Abstract: A collaboration system described herein empowers non-technical users to create and manage custom collaboration portals, called hubs. Hubs are easy to manage, often providing a satisfactory default configuration after the user answers questions through a wizard-like interface. The collaboration system may be provided as an Internet-based service that can be accessed by users regardless of their affiliation with a company or other predetermined group. In addition, the system shields users from the systems that provide storage for hub content, so that users can avoid the difficulties of data management. The system may provide one or more hub widgets that provide specific functionality, such as a calendar widget for managing events, a file widget for sharing files, a comments widget for managing electronic discussions, and so forth. Thus, the collaboration system facilitates online collaboration for users without advanced software experience.