...a CMS [is] a set of software tools that enable non-technical people to manage web content. There are a bazillion different CMS tools out there. They tend to be sold on their features—and boy, do they have a lot of them... ...But features alone can’t solve strategic, editorial, or governance problems. Too often, CMS projects become solutioneering, or throwing technology at problems.Jonathan goes on to outline what a good CMS should do and some steps to consider when going through the selection process.
I love this line:
Choosing a tool because someone you admire uses it — and expecting results like theirs — is like buying the type of guitar Jimi Hendrix played and hoping to fill Madison Square Garden...
Strategic Content Management - article by Jonathan Kahn for A List Apart
Related post: I came across a couple of good articles in the same vein last year, including the great CMS Myths e-book - Content strategy & CMS development (November 2011)
Nice article - I especially like the argument for iterative processes. Generally it seems as though these sort of decisions are made too infrequently, and we don't review and improve the tools we already have. So the thing languishes until the next big upgrade, and then we're back to square one.
ReplyDeleteThat's how websites tend to be managed - viewed as a project rather than a process - so I suppose it's no surprise that the software driving them is dealt with in the same way.
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