Web Crossing Sponsoring TidBITS -- We've seen focus on the Internet shift from search engines to portals that aggregate content, but many sites discovered not only that developing high-quality content is difficult, but also that the best way to attract and retain users is to encourage the growth of online communities. As those of us who have rolled our own solutions know, creating good technology to support an online community takes significant effort and resources. That's where our latest sponsor, Web Crossing, steps in, with their eponymous software for running Internet communities. I first met Tim Lundeen, Web Crossing's creator and a long-time TidBITS reader, back in 1995, and we've discussed aspects of Web Crossing and online communities over the years. During that time, Web Crossing has evolved into a powerful communications server that provides Web-based discussion forums with fully integrated mailing list support (along with POP or IMAP user accounts) and support for access via Usenet newsreaders, chat functionality, personal calendaring, SSL-based security, and more, all backed by a serious relational database. It's great to see such software running on the Mac OS (along with many other platforms), and we're especially pleased to have Web Crossing supporting the Macintosh community by sponsoring TidBITS. If you're cringing at the technical effort necessary to start or enhance an online community, check out Web Crossing's demo. [ACE]

<http://www.webcrossing.com/>