From Static to Dynamic: Choosing and Implementing a CMS Ruth Kneale, rkneale@nso.edu National Solar Observatory, Advanced Technology Solar Telescope

What’s a CMS anyway? CMS = Content Management System Used to collaboratively and interactively create, manage, control, and publish information Known by many other terms PDM or EDMS, like DocuShare Web CMS, like Drupal Wiki We need a web CMS

CMS = Content Management System

Used to collaboratively and interactively create, manage, control, and publish information

Known by many other terms

PDM or EDMS, like DocuShare

Web CMS, like Drupal

Wiki

We need a web CMS

Why do we want one? To avoid any more of the “single point syndrome” To enable: Ease of administration Increased team collaboration Increased functionality Improved presentation for the web site

To avoid any more of the “single point syndrome”

To enable:

Ease of administration

Increased team collaboration

Increased functionality

Improved presentation for the web site

Our Basic Starting Point Open Source = $0 cost LAMP Setup

Open Source = $0 cost

LAMP Setup

Must Haves Audit trail Content approval WYSIWYG editor Granular privileges Friendly URLs Versioning Content reuse CGI support

Audit trail

Content approval

WYSIWYG editor

Granular privileges

Friendly URLs

Versioning

Content reuse

CGI support

Should Haves Sandbox/staging area Online administration Inline administration Mass uploading Site map/index

Sandbox/staging area

Online administration

Inline administration

Mass uploading

Site map/index

Nice to Have Contact management Drag-n-drop Photo gallery Events calendar Web statistics

Contact management

Drag-n-drop

Photo gallery

Events calendar

Web statistics

To CMS or to Wiki? That is the question Both are strong possibilities How to determine? Experience of others (listservs, etc) Cmsmatrix.org and wikimatrix.org Opensourcecms.com Experts-Exchange.com Local evaluation

That is the question

Both are strong possibilities

How to determine?

Experience of others (listservs, etc)

Cmsmatrix.org and wikimatrix.org

Opensourcecms.com

Experts-Exchange.com

Local evaluation

Initial Search Results WebCMSs: Lenya Drupal e107 eTouch ExpressionEngine Joomla! Plone WebGUI Xoops Wikis: Giki KeheiWiki MediaWiki MoniWiki PHPwiki PmWiki PukiWiki SnipSnap TWiki

WebCMSs:

Lenya

Drupal

e107

eTouch

ExpressionEngine

Joomla!

Plone

WebGUI

Xoops

Wikis:

Giki

KeheiWiki

MediaWiki

MoniWiki

PHPwiki

PmWiki

PukiWiki

SnipSnap

TWiki

The Weeding Begins Exclusions based on: Too many missing functionalities Hidden fees Currency of support Required database underpinnings Reports of others on ease of installation Reports of others on ease of use Short evaluation on opensourcecms

Exclusions based on:

Too many missing functionalities

Hidden fees

Currency of support

Required database underpinnings

Reports of others on ease of installation

Reports of others on ease of use

Short evaluation on opensourcecms

The Final Four Drupal TWiki WebGUI MediaWiki These were installed and tested locally.

Drupal TWiki

WebGUI MediaWiki

These were installed and tested locally.

Drupal: Adding Content

WebGUI: Adding Content

TWiki: Adding Content

MediaWiki: Adding Content

Local Testing Small group of local users made up of staff who would also be final users of the product Created, edited content Provided feedback

Small group of local users made up of staff who would also be final users of the product

Created, edited content

Provided feedback

General Thoughts Wanted familiar look-and-feel Wanted terminology changed Liked the CMSs “ More like Word” Disliked the wikis “ Too much work”

Wanted familiar look-and-feel

Wanted terminology changed

Liked the CMSs

“ More like Word”

Disliked the wikis

“ Too much work”

The Winner Is…

Next Steps Expanding functionality Ingesting existing site Training staff on use Going live on new server by 2008

Expanding functionality

Ingesting existing site

Training staff on use

Going live on new server by 2008

Thanks for Listening! http://atst.nso.edu (after January 1 st ) Follow the rest of the journey at desertlibrarian.blogspot.com/search/label/cms