cool WSU automated services mix: WSU mySite subsites, Friends of WSU

I recently researched a creative means for integrating two WSU automated services, WSU mySite and Friends of WSU. I first read an e-mail by CTLT's Nils Peterson that described the concept, and I fleshed it out in detail and have been circulating it within the Libraries.

You can use the Friends of WSU and mySite services to host a collaborative workspace using the updated version of Microsoft SharePoint. Within SharePoint, you can create these kinds of collaborative workspaces:

• a SharePoint team site


• a document workspace


• a blog


• a Wiki
  

The rough steps are to:

1. Create the Friends of WSU accounts for non-WSU colleagues
2. If you haven’t done so, set up your WSU mySite page
3. Create a subsite within your WSU mySite page for the group you’re interested in supporting with a workspace
4. Provide your colleagues with your mySite subsite URL and their Friends credentials

To me, the best part of this is having the ability to create an access-controlled workspace for a specific task or effort, with the ability to enable workspace access for both WSU and non-WSU users.