One of our original project aims was that the Bebop PuddyPress plugin would be part of the CUNY Commons In A Box project, a turnkey version of CUNY’s Academic Commons. Yesterday saw the launch of Commons In A Box and I’m pleased to say that Bebop is included as one of the ‘a la carte’ plugin options.

Commons In A Box (CBOX) is a free software project aimed at turning the infrastructure that successfully powers the CUNY Academic Commons into a free, distributable, easy-to-install package. Commons In A Box is a project of the City University of New York and the Graduate Center, CUNY and is made possible by a generous grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

CBOX takes the complexity out of creating a Commons site, helping organizations create a space where their members can discuss issues, collaborate on projects, and share their work. CBOX also provides:

• Out-of-the-box functionality with an intuitive set-up that guides site administrators through each step of installation.
• A powerful, responsive, highly customizable theme developed for community engagement, based on PressCrew’s Infinity Theming Engine.
• Responsive design for easy viewing on many devices, including tablets and smartphones.
• Collaborative document creation and file sharing.
• Reply-By-Email functionality for quick, on-the-go communication.
• Compatibility with many other WordPress and BuddyPress themes and plug-ins.
• Expansive wiki options.

CBOX will be useful to any organization that is looking for a shared space in which to build an engaged community of users and developers.

Congratulations to Matt Gold, Boone Gorges and everyone else involved in the Commons In A Box project!