Hello,
We are CMS experts and we use different open source cms's on a daily basis to satisfy our clients needs. I found your forum via Google. Could you please explain what makes "CMS Made Simple" different and more unique than other existing open source CMS's please? I looked at the website but I couldn't find the type of information I was searching for .. Would it be possible for someone to compare say for example Drupal or Joomla! to "CMS made simple" please?
Thank you and best regards
http://cms.itmontreal.ca
CMS MADE SIMPLE?
Re: CMS MADE SIMPLE?
I'll make a start...
Have a look through the forum, especially the CMS show off section.
You'll notice the vast diversity of sites on show – be it design or function focussed – there's a reason for the diversity - CMSMS is essentially a cms framework. Everything can be altered, massaged, styled and manipulated - easily... you don't even have to use the cmsms to display content as an html site... I have a flash based messaging system using CMSMS as the backend.
I know Ted and the CMSMS dev's will balk at the 'framework' statement (as it's no where near SILK at the mo) , but currently my sites are wholly based within the cms... no creating another php script to accomplish something... no ftp loading of stylesheets, php scripts or html templates, I can load these and manage new modules via the web conole, which means I don't need to give client's ftp access at all. To be honest 90% of the time even I just use the web console to get it done. I've even got my jquery scripts editable within the cms.
Because of this I can confidently claim to a client that ANY web feature that's required can be built or supplied via a module for CMSMS. WITHOUT me having to spend days working out which module is best and what depth of templating is required... which is where Joomla and Drupal let themselves down.. too much work for too little reward.
I've regularly converted static sites of 100 or so pages overnight to CMSMS... with absolutely no design differences or changes. Including one site that had 25 templates that I couldn't change (they had to remain in the current coding state) on different menu levels and on different pages throughout the site in a mix of old-school table-in-table positioning and XHTML... CMSMS - no probs... try that in Drupal or Joomla
But for me the real difference is usability. I have 60 or so clients using various versions of CMSMS (and with basic to advanced web skills)... It takes me 30 mins to show a new client how to update the site, load images and get a feel for what's possible... Whereas training basic Drupal took me a day, Joomla much the same, and the client's would ring up a month later and ask to have a refresher. The only time CMSMS clients come back to me is for new features or when the previous user has left the company and hasn't left the login details...
CMSMS (to me) is really 'Client Managed Sites – Made Simple'. Thanks Ted and the dev team.
Have a look through the forum, especially the CMS show off section.
You'll notice the vast diversity of sites on show – be it design or function focussed – there's a reason for the diversity - CMSMS is essentially a cms framework. Everything can be altered, massaged, styled and manipulated - easily... you don't even have to use the cmsms to display content as an html site... I have a flash based messaging system using CMSMS as the backend.
I know Ted and the CMSMS dev's will balk at the 'framework' statement (as it's no where near SILK at the mo) , but currently my sites are wholly based within the cms... no creating another php script to accomplish something... no ftp loading of stylesheets, php scripts or html templates, I can load these and manage new modules via the web conole, which means I don't need to give client's ftp access at all. To be honest 90% of the time even I just use the web console to get it done. I've even got my jquery scripts editable within the cms.
Because of this I can confidently claim to a client that ANY web feature that's required can be built or supplied via a module for CMSMS. WITHOUT me having to spend days working out which module is best and what depth of templating is required... which is where Joomla and Drupal let themselves down.. too much work for too little reward.
I've regularly converted static sites of 100 or so pages overnight to CMSMS... with absolutely no design differences or changes. Including one site that had 25 templates that I couldn't change (they had to remain in the current coding state) on different menu levels and on different pages throughout the site in a mix of old-school table-in-table positioning and XHTML... CMSMS - no probs... try that in Drupal or Joomla
But for me the real difference is usability. I have 60 or so clients using various versions of CMSMS (and with basic to advanced web skills)... It takes me 30 mins to show a new client how to update the site, load images and get a feel for what's possible... Whereas training basic Drupal took me a day, Joomla much the same, and the client's would ring up a month later and ask to have a refresher. The only time CMSMS clients come back to me is for new features or when the previous user has left the company and hasn't left the login details...
CMSMS (to me) is really 'Client Managed Sites – Made Simple'. Thanks Ted and the dev team.
Last edited by Anonymous on Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: CMS MADE SIMPLE?
