SharePoint 2003 pages are plain boring -- it's that simple. Now, there are a few ways to spice them up a little, but making them really cool requires using custom pages, web parts or web services. Unfortunately, most of the really nice web parts out there are not free. An alternative is to use the hundreds of free widgets and gadgets available in repositories such as iGoogle and Widgetbox.
Here is how to pimp up your SharePoint site with free Google Gadgets.
Step 1: Find a cool gadget. Go to http://www.google.com/ig/directory and pick your favorite gadget.
Step 2: Select your gadget. Once you find something that is sure to wow your visitors, click on the gadget's title (do not click Add Now).
Step 3: Customize your gadget. Click the Embed this gadget>> link on the right side of the page. This will take you to the gadget's properties. Fill out all the required fields and customize it to your liking.
Step 4: Get the code. Once you are done customizing your gadget, click the Get the Code button. This will display a small script.
Step 5: Get the URL. Copy everything inside of the quotation marks (excluding the quotation marks). This is the URL of your custom gadget.
Step 6: Paste the URL. In your SharePoint page, add a web capture web part and use the gadget URL as the source.
That's it! Your SharePoint site is now ready to be pimped up with hundreds of cool, useful, entertaining and even informative gadgets. The process may vary in other widget sites, but all you need to do is find the URL of the gadget. In sites like Widgetbox, you can get a flash version of their widgets. Use the URL of the flash file (usually ends in .swf) as the source in the web capture web part.
After you widgetize your SharePoint site, be sure to leave a comment with the URL so other readers can check it out. Have fun!
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