In building our Web site there are a variety of different kinds of pages that we need to support. Here's a first cut at what we want to be able to do:
- Static pages with standard headers, banners, logos, etc. E.g., documentation, home pages for the VAO and various subelements, some tutorials...
- Lists of personnel associated with the VAO or particular subprojects. Could be derived from personnel databases.
- Calendars. Dynamically updated from some master calendar.
- Document repostory. Easily updated with version tracking.
- Blogs (including comments from users)
- User forum (or we may simply continue to use Gus's software).
- Polls (including easy access to summary of results and database management)
- Simple web submission/order/registration forms (including access to summary of results and database management)
- Slideshows (often on home pages of sites that want to highlight more than one item
Some of the capabilities we want overall are:
- Easy access to pages outside of CMS control (e.g., science forms like the portal).
- Analytics of usage
- Ability to export templates or elements thereof for use outside of the CMS system.
- Ability to distribute responsibility for updates to different individuals and teams
- Import/export to Wiki/Trac
- Ability to mirror
- Integration with SVN including automated updates
Not all of these are critical, but they were the kinds of features that I think would make our life easier. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?
Capabilities should also include login access and different permissions based on roles.
ReplyDeleteWe also may want more complex web apps for such things like the research proposals we accepted in nvo days. We area already doing something like this with the CM forms (in coldfusion at the moment)
Part of the function of a website is to inform the community of what is happening, and so it is important to keep a web page 'fresh' with news articles, which are often contributed by community members. Another question is then the nature of the editorial workflow. If there is no editor, anyone can post what they like, and the website can become inaccurate or inappropriate. But if the process is too hard, with editors changing sentences and rejecting material, then people lose interest in contributing and the freshness is lost. It can be a difficult balance to strike.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to pivot a little on what Roy said and point out that we have a mandate for management approval of essentially everything we produce.
ReplyDeleteIts one level to have a workflow that slows because someone "edits" a document to correct errors and another if every piece of content is reviewed and "processed" rather than up/down approved.
I think that the point of a CMS and the point of a website are being slightly conflated. The CMS utility is uniform content creation via authoring, templating, dissemination and archiving tools.
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