Preview: Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 for Dummies

By Lisa Woods

The content management community is engaging in duck-alignment exercises with increasing fervor now that SharePoint 2010 has an official May 12 launch date. Microsoft’s 2010 product will expand on previous SharePoint functionality with some interesting and exciting new features, and one good way to get your ducks in a row and prepare for 2010 is by reading Vanessa Williams’ SharePoint 2010 for Dummies. Here’s a preview of the book by one of its technical editors, Lisa Woods.

SharePoint 2010 for Dummies takes a less technical approach than earlier editions of the book, and this is by design. Author Williams recognizes that readers want information they can apply right away around both popular prior SharePoint features, and the sexier 2010 social networking features, so this new edition focuses on “the site collection down”, restricting the technical infrastructure stuff to sidebars and notes and emphasizing real-world user tasks.

The conversational “for Dummies” style provides a grounding in SharePoint 2010 for novices as well as for users contemplating an upgrade from 2003/2007 to the new product.
But be advised: this book doesn’t compare and contrast “Old” and “New” SharePoint; from Williams’ perspective, Microsoft’s marketing materials do that. It’s her job to distill the essence of 2010 to a set of practical info and usable processes that’s a good cover-to-cover read *or* a usable tactical reference.

Part I “Using Team Sites to Collaborate” presents the fundamentals of Team Sites, Docs and SharePoint Lists; if you’re already using SharePoint, you may want to flip right to Part II “Taking Teamsites to the Next Level” for a look at what’s new in the social networking realm (tagging, newsfeeds and so on).

Part III “Putting On Your Webmaster Hat” addresses usage and configuration of libraries, webparts, and web pages, and includes companion chapters on creating and securing team sites (including the ribbon). Part IV “Putting a Bow On It” covers branding and page design. And the latter chapters in Part V “Getting Down to Business with SharePoint” address content types, metadata (including the new Managed Metadata Service Application) and Enterprise Search and Business Intelligence. Finally, the ubiquitous Dummies’ “Part of Tens” at the end of the book includes tips on “Ten Ways to Master SharePoint” and ten governance considerations.

SharePoint 2010 for Dummies comes out on April 22, 2010. Pre-order the book here.

About the Author
Lisa Woods is a web content architecture consultant and strategic entropy analyst in Indianapolis and can be reached at lisa@sharepointgrrl.com.

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