Re: Content management

[Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>]

I guess I misspoke. None of the content from these documents is to be
repurposed.

What we're really looking for an easy-to-learn, easy-to-manage document *
retrieval* system that provides thorough indexing. This may include a tool
such as Documentum, provided that there are sufficient training aids
already available or consultants nearby (Sacramento) who provide bona fide
training.

Thanks

On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 3:12 PM, Don White <writer -at- jrtcllc -dot- com> wrote:

> Drupal is good, WordPress is good. I primarily use Joomla on sites I build
> for cash and pro-bono clients as well as for my own purposes. Perhaps its
> like the debates (never-ending debates) between Mac and Microsoft users.
>
> The fact is, though, that the concept of "easy-to-use" has changed along
> with the increased capabilities and complexities of current Web site
> development.
>
> People are not exempt from learning something HTML/XHTML because they chose
> a CMS. Not every peg fits into a square receptacle.
>
> There really are no separate Web pages on a CMS site; everything is driven
> by the design and implementation of menus since all content is stored and
> called from a database. You can create separate modules to present teasers
> or bits of content that incite interest to click the "Read More" (or
> something) link that brings up a complete article. Or you can setup menus
> to
> display full or partial articles where you've set the Read More link deeper
> in the content than the opening paragraph.
>
> The editor interfaces used by the various CMSs automatically assign
> HTML/XHTML tags to the more obvious content types (paragraph=p, bullet list
> item=li, etc.). However, if you make more complete use of the CSS
> possibilities built into a given template, you almost have to delve into
> the
> source code to assign the correct span tags (<p class="...;">).
>
> The promise of open-source content management systems was that a developer
> could deliver a site that a client can use to add, modify, or remove
> content
> without knowing XHTML/HTML or CSS. The reality is that, as design standards
> and expectations have matured, so has the complexity. I take the more
> flexible and popular of the CSS styles created by a template vendor and
> rewrite them in the template CSS file (there may be dozens of separate CSS
> files for any given template). Then, the client can select the desired
> styling from a drop-down menu in the editor.
>
> My own site is www.jrtcllc.com; a site I built for a commercial client is
> http://flsamerica.com and a site I built and maintain for a volunteer
> trail
> club is at http://www.southshenandoah.net. (I only wish that Internet
> Explorer was more compatible with current W3C standards.)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Don White
> James River Technical Communications
> mailto:writer -at- jrtcllc -dot- com
> www.jrtcllc.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lauren [mailto:lauren -at- writeco -dot- net]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 5:36 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Content management
>
>
> On 7/31/2012 1:20 PM, Chris Morton wrote:
> > Once again I've been asked to poll you to learn what easy-to-use CMS
> > product you're using. Drupal has been offered up before, but I
> > understand that there is a significant learning curve for that
> > software. True? Other ideas?
>
> Drupal is very easy to use after several years of using it.
>
> > Specifically we're looking to manage a vast array of docs required for
> > FDA compliance.
>
> CMS is a deceptively simple concept.  You risk making mistakes if you
> choose a CMS based on your needs today and not on your potential for
> growth.  I began with WordPress and then chose Drupal because I wanted
> control over my system and I wanted a system that can begin simple but
> have a robust growth potential.  WordPress also begins simple, but some
> areas of control and robustness are limited in WordPress.
>
> WordPress has a blog look and feel, but it can display different types
> of content in many different ways.  The magazine for this list is built
> in WordPress.
>
> http://techwhirl.com/
>
> I built my animal law news site in Drupal.  Most of the content comes
> from press releases, so I need more original content and some editing,
> but I have used various searches, views, and display tools to display
> the content in a variety of ways systematically.
>
> http://petlawnews.com/
>
> The top of the home page is a logo, login, search, and menus that are
> not fully configured.  The second section contains three columns.  The
> first column is a list of recent content headlines and teasers, the
> second column is a preview of a story and then headlines culled from
> promoted content and content I wrote, and the third column is an ad and
> a list of headlines of recently viewed content limited by content type.
> The third section is 12 Blocks (a Drupal module) that make use of
> various Drupal features.  Most of the blocks are lists of headlines and
> are built with keyword searches, two are based on content type and
> source, and then there are two widgets.
>
> My pages still need development.  The story pages have some design
> (e.g.,
> http://petlawnews.com/content/pgc-news-release-anyone-missing-wallaby)
> but the main section pages do not (e.g.,
> http://petlawnews.com/content/news). I can design different pages for
> different content types, different Views (a Drupal module) of content,
> different users, and in just about any other way I can come up with to
> access content.  I do not care for coming up with design layouts, so I
> pretty much let my system spit out content.  I'm a builder; not a
> designer.  Drupal is very flexible for people who know how to use it,
> but very frustrating for those who do not.
>
> Building a site like this may be possible in WordPress, but I like that
> I can produce content in a variety of ways in Drupal.  I originally
> built the second home page section with blocks in Drupal, but then
> abandoned those blocks for Panels (a Drupal module) that let me change
> the width and display of columns on the fly.  Blocks are more rigid.
> The 12 blocks in the third home page section are still in blocks, but I
> may change that to Panels later.  I am looking for a more automated
> process of building and enabling or disabling those blocks, hopefully
> with a combination of Views and Panels, rather than Blocks.
>
> So, when searching for a CMS, it is important to keep in mind what you
> need now and what you may need in the future.  You also need to know if
> the CMS you choose now can be ported to a different CMS later if what
> you choose now does not fit well with your future needs.  Many popular
> CMSs can be ported back and forth with some effort.
>
>
>
>
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