Comparing Joomla and CMSMade Simple .....
Joomla/Mambo (and by association, XOOPS/Drupal/et al) are more complicated, community driven, have far greater options, but are definitely not for the average end-user to edit or modify.
A Joomla user of mine asked about back-end access, and I shuddered at the prospect.
CMS Made Simple is better for one-off sites for a personal or company presence, and provides most necessary options to accommodate them, whilst also allowing for user editing, without a bewildering array of options to choose from.
CMS Made Simple also has a more centralized repository of addons, and assistance in the form of this forum.
Perform a basic installation on a local server, and you'll see how quickly you can have a site up and running.
I have developed and run sites constructed with both platforms, and totally agree with 'robsta' definition of it being 'Client Managed Sites – Made Simple'
Joomla/Mambo (and by association, XOOPS/Drupal/et al) are more complicated, community driven, have far greater options, but are definitely not for the average end-user to edit or modify.
A Joomla user of mine asked about back-end access, and I shuddered at the prospect.
CMS Made Simple is better for one-off sites for a personal or company presence, and provides most necessary options to accommodate them, whilst also allowing for user editing, without a bewildering array of options to choose from.
CMS Made Simple also has a more centralized repository of addons, and assistance in the form of this forum.
Perform a basic installation on a local server, and you'll see how quickly you can have a site up and running.
I have developed and run sites constructed with both platforms, and totally agree with 'robsta' definition of it being 'Client Managed Sites – Made Simple'
Re: CMS MADE SIMPLE?
I'll ditto Robsta, We have a similar workflow that includes a free half hour training for each client. They pick it up very easily as you can set permissions to only show them the bare essentials.
As Robsta said, you can grab an old site template or create/download a new one - pop in a few {smarty} tags (well documented and notated in sample data) add acouple of pages and you've got a site up and running.
CMSMS can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it, it has the power to let an internet noobie put up their first site or a seasoned pro can develop a multi-faceted interactive mega-portal.
Sorry I can't compare Drupal and Joomla as I started with CMSMS when I gave up embedding php in html.
Best answer is 'Have a go!', run a full test install with all sample data and see for yourself, or check out the demo. Once you get a feel for it, you can't help but be impressed.
Simon66
As Robsta said, you can grab an old site template or create/download a new one - pop in a few {smarty} tags (well documented and notated in sample data) add acouple of pages and you've got a site up and running.
CMSMS can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it, it has the power to let an internet noobie put up their first site or a seasoned pro can develop a multi-faceted interactive mega-portal.
Sorry I can't compare Drupal and Joomla as I started with CMSMS when I gave up embedding php in html.
Best answer is 'Have a go!', run a full test install with all sample data and see for yourself, or check out the demo. Once you get a feel for it, you can't help but be impressed.
Simon66
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Douglas Adams - The only sane person in the asylum.
This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Douglas Adams - The only sane person in the asylum.
-
Pierre M.
Re: CMS MADE SIMPLE?
Hello,
You are CMS experts, you know for sure those Drupal and Joomla. Get a pause, try CMSms : within 15 minutes you will have discovered what I feeled when I discovered "a simple product to make simple sites" and before 45 minutes have elapsed you should envision the whole class of customers/prospects that CMSms targets.
Don't listen to opinions : you know your customers' needs, make your own opinion about which segment CMSms can satify
Happy discovery
Pierre M.
Your opinion about CMSms and customers' needs are welcome.itmontreal.ca wrote: We are CMS experts and we use different open source cms's on a daily basis to satisfy our clients needs.
Is the information you are searching a comparison to Drupal and Joomla ? I haven't tried this products hence I can't compare. My own experience is to have found CMSms, tried it and then never searched elsewhere a simple product to make simple sites.itmontreal.ca wrote: I couldn't find the type of information I was searching for .. Would it be possible for someone to compare say for example Drupal or Joomla! to "CMS made simple" please?
You are CMS experts, you know for sure those Drupal and Joomla. Get a pause, try CMSms : within 15 minutes you will have discovered what I feeled when I discovered "a simple product to make simple sites" and before 45 minutes have elapsed you should envision the whole class of customers/prospects that CMSms targets.
Don't listen to opinions : you know your customers' needs, make your own opinion about which segment CMSms can satify
Happy discovery
Pierre M.
