An "Expert List" tool?

December 11, 2007 12:11 PM

Can anyone recommend a simple web-based tool to compile and manage an "experts list?"

So, if I wanted to keep a simple database with people's names, contact info, expertise (which would be categorized), and a few basic "notes" fields, and I wasn't a database programmer (but I am a heck of ascript installer), how would you recommend I do that?

Best case scenario: someone knows about a PHP-based script that I can install and modify on my own server.

I really appreciate the help.

posted by rev- to computers & internet (7 comments total)

How many people will be in the database, and what kind of things do you need to do with it?

Why, for example, would it need to be a full-featured database rather than a spreadsheet hosted on Google Docs? Do you need to be able to execute SQL queries on the data? Without knowing the answers to those questions it would be hard to suggest a specific solution.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:25 PM on December 11, 2007

Hmmm... good questions. I see it being an extension of my web site, for other people to come and use (so I wouldn't want them to go log in at Google Docs or 37Signals' Highrise). It wouldn't have more than 1000 people in it ever, but it would probably be at least 100 to start with.

As for queries, I don't need anthing complex, just a basic "looking for experts in X, so show everyone who is listed as an expert in it" kind of thing.

Thanks!
posted by rev- at 12:28 PM on December 11, 2007

Just use groups on your contacts in gmail.
posted by rhizome at 12:33 PM on December 11, 2007

Well you could do a stripped down blog implementation for this (WordPress, MT, etc.) where your expert criteria was defined as a category. The category navigation scheme would show you all the persons with that expertise.

The only downside would that the data for each person would be a bit freeform unless the blogging/cms tool that you used let you define and then display a lot of custom fields.
posted by mmascolino at 12:36 PM on December 11, 2007

Why not use a standard PHP-based address book / company directory type thing?

I've not tried them, but orgDirectory and tab-2 seem like they might be what you need. (It also sounds like a surprisingly simple task, so I'm surprised there are so few!)
posted by fogster at 12:59 PM on December 11, 2007

LinkedIn is meant for this. Not sure if it quite fits your needs, though.
posted by migurski at 1:17 PM on December 11, 2007

Well you could do a stripped down blog implementation for this (WordPress, MT, etc.) where your expert criteria was defined as a category. The category navigation scheme would show you all the persons with that expertise.

...is how I would approach it. Drupal, however, would also let you define your own input forms and make them nicely searchable, too. But I tend to think Drupal is overkill for almost everything.

Ugly as it is, fogster's tab-2 thing seems like it has the right functionality for you. Even if it's really kludgy.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:55 PM on December 11, 2007