IS a CMS what I need? Very frustrated.

[Malinthas]

Folks-

I work for a small not-for-profit. Our budget dictates that all of our web solutions need to be in-house and free, so I maintain our web site. I have no formal training.

We have a news page, where I would like our PR person to be able to post items without needing to use FrontPage, and ideally, where those news items would be a little interective (automatically generate headlines, expiration dates, etc).

My site is fairly basic, depending on a .dwt to dictate the structure of the page, and with content showing up on each individual page in editable areas. I did almost all of this in FP2003 WYSIWYG.

When I looked to add that news item functionality, I thought a CMS would be best. I've played with a few free ones, and Joomla! seems the most user-friendly, but it seems like way too powerful of a tool for a beginner. It looks to me like this is a tool for designing a whole website from scratch, rather than just producing some content for one or two pages.

I lack the knowledge and skill to use advanced tools like Joomla! (whose documentation assumes a bit more learning that I have), but I can't seem to find a simple, free tool that does what I want. Am I SOL, or is there an alternative I haven't considered?

[SemAdvance]

Hi

Free and non-profit don't often work well together due to the fact there is some expense in running any business.

Since you are not a publishing company a CMS is actually too much power so to speak.

Your best bet would be a wordpress blog wordpress.com or you could use blogger.com with free blog services as well.

Hope it helps

[wige]

If you are just looking to be able to have certain employees be able to make changes to the site, it can be very very simple process Well, as long as your server supports SSI.

To make it easy for someone on your staff to change the content of a page, all you need to do is put the content for the page in a text file and include the text file with SSI.

<!-- include virtual="ssi/marketingpage.txt" -->

The marketing person would create a text file on their local computer, and upload the file with FTP. To enable this, create a file on the user's desktop called upload.bat (yes, a batch file... remember those?)

ftp -s:uploadcode.ftp ftp.yourserver.com

Then, finally, you would create a file called uploadcode.ftp with the following

ftpusername
ftppassword
passive
bin
cwd ssi/
put marketingpage.txt
quit

where marketingpage.txt is the name of the local file to be uploaded. All three files must be on the desktop. Just make sure the user follows html conventions, using proper tags for formatting.

As far as the more advanced capabilities such as expiration dates and creating new entries directly on the server, it is possible if your site has a database installed. You can create a script to create the new entries as database entries. I would suggest looking for a book called PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide. That is how I learned. Its a great reference and has good tutorials covering some of the same functionality you are looking to accomplish, including creating your own basic CMS. As security concious as I am, its what I ended up doing for my own site.

[kgun]

Originally Posted by Malinthas

Folks-
When I looked to add that news item functionality, I thought a CMS would be best. I've played with a few free ones, and Joomla! seems the most user-friendly, but it seems like way too powerful of a tool for a beginner. It looks to me like this is a tool for designing a whole website from scratch, rather than just producing some content for one or two pages.

I lack the knowledge and skill to use advanced tools like Joomla! (whose documentation assumes a bit more learning that I have), but I can't seem to find a simple, free tool that does what I want. Am I SOL, or is there an alternative I haven't considered?

My bolding. Advice

• Seems like WordPress or Blogger is good enough.
• Are you looking for a CMS system, you find many from simple to advanced by page search (CTRL + F)
  
  Content Management Systems
  
  on the following page (may take long time to load if you are on a slow connection). Click first link in my signature, then the link BrowseToolbar then link in upper left corner Fast connection?: Browse professional Links
• The next level is to make your own XML powered CMS system. That can be very efficient, since the XML files can be reused in many different settings.
• Most difficult is to make you own databasedriven CMS system. It is not important which database plattform you use or which programming / scripting language you use. Also note, that a XML powered CMS system can be imported to e.g. a MySQL database since the related database administration tool phpMyAdmin has options to export and import XML data. It is done in minutes.

P.S. Since the linkfarm is XML powered, the link must be viewed in a modern web browser that supports XML and related technologies.

[dvduval]

I have often found that CMS have a lot of things I don't need, and when I want to change something, it is more work than had I just done it all in html in the first place. I prefer to add specific applications that I need (article script, forum, link directory, photo album).

[marcel]

I also work at non profit.

Don't rely on any freely hosted service. They could kick out and you might lose everything. Yes your a non profit but your supposed to be professional too.

Don't write your own CMS, that would be reinventing the wheel. CMSes today are very powerful and secure.

Spend month or two evaulating the best CMSes out there. They are complex but worth the time and effort.

I spent 1 month on Joomla and 1 month on Drupal before deciding to use Drupal ( drupal.org | Community plumbing ).

Wordpress is also great but it's only good for blogging, unless you decide to hack it.

[puamana]

I've wrestled with this issue for clients recently, since so many wish to be able to update
areas of their websites without asking for developer updates. After installing and testing literally dozens of open source options (try searching hotscripts.com for free blog scripts)
I finally found one that worked and was easy enough to use for a lay web manager.

It's called WebSpotBlogger - it stands alone and and I've integrated it as a 'journal' page for my clients. Any viewer who wants to comment on the posting must first register for an 'account' with email address, login and password.

