MADCMS - easy site management system

[computist_2000]

Hello all!

We developed a convenient system to manage any simple website. The main idea behind this is to make it easy for anyone, even people who don’t have any programming experience.

While the system is still in development, we’d like to invite you to test it and give us some feedback.

http://demo.atlanticsilicon.com

Regards,
Alex

[Webnauts]

Alex I had a short look, and I have some questions:

- Did I understand correct it costs monthly $50 or bit less???
- Does it support own tableless templates?
- What do you mean with Search Engine Optimization? Just clean code?

[Dcrux]

The site -- and obviously not best viewed in FireFox -- is important for illustrating why the CMS has absolutely no place in the content discussion forum.

You would think otherwise. Content Management Systems could very well be about something other than software construction. ...it just isn't.

Based on the admin section, this is a programmer's fantasy about beginning users or "users who don't want to be programmers." In that fantasy, the implementation model -- not content management -- is what the user wants to focus on.

Take the Add categories, excuse me Categories>> Add function. You have the root because the user just created it. Helping the beginning user (of software) would be to insert the result of previous steps into this one (i.e. http://what_you_entered_in_step_one/). Select priority means something ... only when you've used Joomla, Drupal, WP, TP, etc, etc.

However, for your purported target user, who doesn't want to be a programmer, it is unclear how the Select Priority function "manages" content. You hardly have to go into ontology development or information architecture, but you do have to give a tip or hint.

It's pretty much like that through every element.

Rather than write a hundred paragraphs in this post, just read my review of Bluo. It isn't a CMS either, but provides a practical working example of what focus on a target user looks like. And I'm forced to guess it was what you were trying to develop.

I can only guess because other than generic filler there isn't any content on the site to explain anything about your Content Management System?!?! Somehow, one gets the impression content-driven website design has taken several steps backward.

The site proves CMS implementations are a decade away from discussions of content management, content strategy, ontology and information architecture. This is a programmer-centric implementation of a data management utility. To programmers, what is being stored and retrieved are alphanumeric strings. This has as much to do with content management as zombies have to do with creative writing or publishing. It is beyond the scope of a single post to move from interaction design, through why the CMS is a myth, and on to content management strategy to provide context for the hundreds of points that need correction.

.....and that cross browser thing. The logo image drops outside the header in Firefox. But given everything else, it's a minor quibble at this point.

[computist_2000]

Originally Posted by Webnauts

Alex I had a short look, and I have some questions:

- Did I understand correct it costs monthly $50 or bit less???
- Does it support own tableless templates?
- What do you mean with Search Engine Optimization? Just clean code?

Hello, I wonder where you got $50/month from. It's $49 per domain name.
- It supports any template you can image or use ;-)
- It's optimized for indexing with search engines. When you create pages within CMS and fill in all the necessary fields your page will be "properly created" using meeting most of the requirements. Also, the whole site is desinged to meet the search engine optimizations rules like Google sitemap,HTTP header (last modificaton of the document)
- And finally the code that this CMS generates is pretty clean HTML without any extraneous crap that Front Page, Dreamweaver etc insert.
- You can try it out at your site for free if you'd like. Let me know.

[computist_2000]

Originally Posted by Dcrux

The site -- and obviously not best viewed in FireFox -- is important for illustrating why the CMS has absolutely no place in the content discussion forum.

You would think otherwise. Content Management Systems could very well be about something other than software construction. ...it just isn't.

Based on the admin section, this is a programmer's fantasy about beginning users or "users who don't want to be programmers." In that fantasy, the implementation model -- not content management -- is what the user wants to focus on.

Take the Add categories, excuse me Categories>> Add function. You have the root because the user just created it. Helping the beginning user (of software) would be to insert the result of previous steps into this one (i.e. http://what_you_entered_in_step_one/). Select priority means something ... only when you've used Joomla, Drupal, WP, TP, etc, etc.

However, for your purported target user, who doesn't want to be a programmer, it is unclear how the Select Priority function "manages" content. You hardly have to go into ontology development or information architecture, but you do have to give a tip or hint.

It's pretty much like that through every element.

Rather than write a hundred paragraphs in this post, just read my review of Bluo. It isn't a CMS either, but provides a practical working example of what focus on a target user looks like. And I'm forced to guess it was what you were trying to develop.

I can only guess because other than generic filler there isn't any content on the site to explain anything about your Content Management System?!?! Somehow, one gets the impression content-driven website design has taken several steps backward.

The site proves CMS implementations are a decade away from discussions of content management, content strategy, ontology and information architecture. This is a programmer-centric implementation of a data management utility. To programmers, what is being stored and retrieved are alphanumeric strings. This has as much to do with content management as zombies have to do with creative writing or publishing. It is beyond the scope of a single post to move from interaction design, through why the CMS is a myth, and on to content management strategy to provide context for the hundreds of points that need correction.

.....and that cross browser thing. The logo image drops outside the header in Firefox. But given everything else, it's a minor quibble at this point.

You had a good point about Firefox which is easy to fix and yes there should be more guidance to people but all other mumbojumbo that you wrote just makes no sense to average users. YOU should use this CMS on your own site, maybe it will load faster ;-)
The main concept of creating a site is like creating a book. Follow the same rules. Why overcomplicate things?

[Dcrux]

The main concept of creating a site is like creating a book. Follow the same rules. Why overcomplicate things?

Probably because nobody calls a book a Content Management System. Heck, nobody calls a printing press a layout or content management "system." First step, don't call it a CMS. Second step, use Bluo. Uncomplicated.

People won't apply the mumbo jumbo if you just call it what it is: an online page layout app.

[computist_2000]

Originally Posted by Dcrux

Probably because nobody calls a book a Content Management System. Heck, nobody calls a printing press a layout or content management "system." First step, don't call it a CMS. Second step, use Bluo. Uncomplicated.

People won't apply the mumbo jumbo if you just call it what it is: an online page layout app.

I understand what you're after, so no comments from you are necessary any longer.

[netndx]

looks easy enough for a simple site. Make sure that it does not create search-engine unfriendly code or urls.

maybe add ability for plug-ins/gadgets etc. from google or other sites. RSS generation would be nice as well.

good luck

[randelld]

dcrux
I can see that you are very passionate about your views and ideals but do you really have to be so aggressive in all of your replies????
It seems that if somebody posts something that is not exactly down the middle of your line of thought you simply patronise and condescend. You of all people should know that you cannot simply put people into neat little groups of users.
What's more, you of all people should also know that this is a forum and what is its aim??
To help people by way of creating a warm friendly community spirit. Surely this means understanding that people who join are from all skill levels and do not all actually think in exactly the same way as you do.
Let's be a little more caring........

[Dcrux]

Surely this means understanding that people who join are from all skill levels and do not all actually think in exactly the same way as you do.

Good point.