Been researching MODx, a Content Management System (CMS) .. similar to Drupal and Joomla .. tho considerably more 'flexible.'
Being a publisher-of-content myself means I'm always on-the-lookout for cool, new publishing tools. Movable Type has been my tool-of-choice since 2003, but I'm always open to trying new things.
The thing I don't like about Movable Type is that it's difficult to customize. You're limited to one of their pre-designed templates. Even minor tweaking is a nightmare. And it suks when your site looks like so many others.
Before we discuss CMS'es, you should know that Drupal won the Packt Publishing award for best Open Source CMS two years running (both 2007 & 2008). These awards were chosen by guys who know their CMS'es. Tho the judges admit:
There isn't necessarily one CMS that is "the best," but rather the best is the one that best fits a user's needs.
It's unlikely the judges actually used all the CMS'es themselves, since there are so many. Joomla came in second. It's probably the single most popular CMS out there.
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You should also know I recently changed my outlook on how I select software .. from going with the most feature-rich option (often considered "the best") .. to starting with simpler tools .. and working my way up (as necessary).
For example, I now feel it's better to start using/learning Photoshop Elements (or GIMP) than Photoshop itself .. even tho Photoshop is considered a better (i.e. more powerful) image editor.
Certainly learning Photoshop is a cool thing. But Elements can perform most of functions a beginner will need. And if you graduate to a place where you actually need Photoshop (the beast), then you're obviously a true Photoshop stud. But that's unlikely (unless you're a professional) cuz Elements does so much.
We don't start out riding a Harley as our first motorcycle. Rather that's something we graduate to. (I had a Sportster in Hawaii.) This same principle could be applied to software. Occam's razor suggests simpler is usually better.
I think the economic downturn is changing the way people think. I know it has for me. This change is good (i.e. doing more with less .. becoming more efficient .. leaner, meaner) .. especially where excesses existed .. tho it might not always feel that way ('good').
Anyway, MODx began in 2004. The project has a colorful history. (I can relate to how the founders were screwed over.) Current version is » 0.963 (released last Christmas). This version is called » MOD Evolution.
But there's an entirely new version on the way .. called MODx Revolution (or MODx 2.0) .. which everybody has been waiting for. (Revolution is not an upgrade to Evolution. It's an entirely new product.)
On November 25, 2008, they released the final alpha version of Revolution (alpha-6). Next we get a beta (Spring, 2009). Two good links about MODx » HERE and » HERE.
Another CMS that has popped up on my radar screen is » TYPOlight (based on TYPO3). Lots of development going on there. Frequent updates. And they even have a 1-click 'Live Update' service (for $13/year). Cool.
Folks are also waiting for version 2.0 of ExpressionEngine. But EE isn't Open Source. (Costs $100.) They do however, offer a stripped-down freebie version called Core (sans support). EE 2.0 was supposed to be released last summer, btw.
After comparing features, the only way to really know if these bad-boys will truly rock is to .. install a copy and take 'em for a spin around the block. But I tend to feel that any project headed by a guy named 'Thrash' gotta be good. =)
Everything I've read about MODx Revolution leads me to believe it will truly be Rad and meet my needs. Must confess tho, it's the fact that the founders were screwed over (while trying to do something helpful, no less) that makes me to relate to the project. Did I mention MODx won the Packt award for Most Promising CMS of 2007?
For more along these lines, here's a Google search preconfigured for the query » modx revolution cms
