Views on various CMS please

[Brassneck]

I'm thinking of using a Content Management System for a web project. I have a number in mind - however having difficulty in making final decision.

Has anybody used any of the following:

Drupal
Joomla
E107
Mambo
Sundreamer

If so, how easy are they to set up and customise - bearing in my mind I have non-existent coding skills (apart from basic html).

Also, in terms of adding and managing content, how easy are they to maintain?

Many thanks
Stephen.

 

[tifosi]

worth looking at the reviews on opensourcecms.com

drupal and joomla seem to have the most active development.

S

 

[BFTUK]

It really comes down to what features you need but once you get the hang of it its pretty easy to setup and use. You don't really need any HTML or programming knowlegde unless your site is pretty advanced.

 

[Brassneck]

Are any of them easier to install than others. I noticed that some companies offer hosted versions - I might be tempted to go for this if it took several hours of pain to install.

Stephen.

 

[retired_member6]

Custom made is always better, I've tried turnkey, opensource cms systems and it all comes down to "yes they do a job" but either too much or not enough and not to specifics. And even going custom made can be risky unless you're forking out for reliability and can trust the other end.

I go through spates of enthusiasm with ideas which costs a lot of time and money, save up go custom made unless you're just doing something simple which can then be left.

Don't get me wrong, they have their uses, I downloaded fifty styles of turnkey, ended up using one properly which makes money, downloaded and installed various cms, still haven't used one to the fullest I don't think, I've got custom made stuff lying around, aint really used that either, blogs are beautiful but I sold a good one last week. Nevermind.

I'm currently on a datafeed frenzy and that has been by far the best test so far but again, I'm going overkill by putting 150 up but if you're going to test an area, best to do so to the max and come away with a few good ideas and some profit for your time. Next up will be trialing adsense articles and then I'm developing my own systems. Parking is lost money for people like me and pointless.

 

[BFTUK]

Get hosting with Fantastico installed and it will automatically install Joomla for you with a click or two of a mouse.

Installing add-on is all handled by the back-end system, so again a few mouse clicks and a bit of browsing to find each plugin.

 

[Brassneck]

Get hosting with Fantastico installed and it will automatically install Joomla for you with a click or two of a mouse.

Installing add-on is all handled by the back-end system, so again a few mouse clicks and a bit of browsing to find each plugin.

Thanks - can you recommend a company providing this hosting - did a Google check and there seemed to be lots so any suggestions appreciated?

Stephen

 

[BFTUK]

Hostgator are great.

Cheap but more importantly customer service is great!

You can find my affiliate link to them at: Whois Search : Quick Whois

Or if you just want to experiment with Joomla i can give you a bit of free space on a subdomain to play with.

 

[pendragon]

If you want a CMS that is very quick and easy, but lacks the 'gloss' of joomla and mambo, I recommend CMSimple. There are also many free templates available.

A site with the standard template is Coalville RFC Ladies - Welcome to Coalville RFC Ladies (nothing perverse, just a rugby website for the team I coach!)

Baby Creche - Welcome to BabyCreche has a non standard template which was free.


In terms of hosting, I agree with BFTUK, hostgator are excellent in terms of value and support.

 

[seanc]

i use drupal, joomla, mambo, wordpress, cutenews, etc.etc....


i prefer joomla out of them all, i keep it very simple tho.

looking for a host? dreamhost, had no problems, unlimited, and they have one
click installs for joomla and wordpress (and gallery, and zen cart)



PM me for a dreamhost discount c0de

 

[A-Wing]

Custom made is always better, I've tried turnkey, opensource cms systems and it all comes down to "yes they do a job" but either too much or not enough and not to specifics. And even going custom made can be risky unless you're forking out for reliability and can trust the other end.

Totally agree, all the clients I do work for use custom CMS solutions. Some general CMSs can be far too bulky for the requirements, others are notorious for their security holes.