The document provides an introduction and overview of content management systems (CMS). It discusses what a CMS is, benefits of using one, major open source CMS players like Drupal, WordPress and Joomla, and hands-on exercises for setting up and customizing WordPress and Omeka sites.

1. An Introduction to Content
Management Systems
Sharing Digital Objects, Collections
and Knowledge Online
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2. 3 Lectures/Workshops - 3 Distinct Topics
Content Management Systems
Data Visualisation for Analysis
Data Visualisation for Presentation
Foundations
Standards
Tools
Applications
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3. How It All Fits Together
PHP MySQL XML
Application to the
Digital Humanities
Content
Analytics Visualisation
Management
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4. Today’s Objective
To appreciate the range of content management
systems available to digital humanities scholars
and to be able to judge between them
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5. Agenda
Introduction
What is a Content Management System (CMS)
Features of CMS
Technical Requirements
Major Players
Extending a CMS
Hands On Install and Config - Wordpress.com
Building Community
Hand On and Config - Omeka
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6. What is a CMS
A web content management system (WCMS) is a
software system that provides website authoring,
collaboration, and administration tools designed to
allow users with little knowledge of web
programming languages or markup languages to
create and manage website content with relative
ease.
- wikipedia
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7. What is a CMS
Collect and Disseminate
Categorise
Curate
Is it a Blog? Is it Wiki?
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8. Benefits of a CMS
Allow for a large number of people to contribute
to and share stored data
Control access to data, based on user roles
(defining which information users or user groups
can view, edit, publish, etc.)
Aid in easy storage and retrieval of data
Reduce repetitive duplicate input
Improve the ease of report writing
Improve communication between users
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9. Why Might *You* Use a CMS
That is the question - any answers?
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10. Why Would *You* Use a CMS
That is the question - any answers?
Dissemination
Collaboration
Feedback
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11. Introduction
Document Management vs Object Management
vs Content Management (vs Knowledge
Management)
Open Source Versus Paid/Commercial
Evolution/History
DSpace/FEDORA - Duraspace
Apache Lenya
What about a Wiki?
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12. Features of CMS
Templating Delegation
User Management Authentication and
Scalablility of Access Control
Deployment Document Management
Easily Editing of Content Content Syndication
Extensibility of Features/ Multilingual
Functionality Versioning
Adherence to Web
Standards
Workflow Management
Collaboration
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13. Technical Considerations
PHP
Java
MySQL
Server Space
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14. Planning
Setting site goals;
Identifying target audiences;
Wireframing and planning site function and flow;
Installing CMS applications;
Working with ISPs to add site features to servers;
Geekfest: Working with MySQL and backend data
structure.
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15. Major Open Source Players
Drupal
WordPress
Joomla
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16. Drupal
Pro’s Con’s
• Widely Used • Steep Learning Curve
• Many Modules • Proprietary Cycle
• Authentication and • Deep
Security
• Scalable
• Many Custom Forks
• Commercial Forks
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17. WordPress
Pro’s
• Widely Used Con’s
• Many Plug-Ins • Less Scalable
• Social • Less Secure
• Approachable •
• Multi-User
• Very Refined User
Experience
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18. Joomla
Pro’s Con’s
• Widely Used • Steep Learning Curve
• Many Modules • Proprietary Cycle
• Authentication and • Deep
Security
• Scalable
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19. Hybrids
Omeka
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20. Hands-On and Exercise
Setup Wordpress.com
Differentiating between Wordpress.com and
Wordpress.org
Extending the Community --bbPress
Understanding the differences between
Wordpress.com sites and Wordpress.org sites
Setting up and installing a Wordpress site
Finding and adding templates to a new site
Customize site features
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21. What to Do with Wordpress
Manage Basic Settings
Choose/Install Theme
Tweak Appearance
Discuss/Explore Plug-ins (Install in
Wordpress.org)
Security Issues
Basic Maintenance
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22. Extending a CMS
What Might You Add to a Simple System?
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23. Extending a CMS
What Might You Add to a Simple System?
Maps
Timelines
Authentication
OAI/PMH Harvest
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24. Where Else to Go?
Joomla (www.joomla.org)
SocialGo (www.socialgo.com)
Wikimedia (www.wikimedia.com)
Moodle (www.moodle.com)
Consideration - does your host or institution
support or install these for you?
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25. Hands-On and Exercise
Differentiating between Omeka.org and
Omeka.net
Differentiating between a true CMS and a hybrid
such as OMEKA
Check out the showcase: http://omeka.org/
showcase/
Metadata?
Setting up and installing an OMEKA site
Customize site features
Overview of administrative functions
Extending
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26. What to Do with OMEKA.net
Sign Up for an Account
Manage Basic Settings
Choose Theme
Install/Manage Plug-ins
Add Items
Manage Collections
Create an Exhibit
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