Content Management Systems ?

[autocrat]

OK, I may be getting a contract with a local company for building several new sites and refurbishing some current ones.... the issue is that I've been asked about CMS...... and I'm not overly sure about it at all.

It ssems that my contractor is set on the idea of his clients being able to admin' their own sites, altering content, adding pages etc.... yet I'm not particularly sure this is a good idea.

He'll lose out on update and admin fees', it will cost a small fortune for a professional CMS package, and the free ones I've seen seem a little limited, I don't think the clients will be able to alter the menu systems in place, nor alter things like css... all in all, it strikes me as a no-gainer!

So, if any one can correct me on my definition of CMS, recomend some strong free CMS's, inform me of some flexible/versatile CMS apps that permit the altering of menu's etc.... then I'd appreciate it!

Alternatives are also welcome, as are personal opionins or suggestions of differing methods!

[hostmoon]

It ssems that my contractor is set on the idea of his clients being able to admin' their own sites, altering content, adding pages etc.... yet I'm not particularly sure this is a good idea.

We've used several different tools. Typically though we just give them certain areas of the site they can update. Most recently we've used www.wysiwygpro.com's html editor to embed into our own CMS design. It's given us alot of flexability for allowing clients to edit their own content. We haven't gone so far as setting them up to manage menu's etc, but that wouldn't be difficult to program.

dale

[autocrat]

UPDATE....

He mainly wants them to be able to alter content.... yet he has an alterior motive.... he wants me to find a simple, limited CMS that is nasty to use and complex.... basically, he's hoping to steer towards us getting as much of the work as possible..... now I'm really uncertain! LOL

So, rec's for both simple and friendly.... and nasty and mean to use CMS.?

[autocrat]

Right.... I'm confused... I was hoping to find something basic that we could attach to the rest of the site, just let them tweak the text etc.... yet most of what I find offers so much more.... their bound to sod things up!

Any other suggestions?

[DanceInstructor]

Have you looked at Mambo? There should be a way to set it up so that the user has an account to add articles, but not have admin priviledges. When I first looked at Mambo it was pretty confusing to me, but after playing with it for a couple of days I came to like it. Its like anything else, it takes time to learn it.

[autocrat]

Thats the real problem I'm facing... time.
I don't have alot of time to waste on learning a new system, only to have to teach it!
And thats what will happen!
My boss seems to have no idea of reality at all..... he's thinking it will save time and money, where as I think it will cost both, plus effort and frustration to boot!

I think I might tell him to stick the idea.... it stinks to high heaven and is begging for trouble... why would a little business want CMS anyway?

[DanceInstructor]

I don't know bout the short term time problems, but long term using a cms could save you lots of time. Updating webpages as easy as making a post!

I don't plan to update my website more than once a week, but I still plan to move it over to a Mambo backend. Probably way more backend than I need, but then again I'm a geek :cheesy:

You know (my personal feeling). Any time you deal with people, effort and frustration are going to be involved :twisted:

[autocrat]

LMAO....
So true!

So... MAmbo.... I think I've seen it... I'll go look again. I just don't want something complicated.... I prefer to manual code my pages, and the idea of having to conform to certain requirements doesn't appeal to me, nor does permitting a bunch of apes the access to foul up my designs, then to scream it's useless and doesn't work once they have broken it!

[Eternal2u]

my suggestion..

use something like phpnuke, or if they want to pay for it vBadvanced CMPS (Content Management & Portal System) http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=65797

Personally i've used vBadvanced, and if ya'll are setting it up initaially you could also get profits from editing the eye candy part of it, and how it is organized pretty easily, and get paid well for it for those not knowing how to do it..

[autocrat]

Thats fine, but the main issue is still my time! he seems to think that I can just dump in content management on a standard site without any bother, and that I won't have to take time out to learn it!

Whats more, I now have to look into Oscommerce and APnet or something for e-commerce ability, PHP Auctions software.... it's beginning to rub me the wrong way!

So, no really simple, add a line or so of code and let them play with that area form os content management?

[kooben]

How about making your own? ASP, a database bit of scripting and there you have it.

[autocrat]

I've been thinking about it.... yet know virtually nill on PHP!
(meant to be learning in my spare time... so I get about 10 minutes a week to learn a new language! LOL)

Still, something I have considered is just making a basic pghp addition system, so they can automatically link into a page section and alter it... yet I think I have seen some software to do the same.....not sure.

[kooben]

Hi

Having read this thread I am now considering using this topic as an idea for my disserataion. I plan to build a CMS just need to research how they work and what is already offered.

So thanks for the inspiration and you'll be hearing from me soon, to search your brains.

[vimkar]

i think that mambo is not a "little" CMS and you can do virtually everything with it... :mrgreen: