# MyBristol
OK, so I’ve just got my login details for the “MyBristol” system, which is the University of Bristol’s portal for Staff and Students. I have to say, I am incredibly impressed by the whole system.
It’s got:
- A personalised home page (looking a bit like iGoogle), including tabs and widget-style subwindows
- Integration with the Bristol WebMail (based on SquirrelMail)
- Course detail integration. INCLUDING integration with Blackboard
- A simple bookmarking system (looking like a simplified version of del.icio.us), preloaded with useful related bookmarks
- An RSS feed reader, preloaded with useful related feeds
- A “Contacts”/Address Book system
- A PDF Converter
- Print Credit integration
- Personal Information viewing/editing
- Library integration
- Student Union integration (probably reusing the RSS Feed Reader)
- Themes!
This looks trillions times nicer to use than the old “PIP” system that I had to use back when I was at Oxford Brookes University. I mean, themes! It’s also has a lot more functionality.
One thing that I am quite surprised that MyBristol doesn’t have, is a Calendar. It would be useful to have a Calendar.
Interestingly, the MyBristol system is actually quite similar to the OpenLink Data Spaces system. Except ODS is a lot more general, and provides even more functionality. Plus ODS is available to everyone, whereas MyBristol is just for University of Bristol staff and students.
It’d also be nice to see a SPARQL endpoint on MyBristol, which is something that ODS does provide.
Still, I’m very impressed by MyBristol. Well done to the Information Services and ILRT departments at Bristol.
