[Zope] User Profiles?

[Paul Everitt]

Jeff wrote:
> I am working on a web site for a local outdoors group. They have about
> 1,000 members and are growing fast, but their web site needs 
> help. I had
> lunch with their leader today, and strongly advocated the use 
> of Zope to
> redo their entire web site. He loved my ideas, and gave me 
> the go ahead on
> the site.

Hot damn!
 
> Now, my first question (I'm sure I'll have many) to the group 
> is: How do I
> create user profiles? Each user of the system needs to have specific
> information associated with them including: full name, 
> address, telephone
> numbers, a picture (gif or jpeg, easily uploadable by the user), their
> interests, a history of the events they've sponsored and/or 
> attended, a
> buddy list (basically just a collection of other member ids), 
> and so on.
> 
> I have downloaded the UserDb product, and figure I might be 
> able to extend
> it to support the extra columns I require. However, a big 
> part of me wants
> to keep as much of this in Zope as I can. I like the idea of the
> objectstore, and don't necessarily like having to fudge SQL 
> tables every
> time I add or remove an attribute from the profiles (not that 
> I will be
> doing that, necessarily).

Ahh, you're just buttering us up :^)  You are, of course, completely
correct.
 
> What do those with a higher Zope Zen Rating than I suggest in this
> situation? I'm also going to be making an Events Calendar, which is
> connected up with all the User information (who's running the 
> event, who's
> signed up to attend, etc.). Is all of this something that 
> Tabula would be
> good for? If so, who do I have to sleep with to get it? :^) 
> 
> I am willing to write up a case study, testimonial, 
> contribute any code I
> write back to the community, etc., whatever is requested. I 
> just want to
> do a good job for these guys, making myself and Zope look good in the
> process.

I predict we'll have something like this called a Membership System,
say, May 18th for a first cut.

If my previous history of fibs, spinning, obfuscation, and downright
lies makes you suspicious, or if you distrust my poor prognostication,
I'd suggest that you take the user objects in UserFolder and turn them
into extended DTML Documents, or perhaps even Folders.

--Paul