Tea Leaf Media Blog

Which CMS Should I Use?

2008-11-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

I recently received a question from a professional in Long Beach California who asks "Can I use a CMS like Joomla or Drupla to make a site searchable and easily updatable? Any suggestions?"

My answer is YES! Drupal and Joomla are clearly great programs that make a site easy to update and search. Here are some thoughts.

1) Joomla is easy to update and with the help of RocketTheme Template Club (and other clubs) it is easy to create an attractive site.

2) Drupal is just as easy to update and with the growing number of template clubs is easy to create an attractive site.

3) The issue of "searchable" is one that requires a bit more information and explanation. First, let's consider what and how you wish to search. I suspect the site owner would like to have the ability to create and run queries. Queries (in this example) are information retrievals from a Web database. So really, we need to understand which CMS program database is best at creating and generating queries.

Joomla vs Drupal:

When a site owner creates a site with Joomla they add content in the form of "Articles". The articles are categorized by Sections and Categories. These sections and categories make it easy to generate queries. The "Articles" have a title, a body, sections, categories, and keywords.

Drupal on the other hand has far more options for organizing information and creating queries. When site owners add content they select a content type. This is the first distinction. There can be unlimited content types AND these content types can have unlimited fields. The ability to create fields is the second distinction. There is a fabulous module called CCK (Content Construction Kit) that allows the site owner to create custom fields to hold information that is easy to query, easy to organize, and easy to style (examples below). Additionally, Drupal uses FLEXIBLE taxonomy to categorize information.

Here is an example, in my Trainer Site I use 15 content types (see image attached) to organize my information. In the content type "training" I have over 20 fields, which are grouped in five "field groups". I then use "Views" to build powerful queries that make it easy to search and display information.

If I were using Joomla, I would have one content type (articles), two fields, and zero field groups. Ouch! When I was at Joomla Day in SF (Sept 2008) I asked one of the speakers if there was an extension that allowed me to create content types and add fields. The speaker blinked and asked me what I meant! In all fairness, I believe there is an extension that I could purchase that would give me some of the functionality I get from Drupal (for free), but why would I go that route? My site depends on this functionality and if one of the "experts" is unfamiliar with this functionality, I can assume this for-fee extension is not well supported by the Joomla community.

So my long answer to this simple question is that I would build a site with Drupal and I would use the fabulous CCK and Views modules. Am I biased? Yes and No. I personally build an equal number of Joomla sites as I do Drupal sites. I am biased in that I build sites that rely upon the strengths of the program.

If you want to see how I use five CMS programs at one site check out CMS Personal Trainer.

Thanks RJ for the question.

Drupal, Joomla, and Moodle

2008-09-26T13:01:00.001-07:00

If you are considering a new Web site and are looking for a way to make your site interactive and media rich, you may have heard of Drupal, Joomla, and Moodle. These are a few of the open source programs that can help you create and manage your Web site at an affordable price.

These software programs are known as open source content management systems. They are just a few of the programs that are available to businesses, schools, governments, and non-profits. The best news is that these programs are all free. Yes, there is no charge to download and install these programs.

I wrote this article to help users make the best selection for their individual project, site, or school. First, let's take a quick look at each of these programs. Drupal is one of the most powerful and flexible programs available open source. It is very durable and is well supported by a large International community. Joomla is a relatively new and very popular CMS program. Joomla originally came from a program known as Mambo. Several Mambo developers left and started Joomla a few years ago. Moodle is quite distinct because it is a learning management system that is widely used in colleges and universities around the globe.

Now the question becomes, which program is right for you? Each Web developer will have their own answer to this question. My answer is, what do you want your site to do?

Let's start with the easiest question "What program do I use to create an online school, or as a supplement to live classes? I would 99% of the time suggest using Moodle. Moodle is used by Humboldt State University, which is where I taught. I find it is easy to use, well supported by active "user group" communities, and since it is designed exclusively as a classroom, it has all the necessary modules required by online educators. My company uses Moodle for training purposes, so if you want to take a look at a Moodle site, please visit Open Space University.

Let's now look at the most common use of Web sites; creating an attractive site that provides visitors with product and contact information. These sites are typically referred to as brochure sites. Joomla in my opinion are a great choice for brochure sites. Joomla is fairly easy to use, has lots of commercial and non-commercial extensions to the Joomla software, and most importantly there are a multitude of Joomla themes (designs) that are available for a modest fee. If you want to see Joomla in action, please visit my primary sites SLO Bake and Laura Scroggins.

Saving the best for last, Drupal is my choice for almost every other type of use. Drupal users can easily create a variety of content types, can be used for Intranets, Extranets, and project manager sites. They are great for real estate brokers who want to feature their listings at their site. Social networkers should really take a good look at Drupal because I personally would not use anything else for an active social community. However, if you are not a designer, expect to hire someone to make your site attractive as there are very few Drupal themes that you can purchase. My blogcast lauramba.com is a Drupal site.

