Is it really made simple for my clients to use?

[bytte]

I'm a freelance web designer and up until now I've always worked with a php/mysql CMS I developed myself. I'm happy with it but as I'm getting more work I'm lacking time to make necessary updates to the CMS. So I thought now would be the right time to delve into some open-source CMS's to see which would suit my clients best.

I ended up here on the forums of "cms made simple" because a freelance website I'm reading regularly is raving about it. I've been reading through the documentation a little. However, I'm not sure about the back-end seen from my client's point of view. Because in 90% of the time, my clients are basically just editors. They want to edit website content and not design. So they just want to add pictures, news items, edit some texts, eventually add a movie and a hyperlink. Pretty basic.

So it would be awesome that after they've logged in to the back-end, they're presented with a navigation that contains the same buttons as the front-end website. No tech things such as "snippets", "chuncks" and all that jazz. They click on a page and can then edit/add content to that page. That's basically all they need to see. The more is on the page the more confused they get.

Is it easy to accomplish with CMS Made Simple?

Thanks for any advice!

[cubix]

sure is!

you can set permissions for your 'editors' whereas they can edit pages, add news articles etc..

that way they can't mess with too much.

either download and try it yourself, or check out the demo http://opensourcecms.com/index.php?opti ... iew&id=452

[bytte]

Thanks, I've toyed around with it a bit. Looks definitely interesting although I have to admit it feels a little "clumsy" as well. First you need to create a user, then go to a page where  you can choose a group, then add that user to the group and then set permissions for that group... hmmm... that's a lot of steps.

I'm sorry to say but if this is the way cmsms works it doesn't seem to be very efficient. Or am I too demanding?

[Ziggywigged]

Thanks, I've toyed around with it a bit. Looks definitely interesting although I have to admit it feels a little "clumsy" as well. First you need to create a user, then go to a page where  you can choose a group, then add that user to the group and then set permissions for that group... hmmm... that's a lot of steps.

I agree, it is a little clumsy, but you shouldn't have to edit permissions and groups to often so for me it's not too bad.

[calguy1000]

you're not thinking very clearly.

Yes, the interface could be improved, but here's a couple of thoughts you missed:

a) once you create a group it's done
b) once you assign permissions to a grouop, that's done too.

c) Once you add a user, and 'assign' a user to one or more groups (agreed that could be simpler, and it will be in 2.0).. he process is finished.

Efficiency in this aspect is one of the things we're addressing in 2.0.
Infact, it's already done for 2.0.

[bytte]

I see, but I think I was just expecting too much whistles and bells. The kind of slick stuff that makes a CMS more user-friendly. In these ajax times CMSMS felt really nineties in a way.

However, I assume that's not really the point of the CMS. The most important thing is that users can update/manage their websites.

[calguy1000]

that's the point of of CMS.

A CMS package where experienced users can setup a website in a relatively simple way so that end user can then edit content, etc.

Whistles, and bells like ajax, and all the rest of that stuff tends to get in the way (just wait till one of your customers have a visually impaired receptioniist or something), though CMS doesn't stop it at any point either in the admin or in the frontend. 

I would recommend you install CMS in an a discardable location, and play around with it... the logic is simple, and end-users can usually easily adapt to it, even without the funky javascript stuff.

If all you want is for your customers to edit page content, and/or edit dynamic entities like news articles, or companies, or whatever, then CMS is probably the right choice.

CMS is not designed to be a portal, or a replacement for myspace or whatever.  But it works well for small(ish and semi-static websites, and easily allows the end-company receoptionist or end user to edit content without fooling with design.

What more can you ask.

[bytte]

You're right. Sounds excellent. I'll give it a go in the next few days/weeks. I'll keep you posted.
One more thing maybe: is it possible to have the receptionist update the website. But when he/she posts news it won't be visible until the manager approves of the content?

[bytte]

Let me explain myself further:

Can I set up a user that has the rights to edit and add content. Yet it won't be visible on the front-end as long as another user hasn't approved of that content. The ideal scenario would be that as soon as the first person edits/adds content, the second user gets an e-mail letting him/her know she has to approve of some content before it can be published online.

Is this possible? I'm thinking of a company where someone is responsible for publishing website content, but the manager wants to have a final decision whether or not to publish the content online.

[Nullig]

The News module separates the input from approval for articles. However, using the event manager, you could definitely have an email sent whenever new content is added. Also, using the event manager, you can automate some of the things you mentioned, like automatically assigning users to a group, or adding edit permissions to a page.

Nullig

[Pierre M.]

I'm a freelance web designer and up until now I've always worked with a php/mysql CMS I developed myself. I'm happy with it but as I'm getting more work I'm lacking time to make necessary updates to the CMS. So I thought now would be the right time to delve into some open-source CMS's to see which would suit my clients best.

Welcome to CMSms ! Your design experience and customer feedback should help improving CMSms further. And from what I have read in this thread I think your PHP coding/maintenance pain is behind you now.

Pierre M.