Elgg (software)
Encyclopedia
Elgg is open source
social networking software that provides individuals and organizations with the components needed to create an online social environment. It offers blog
ging, microblogging
, file sharing, networking, groups and a number of other features.
, with the latter designing the architecture and writing most of the code. Subsequently, they founded the company Curverider Ltd to continue the development of the software and to provide Elgg-related services. Elgg has since become a cross-purpose open source social networking platform.
In April 2009, Werdmuller decided to leave the project. In May 2010 a hosted version of Elgg launched in beta. The company behind Elgg is Curverider Limited. In December 2010, Curverider was acquired by Thematic Networks and Elgg was transferred to a non-profit foundation.
Elgg is free to download and use. It is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
(GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation
. Elgg runs on the LAMP
(Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) platform. Elgg is used as the engine of the N-1/Lorea, the main social network of the Spanish 15-M political movement.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
social networking software that provides individuals and organizations with the components needed to create an online social environment. It offers blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ging, microblogging
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
, file sharing, networking, groups and a number of other features.
History
Elgg was founded in 2004 by Ben Werdmuller von Elgg and David Tosh. Combining their experience - Werdmuller was a web entrepreneur who had been building and facilitating online communities since 1995, while Tosh was a postgraduate student in online education - they created a social networking approach to e-learningE-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
, with the latter designing the architecture and writing most of the code. Subsequently, they founded the company Curverider Ltd to continue the development of the software and to provide Elgg-related services. Elgg has since become a cross-purpose open source social networking platform.
In April 2009, Werdmuller decided to leave the project. In May 2010 a hosted version of Elgg launched in beta. The company behind Elgg is Curverider Limited. In December 2010, Curverider was acquired by Thematic Networks and Elgg was transferred to a non-profit foundation.
Elgg is free to download and use. It is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
. Elgg runs on the LAMP
LAMP (software bundle)
LAMP is an acronym for a solution stack of free, open source software, referring to the first letters of Linux , Apache HTTP Server, MySQL and PHP , principal components to build a viable general purpose web server.The GNU project is advocating people to use the term "GLAMP" since what is known as...
(Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) platform. Elgg is used as the engine of the N-1/Lorea, the main social network of the Spanish 15-M political movement.