Finally, let me quickly point out that all of these programs can handle multimedia, PayPal, blogging, wikis, chats, and more.

Video Converter

2008-05-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

I hired a camera crew to tape an interview and wow was I frustrated when they delivered the digital media file in a format that needed to be encoded before I could stream on YouTube and Blip.tv. The software was easy to install, easy to use, and is bundled with an audio converter, and more. I am happy with my purchase.AVS4YOU.com

Google Apps Engine

2008-04-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Google announced the release of the Google App Engine on the App Engine blog and the next day they announced that they reached their maximum number of web developers. The Google App Engine is waitlisted.

What is the Google Apps Engine? Essentially, it "lets you run your web applications on Google's infrastructure". Developers are not charged to develop and publish their applications on the Internet.

Schools, municipalities, and non-profit organizations should jump at the chance to develop applications using the great tools provided with the service.

Drupal Fundamentals - Santa Barbara California

2008-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara, California
Pacifica Suites Hotel

Reserve your pet-friendly room now!

DRP 101 - Drupal Fundamentals I & II
October 7-8, 2008
Tuesday and Wednesday
09:00 am - 4:30 pm

This set of courses last two days and is designed for new and intermediate users of open source software Drupal. Learn to install and configure Drupal core, several contributed modules, and Drupal themes. Learn Drupal best practices and how to find help with your Drupal Site.

Linux Expo

2008-02-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

My first Linux Expo was informative and easy to navigate, much like a good database. I arrived in Los Angeles early Saturday to a full parking lot. That is usually a good indicator that an expo is going to be successful.

As I entered the expo registration area I was directed by a perky greeter who pointed me to the self check-in area. Within three minutes I moved through check-in, got my printed badge, bag, shirt, and schedule and was on my way into the expo floor.

My favorite conversation was with one of the gentlemen involved in Haiku, an open-source desktop operating system. The program is still in development and not for production sites but sounds fascinating. Good luck to Haiku.

I enjoyed meeting the fine folks at Silicon Mechanics who had one of the nicest booths, best T-shirts, great literature, and a good sales presentation. Oh, and they seem to have good products at a good rate. Bravo fellows, very professional.

I attended Seth Kenlon presentation on Video Codecs and the Free World and found it interesting and informative. Seth is a video editor who helped me better understand everything from the economics of Codec (Code/Decode) to the "how-to" aspects of preparing and encoding video.

Berkeley Drupal Users Group

2007-11-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

Just attended my first meeting of the Berkeley Drupal Users Group at the UC Berkeley campus. Thanks to Tao Starbow for making me feel welcome.

I became interested in this particular user group after presenting at BADCamp 07. BADCamp attracted such an interesting and diverse crowd that I had to see if it was reflective of the Berkeley Drupal Users Group and I am happy to report it was!

The most important information that I learned from this meeting was that each installed module will impact the speed and efficiency of your Drupal site. For me this reinforced that developers need to keep each installation as close to the core program as possible.

BDUG

BADCamp 2007

2007-11-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

BADCamp 07 took place on the UC Berkeley Campus last weekend and it was incredible. The fantastically cool Tao Starbow and lovely wife Jasper helped create a format that attracted a diverse and talented crowd.

Some of my favorite people and companies: the politically progressive guys at Advomatic helped me to better understand how to create disability compliant websites. Thanks Advomatic!

The brilliant young Dmitri Gaskin lead a talk on the fabulous cck module. The cck module is one of the most important and powerful modules in the Drupal tool chest.

I met quite a few women programmers including the delightfully funny and energetic Lynda Pike of Intersite Labs.

DrupalCampLA

2007-09-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow ... thank you to AOL for such a great venue and Crystal ... you rock! Some of the interesting things I learned at Camp Today:
1) Still more men in technology but wow, these were an amazing group of guys.
2) Drupal seems to attract smart, fun loving, collaborative folks who are eager to share and help out.
3) There are more opportunities than there are developers.
4) Developing modules may be easier than I thought.

I am eager for tomorrow but will miss some very cool dudes. Ken - where have you been all my life?! You are a kick and I can't wait to hook-up with you again. Until then - check out Earl Thomas next time he is performing in your lovely city (Oct 13). He is a close personal friend and an amazing performer. Too tired to load an audio file so here he is at myspace: Earl Thomas.

Facing a Challenge

2007-02-15T17:59:00.001-08:00

Each of us at times are facing a challenge that is keeping us from actively creating a healthy financial future. Divorce, death, legal battles, unsupported lifestyles, overwhelming debt, and other challenges can make and keep us financially unhealthy.

Conditions and lives change. You will recover. It can happen instantly. Believe and be at peace.

Facing a Challenge

2007-02-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

Each of us at times are facing a challenge that is keeping us from actively creating a healthy financial future. Divorce, death, legal battles, unsupported lifestyles, overwhelming debt, and other challenges can make and keep us financially unhealthy.

Conditions and lives change.

You will recover. It can happen instantly.

Believe and be at peace.