updates, Windows SharePoint Services sends updates to Office Outlook clients at intervals set by the IT administrator. Team members can use Office Outlook to forward the discussion to an email address, or can click the ‘view article’ hyperlink to access the Discussion Database site and post a reply. When synchronized for offline capabilities, Office Outlook also allows users to read the posts to the Discussion Database while offline, helping productivity improve when a user is out of the office.
Site Lists and Libraries
Discussions: This discussion board is used to house all the discussions held on the site
Discussion Categories: The discussion categories help group related discussions and can be chosen by team members as they create new discussion topics.