Hi
I realize that questions regarding CMS solutions are probably getting old, but I still need help.
Heres my problem:
I need a CMS solution, but I have a problem of finding/selecting the right one.
I’m still learning everything I need to know to consider myself a web designer/Developer, I have some abilities in some areas but in other areas I’m seriously lacking.
So I need to use a premade CMS solution.
Preferably a free one.
If I find a CMS solution thats makes the free ones look seriously weak in comparison, then I’ll try to find the money to pay for it, but there are so many free/open source CMS out there so I should be able to use one of them.
I have a website in mind for what I want my initial use of a CMS project to be for, and I have it in mind when looking at CMS solutions, but I want a CMS solution that I can take and easily impliment into future projects.
The first project I have in mind is for a website with over 30 pages of various, links, forms and text. It will require the customer to be able to edit it with minimal html knowledge, which is why I’m turning to CMS.
But there are so many CMS solutions I’m having a hard time finding one that suits my needs better then the others, and that I can trust to support all my future CMS needs.
My web host only allows 5 Mysql Datbases at a time so I’m limited (unless I’m totally missing something here) to testing 5 CMS solutions at the same time before I have to start replaceing them for a new one.
And I find that its taking me a long time to download, install, and test each CMS solution for usability, features, interface, customisability etc…
Not to mention the documentation regarding how to use it, set it up, and create styles/templates.
So I appeal to you to help me narrow down the multitude of choices based on what you have experienced, tried, liked and disliked.
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One of my problems is that the majority of the projects that I undertake aren’t Blogs or similar. And most of the CMS solutions look like someones Blogging website. Most of the user created pages have “Submitted by:” and “Submitted on:”
etc… and I’m trying to find a CMS solution that will allow me to remove such additions to the user created pages, so that when the user/customer creates a new page, or modifys one using the CMS system that it looks like a plain, non cms created page without things like comments, posted on, posted by, subject etc…
At the moment I’m looking at and testing Mambo, Joomla and Textpattern.
As of yet, I’m unsure which one, If any of those options, are the best available.
Here is a list of the features that come to mind at the moment when I think of must haves:
[list]Updatable tool bar or similar navigation[/list]
[list]Near unlimited pages[/list]
[list]Easy to use interface[/list]
[list]Template/Style options[/list]
[list]Active support[/list]
[list]Optional - Ability to add photos to pages[/list]
[list]Preference - Ability to create pages with a text editor like interface, and raw html (so that a mosre complex page can be created for a specific need)[/list]
[list]Ability to create form pages (preferable in a manner that creates the required server side script automatically, or makes such creation or addition easy)[/list]
[list]Looks professional[/list]
[list]Doesn’t look like someones blogging site, or at least the ability to make it look like a informational/Business site.[/list]
Well…Thats about it, I’m sure I probably missed something somewhere, but thats all that comes to mind.
Please post your favourite CMS solution(s) as WELL as the ones you hate the most.
I don’t mind being introduced to a new CMS especially if it comes with a recommendation.
Any and all help will be appreciated.
Anyway, I guess I’ll get back to CMS testing… although I’d rather be setting up a CMS solution that I won’t be erasing in the next day or so.
Thanks for at least reading this, I tend to write long Posts when I get a problem and some people get too impatient to read it all the way through, much less reply.
-Lem
