Adventures in Content ManagementJoomla, WordPress, Contribute &

More

Mark Farmer

Who the heck this is for

• Implementing a CMS at work• Trying to decide whether or not to

implement a CMS at work• Trying to manage content better, CMS

or not

Take-aways

• Better insight into the choice of platform

• Managing content & contributors• Some of the “gotchyas,” platform-

specific or related to CMSs in general

• Anyone attend my 2009 talk?• How many developers?• How many designers?• Content managers?• WordPress• Joomla• Drupal• Contribute• Not using one, but planning to in next

6 months

Quick survey

SECTION 1 – The Software

• Help! I have too much stuff!• Only ever encountered one reason

people implement a CMS: Too much content Web team can’t keep up

• Implementing a CMS is disruptive.

Picking the Right Platform

• First question is likely “what platform?”

• The right questions:A. What’s it going to be used for?B. Who’s going to use it?

• “A” is important & straightforward. Blog? Portal? Other?

Picking the Right Platform

Picking the Right Platform

Picking the Right Platform

Picking the Right Platform

Picking the Right Platform

• “B: Who’s going to use it” is just as important WYSIWYG Interface

• Don’t assume that just because you build it, they’ll use it

• Stay tuned for a couple of websites that will help you decide which to choose

CMS varieties

• It’s tricky to rock a rhyme... and Joomla Don’t believe the hype Don’t overpromise on timelines

• The learning curve / frustration curve• The good news

You can make it do pretty much anything, with enough elbow grease

So don’t let the curves hold you back

CMS varieties

• It’s all about the extensibility Behold the power of WordPress!

CMS varieties

CMS varieties

• (E-mail me to a link for more examples of sites like this)

CMS varieties

• My focus: Joomla, WordPress & Contribute

Comparison shopping

• The CMS Matrix cmsmatrix.org

• Open-source CMS ratings php.opensourcecms.

com/general/ratings.php

#1: Contribute

• Completely different metaphor• Template-based (or not)• Apply retroactively to a site• $199 – but discount for

non-profits techsoup.org adobeprograms.giftsinkind.org

• I love you, WYSIWYG/Window• EDC, yeah you know me• EcoKids

#1: Contribute

#1: Contribute

• The importance of a friendly (inter)face

• A control issue Dev/pub

Security Q/A Time saver

• This is important, because of the number of clients who implement CMSs and then don’t use them

#2: Joomla

• The obvious comparison:Drupal Extensibility Pre-installation The App Store of CMSs Do you need that many...?

Joomla

• Deceptively simple & template-driven...

• ...but counter-intuitive Menus drive the content

• Blank slate?• Many files in WP vs... one in Joomla

Joomla – gotchyas

• The wonderful world of extensions: extensions.joomla.org Don’t believe the hype The Black Box concept

Graphical nav bar woes My recommendation? Get someone else to

pay you to learn how to do it. Like much of web design, most of this is

25% IQ & 75% brute force/persistence

Joomla – more gotchyas

• Couple more quickies: Don’t forget to turn on the

cache after primary development is over

Enable user/SEO-friendly URLs GoDaddy is weird

• Joomla vs. Drupal: not amake-or-break decision

Drupal: sounds like RuPaul, but not

Drupal: sounds like RuPaul, but not

• Like Joomla, play by the rules and no one gets hurt

• Joomla does a better job up front, Drupal better behind the scenes, faster.

• Big changes on the front-end in ver. 7• Weird science: taxonomy, blocks

Drupal: sounds like RuPaul, but not

WordPress

• Layout very different, again• Easier to produce a custom

layout• Templates & themes

WordPress

• But test, test, test!• Plugins less buggy, easier to

activate than Joomla/Drupal

WordPress & Language

• Setting the language & uploading the language plug-in a no-go

• Required customization of the PHP• Skinning not too hard ;customizing on

the PHP level is Plug: Super Finder

SECTION 2 – The Peopleware

• The biggest challenge in content management isn’t the software, it’s the people

• You are going to spend a lot of time educating your client. Accept this.

Build it, but they won’t come

• Clients that have CMSs but don’t use them. Why? Lack of education Intimidating Too much work/time Doesn’t get used

Play

• Play. It’s important Sandbox: demo.joomla.org/1.5 Dev/pub

Secret Weapon #2: Funnels

Secret Weapon #2: Funnels

Resources

• Web: cmsmatrix.org php.opensourcecms.com/general/ratings.php

• Books:

• Groups: groups.drupal.org/toronto toronto.joomla.ca wordcamptoronto.com

Thank you

• E-mail: markfarmer@webness.biz• Site: webness.biz• Blog: webheresies.com• Twitter: markus64• Facebook: markus64• LinkedIn: markfarmer64

Feedback: spkr8.com/t/2047