Here are the main features of Webspotblogger:
-Expertly designed UI for easy navigation and reading
-User accounts to keep your blog secure
-User permissions (Admin, Mod, Member)
-Comments, so that you know what your readers think of your post
-Simple to use admin and posting panel for easy customisation and posting
-Newsletter system to send updates to all of the members that wish to revieve them
-Theme Manager to make your blog look the way you want it to (you can integrate with .dwt template design!)
-Version check so that you know if there have been any new updates to WebspotBlogging
-RSS Syndication feed so that your visitors can be easily updated when you post
-Archives so that your readers can browse through all the posts written
-Quick installation through the simple to use installation script
-Post Images to make your posts look good (also add links!)

If you only want to update a specific page or area on a regular basis, this little application may work for you. WebspotBlogging

Good luck!
Puamana

[Targa-Mike]

If Joomla is too complicated then some of the suggestions above will likely be also. A blog is a good idea, and is simple. But if all you want to do is allow a person to edit one or two pages of your existing site, then I would suggest using Contribute from Macromedia/Adobe. I know you need free, but the cost in both yours and the PR persons time to find and work out another solution will far exceed the cost of Contribute which I think sells retail for only $80 or so. Plus being a not for profit, you may qualify for free or almost free copies of a lot of software. Check out TechSoup.org - The Technology Place for Nonprofits to see what's available to not for profits from Adobe, Microsoft etc. Anyway, you can download a 30 day trial of contribute and try it out to see if it meets your needs. I have used it many times to do exactly what you are trying to do, which is to allow someone without any prior web experience to update and maintain content of an existing site without requiring them to learn any HTML or whatever. It's worked great for that purpose and I recommend you at least look into it.

[tcustomgolf]

Yes, Joomla seems too much for what you're trying to do. For a site with only a few pages, I've been using CMS Made Simple for a couple of sites. Not as "blog centric" as wordpress (which I use also for a blog) or blogger, and you can import designs from OSWD and customize pretty easily.

It comes with a news manager (which I haven't tried) and has many other extensions you can add like a photo album, etc. if you want. It has an admin piece that you can set others up to add/change content...and can manage the content pretty easily. Great community/support/forum also and is free!!

This is a small site I did for a friend using the stock install and just customizing the css templates, etc.

[MarcGrobman]

I agree that most CMS is way to much of a hassle to be worth it. If you have a very big org with lots of users then it can justify the expense. But usually I've seen CMS become ane expensive headache that doesn't allow enough flexibility. (Sorry CMS afficionados.)

I usually have the client get dreamweaver (check that techsoup link) and train people to do the steps they need to create their own pages. It is often the same effort as using a CMS interface.

One CMS lite solution I've liked is interactivetools.com - Web Content Management Software Systems . But I agree with the poster that you would probably do very well setting up a blog. Blogs are often free with your hosting (or not to hard to set up if you do your own hosting) and they are flexible and have good features built in. Like anything, you have to hope your Blog or CMS has the right combo of features that work for you. With all the WordPress themes out there you can generally find a page that looks like what you want and customize it. (My problem is finding time to customize!) And it is cool to have a blog .

[pdstein]

Originally Posted by Malinthas

I work for a small not-for-profit. Our budget dictates that all of our web solutions need to be in-house and free, so I maintain our web site. I have no formal training.

Why does working for a small not-for-profit mean having a budget that dictates all your web solutions need to be in-house and free?

99% of my website service company's clients are small non-profits, plus I am involved personally in several small non-profits myself. Believe me, I understand how tight budgets can be and the sense that things have to be done on the cheap. But to me that is short-sighted and fails to recognize the value of effective use of time and effective communication.

How much is your time worth? How much is your PR person's time worth? If your PR person could post a new item to your website in 2 minutes without your assistance, how much time (and therefore how much money) would it save your organization over the course of a year?

How much do you spend on print publications? Brochures, letterhead, mailed newsletters, postcards? Isn't your website worth at least as much as those items? An attractive, informative, interactive CMS-based website can help to attract and keep connected people who want to help you and your organization. When a charitable organization invests in good website, it almost always more than pays for itself.

Take a look at one of our client sites: Hearts Without Borders.

This is a charity run by 3 volunteers - no paid staff. They invested less than $2K to get a Joomla-based site with a custom template and several hours of training to learn how to manage it. It's been well worth the investment.

BTW, I'm not trying to sell you on my company, just on the long-term value of investing in a quality CMS-based site.

[plane007]

Hi Malinthas,

You could use an editor like FCKEditor or TinyMCE to allow someone to edit HTML pages held away from the main site, possibly in a protected directory.

That page can then be included (SSI) in the appropriate real pages.

This does not give you all the bells and whistles, but it works, is very simple and free.

[waleg]

Malinthas,
Since your work for not-for-profit organization, your can get Movabletype and install it for free, its easy to use and its latest version is easy to install too ... from what you have mentioned, Movabletype will reply exactly to your needs, you can customize it easily and use your current site design ...

