In preparing to write a post about another great social web tool I suddenly had a problem. I didn’t know what to call it. This tool is not easy to describe because it can help you to do so many different things on the web.

This tool can allow you to host one or many blogs. This tool can also support development of a discussion forum. You can also publish one or many podcast channels using this tool. Or you can collaborative write a book using wiki-like features. There is support for RSS, a news aggregator, OPML, tagging and e-commerce. So what do we call such a tool.

I believe that this tool is best described as a framework for developing rich social communities on the web. Let me introduce you to Drupal. Perhaps you’ve been introduced to Drupal before. Have you ever visited TheOnion.com website? Did you see the new MTV UK website? How about OurMedia.org? If you have then you’ve seen Drupal in action. In fact, thousands of sites, including the recently launched ChangeEverything.ca and This Week In Tech are built on the Drupal framework.

When I found out about Drupal earlier this year I spent quite a bit of time figuring out how I could use this tool. I answered that question by building a site called Music Buggy. In the process I realized that there is very little that you can’t do with Drupal.

Like all the great Open Source tools I’m highlighting, Drupal has a vibrant worldwide user community. Their website at www.drupal.org is the epicenter of this community. There you will find documentation, user groups, contributed modules, themes and community news. The site, of course, is just one example of the type of community that you can build with Drupal.

The most difficult part about getting into Drupal is figuring out how you will use the tool. Start a personal blog website. Start a blogging community. Create a podcast directory. Build a news website. Build a corporate intranet. Collaborate on a research project. Start a video sharing community. Create a photo sharing site. I’m going to stop there only because I could keep on going for a long time.

Constructing a Drupal based site is definitely not for the faint at heart. There are many choices to be made and many contributed modules you can utilize to extend the functionality to meet your needs. Planning, researching and experimenting are some of the key activities in achieving success when you’re building a site on Drupal. You also need to give yourself some time to get things done properly. I recommend taking the time to build a test site to proof your concept and test potential upgrades when your site is live.

Drupal is an English variation for the Dutch word ‘druppel’ which means drop. Dries Buytaert, a Belgian PhD student, is the founder and lead developer on the Drupal project. He’s supported by a cast of thousands in the Drupal community. Why not drop in on Drupal and join the party?

[tags]Social Media, Tools, Open Source, Drupal[/tags]