Gathering and contributing content across diverse sources

A computer system for gathering and contributing content across diverse sources, the system comprising:

• a processor and memory that executes software instructions embodied within the following components;
• a retrieval component configured to access user content from one or more data sources over a network;
• a conversion component that cleans up data retrieved from the one or more data sources, and places the data in a normalized format for the other components of the system;
• a storage component that logically identifies and persists incoming cleaned data retrieved from the one or more data sources in a manner that supports efficient redisplay of the data;
• an application programming interface (API) component that exposes data stored by the storage component programmatically for access by one or more software programs;
• a rendering component that formats the data stored by the storage component and prepares the data for display on a particular device;
• an interaction component that receives user input related to displayed formatted data;
• and
• a search component that provides a search interface for searching stored and categorized data from multiple data sources.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling a computer system to display data requested by a user and retrieved from multiple data sources in a uniform manner, wherein the instructions, upon execution, cause a processor to perform actions comprising:

• receiving a request to display data retrieved from multiple data sources associated with a specified data classification;
• identifying a user interface that aggregates data items retrieved from multiple data sources and associated with the specified data classification;
• accessing previously retrieved data items from multiple data sources that are associated with the specified data classification;
• accessing a rendering template associated with the identified user interface for redisplaying the retrieved data items;
• rendering the previously retrieved data items in accordance with the accessed rendering template so that data items retrieved from multiple data sources are displayed in the user interface in a uniform manner;
• and
• displaying the rendered data to a requestor.