Here is the website where you can get Movabletype:
Blogging Platforms for Small Businesses, Enterprises & Publishers at Movable Type

Good luck
Ziad
Barouni Network | Barouni.com

[Clarrie]

Originally Posted by Malinthas

Folks-

I work for a small not-for-profit. Our budget dictates that all of our web solutions need to be in-house and free, so I maintain our web site. I have no formal training.

We have a news page, where I would like our PR person to be able to post items without needing to use FrontPage, and ideally, where those news items would be a little interective (automatically generate headlines, expiration dates, etc).

My site is fairly basic, depending on a .dwt to dictate the structure of the page, and with content showing up on each individual page in editable areas. I did almost all of this in FP2003 WYSIWYG.

When I looked to add that news item functionality, I thought a CMS would be best. I've played with a few free ones, and Joomla! seems the most user-friendly, but it seems like way too powerful of a tool for a beginner. It looks to me like this is a tool for designing a whole website from scratch, rather than just producing some content for one or two pages.

I lack the knowledge and skill to use advanced tools like Joomla! (whose documentation assumes a bit more learning that I have), but I can't seem to find a simple, free tool that does what I want. Am I SOL, or is there an alternative I haven't considered?

Hi Malinthas

I'd agree with much of what pdstein says - I also have a clutch of not-for-profit clients, and I've got them happily using Joomla.

I'd disagree with many of the suggestions offered here, because if you are a bit worried about the complexity of something like Joomla, then implementing batch files, SSIs and scripts is likely to turn your hair grey . WordPress and the like I'd also consider a bit "bloggy" for a whole website but you can use it to add additional pages.

Joomla isn't the only CMS around, but one of the reasons I've used it for my not for profits is that it has a very simple and intuitive user interface (as you noted), and your editors can pretty quickly get to grips with using it. This site British Contender Association : The source for information on the Contender Class in the UK : - Home is an example. 5 or 6 very un-techie volunteer editors look after all the content. OK, every now and again I have to tidy up after them, but way, way, way better and less time consuming than having to do all the pages etc.

Joomla looks a bit intimidating at first because of all the functionality, but setting up is nothing like as complex as you might think with a simple step-by-step installer and there are plenty of free templates you can use/adapt to get you started.

An advantage of a CMS like Joomla is that you can start simple, use the basic functionality, and grow it as you become more familiar with it: Newsletter manager? add it, Events calendar? add it, Forum? add it, & etc.

[Renegade]

No matter what you do, there will be some expense, so I'm assuming that at a minimum you've got hosting fees...

For a solid CMS that's easy to use, have a look at DotNetNuke at DotNetNuke® > Home ( DNN 4.5.3 ). (DNN)

It's basically infinitely flexible with a tonne of modules to do almost anything you'll ever need. It also comes with 90% of everything you'd ever want right out of the box.

There are hosted solutions for it all over the place as well. You can get a host and be up and running in a very short period of time. You don't need to install it then - that's all done for you.

If you're running your own server, it's got an installer to help you install it easily.

There is a learning curve, but it's not bad. All things considered, the small time investment that you'd need to get it up and running (by yourself) is a small price to pay for what you'd get with it.

Buying modules for anything is always touch and go, but there are some very good commercial modules available for it at SnowCovered. You'll want to check the author's site as well though... That's important.

[netricksdotcom]

I have the perfect solution!

Scaleable and very easy to use. Comes with a news module, photo gallery, events calendar, employee bios module, contact for and more. The system is SEO friendly and can allow multiple users to manage different parts of the system. The best part is that it is so darn easy to use. I can teach you in 10 minutes.

Check out Content Management Systems - CMS by Netricks or CPanel Web Hosting Reseller Hosting and Dedicated Servers
The Better Business Bureau in Central California uses it. If it is good for them, it is good for me.

[bj]

Snag WordPress from WordPress.org and install it on your linux host. This really is the easiest route, and there are enough free themes out there that you can find one that will suit your needs. Also, the plugins will give you any sort of add on functionality you could possibly imagine

Joomla is WAY OVERKILL. Wordpress is much simpler. I've had complete luddites up and running with it in less than a day.

[jeffposaka]

Joomla is great because it can grow with your organization.

Another tool that is easier to setup than Joomla is b2evolution. It is for blogging but easily becomes a mini CMS with a few changes to the skins. Like WordPress, it is pretty search engine friendly out of the box.

Good luck!

[shushus]

Originally Posted by marcel

I also work at non profit.

Don't rely on any freely hosted service. They could kick out and you might lose everything. Yes your a non profit but your supposed to be professional too.

Don't write your own CMS, that would be reinventing the wheel. CMSes today are very powerful and secure.

Spend month or two evaulating the best CMSes out there. They are complex but worth the time and effort.

I spent 1 month on Joomla and 1 month on Drupal before deciding to use Drupal ( drupal.org | Community plumbing ).

Wordpress is also great but it's only good for blogging, unless you decide to hack it.

Hi, Marcel,

Could you please recommend a good Press-Release module for Drupal?

Thank you.