RE: High Volume Open Source CMS Sites

I think that "in-context" "edit this page" editing is completely the =
WRONG
approach!

While browsing and/or searching a staging or production site to find the
desired content to edit has significant ease-of-use and productivity =
value,
subsequently editing the content within that context, however, has many
pitfalls and false economies.

These pitfalls / drawbacks include:

- In a properly implemented CMS, a viewable page on a Web site may =
actually
contain many content assets. A single asset may be reused many times on =
a
Web site.=20

- To fully enable in-context editing of a staging or production site, a =
CMS'
components need to be installed on the staging and production servers.  =
This
blurs the line between a CMS system, the content itself, and how the =
content
is consumed, introducing many unnecessary layers of complexity.=20

- The staging and/or production server would need to be fully aware of
workflows in process, users, roles, versions, and editions. This =
requires
un-necessary overhead to the staging and production servers. Further, =
the
Web site now also becomes the CMS system with edit menu systems, etc. =
This
violates the integrity of the implementation of the content on the Web =
site,
no longer providing an accurate preview of the content. Moreover, all of =
the
benefits of searching and browsing for content within context is now =
moot
since the CMS and the actual implemented Web site are one - providing =
for an
unwieldy, confusing CMS user interface and experience. Supposedly true
in-context editing's biggest win is the usability, however, the polluted =
Web
site with CMS toolbars overlays, becomes the opposite of useable.=20

Because of the first and third bullet, a page in a staging environment
containing multiple assets may display each asset in different stages of
their independent workflow process. This causes confusion to the end =
user,
and also provides challenges when deciding what should happen after an =
asset
is changed and submitted to the next step in the workflow process. Does =
the
staged page show the latest version of the asset but indicate it cannot =
be
edited due to being in-process? These questions and more show that
in-context editing complicates the 'user interface' and significantly
detracts from the supposed usability gains desired by true in-context
editing.=20

Maintaining an Asset at the Web page level does not give a proper
representation for other places where that Asset is being consumed, so
changes appropriate for the Web medium may not be appropriate for the =
print
or wireless medium.=20

Keeping in mind that the SiteRefresh CMS application can be completely
decoupled from the production/publishing environment, SiteRefresh does
provide the ability of the site developer / SiteRefresh implementer to
enable all of the pros of in-context editing (site search/browse for =
desired
content) and the providing a link to directly launch into SiteRefresh to
edit the desired content.

Graham


________________________=20
J Graham Zahoruiko=20
President & CEO=20
Refresh Software Corporation=20
51 Middlesex Street=20
North Chelmsford, MA  01863=20

P: 978-251-8870 x221=20
F: 978-251-8872=20

www.refreshsoftware.com=20

SiteRefresh - Core Content Management=20
When Success Matters



-----Original Message-----
From: cms-list-admin-/[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] =
On
Behalf Of Robert Koberg
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 8:09 PM
To: graham.zahoruiko-aO66/[email protected]
Cc: cms-list-/[email protected]
Subject: Re: [cms-list] High Volume Open Source CMS Sites


J Graham Zahoruiko wrote:

> Or, don't even use the CMS for publishing.  The CMS should be used for =

> managing content (Create/Workflow/Version).  The database or file=20
> server for storage.  And your preferred application servers and Web=20
> scripting languages for publishing.
>=20
> CMS scalability problem solved & eliminated!
>=20
> Graham

I agree that the CMS and the final product should be separate. But, you=20
can publish out to that final product -- whatever that is. For example,=20
  for one project we are publishing out to a large scale portal=20
application that makes use of Jive Forums and a number of other dynamic=20
features. The CMS is used to create the portal as 'statically' as=20
possible, sent through the staging process (the CMS manages promotions=20
in this case). The live version has nothing to do with the CMS.

I have never understood why pages have an 'edit this page' that I can't=20
edit...

best,
-Rob


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