uPortal.Cornell provides a framework for adding and organizing channels as well as specifying the channel's relative position within the layout of the portal Web page.
In the portal, channels are organized by the creation of tabs. An appropriate metaphor for a tab might be a file folder, where related pieces of information are stored together and the tab of the folder is labeled to reflect the contents. Tabs are used in uPortal.Cornell to collect a default set of channels relevant for a particular user community.
The user may personalize the choices and groupings of channels in order to meet his or her own unique needs.
Concept: The idea of a portal is simple -- it provides a Web-based interface that is a starting point for retrieving on-line information. A well-designed portal will make the vast storehouse of information that is the Web more accessible by narrowing the field of view, making visible only points that are of relevance to the user.
Portal vs. website: For one thing, portals are different in the way data may be collected. Via the construction and inclusion in the portal of entities called channels, data from disparate sources can be aggregated into a single point of access. Visually, if a portal is a Web page, a channel can be thought of as a discrete piece of screen real estate on that page that renders some type of data. Conceptually, the channel is a mechanism for pulling together and presenting data that may vary from a collection of links to web pages to the launching of applications such as word processor software, email services, or chat forums.
A simple example of a channel is one that contains links to a user's favorite Web pages. This type of channel effectively provides the user with a portable "bookmark" file, allowing access to frequently used Web pages from any machine that has a Web browser.
It quickly becomes obvious that portals are only as interesting as the channels they include. Fortunately, the technology underlying the construction of channels allows for multiple content providers to easily publish content. RSS is a common tool for publishing content from an existing web site into the portal.
