EntriesMy Take on Content Management Systems
A Content Management System (CMS) is a mixture of the technological and the supernatural. Essentially, the CMS (a website) creates and hosts other websites. It’s kind of confusing, but if the relationship were considered in terms of Aliens, as in the movie, the CMS would be the queen and the websites it manages, its spawn. Thankfully, the CMS doesn’t attack and kill humans with slimy goo and sharp teeth. It’s just a metaphor! Anyway, there are several factors that necessitate the existence of the CMS.
Vital forces are constantly at work outside of the design and development “ovipositor” (more alien terminology), and they do affect the outcome. They are the changing genetic codes of technology, ie, the latest intermingling of apps, plug-ins, code, and the platforms on which they all co-exist. Each generation improves upon beauty, efficiency and enhancements, and in this cacophony, the growing website needs a way to maintain its place. In fact, there are many such websites that need a reliable tether to its technological host. These websites might each have disparate needs, but they can use the same means to obtain them.
Alien metaphor aside, another reason for the CMS is that it allows a team to remotely modify the website. This is partly due to the intentional separation of content, style, and code. The contributors don’t need to have an extensive knowledge of HTML—basic WYSIWYG knowledge will usually suffice. For team members who need more control, such as skinners and coders, it’s easy to switch to code view or FTP. With a flexible and unobtrusive CMS, everyone’s needs are met.
To bring the Aliens metaphor full circle…when the CMS (or queen) jumps aboard its server, which is like Ripley’s warship, the Sulaco, it transcends space and time. It carries its websites into the abstract, imperceptible worldwide web, where anything can happen. I see a lot of sequels in its future…
