The one thing to keep in mind when choosing a CMS (or for that matter whether you actually need one) is whether you want to manage the content for your site or manage the content on your site The difference is subtle but important. The first thing you should decide is whether you even need a CMS. How many pages on your site need changing on a regular basis? If 95% of your pages are static (i.e. never change) then you do not need a CMS to control the content on the site - but you may need one to control the content of your site. A CMS is great when you have a large number of people all contributing to the content of the site, but if everything goes through your web department before it goes live - what are you using a CMS for?
If you need to integrate (as you stated in your message) disparate systems and databases - a CMS may not be the best solution. In my opinion any vendor of a CMS that comes in a tells you that their system can solve all your content integration problems - doesn't know your problems.
A CMS can be costly and so complicated that no one wants to use it. When it comes down to it, many times hiring someone with knowledge of the web will save you headaches and money. A person who knows how to program and can find their way around web technologies will be able to show you far easier ways to control and integrate content than a prepackaged CMS will ever do for you at this time.
Andrew Macdonald
New Media Officer / Agent des nouveaux médias
Canada Aviation Museum / Musée de l'aviation du Canada
Phone / Téléphone : (613) 998-5689
Fax / Télécopie : (613) 990-3655
Website: www.aviation.technomuses.ca
Email: amacdon...@technomuses.ca
| "Will Scott"
<william_sc...@fitnyc.edu>
05/26/2005 04:50 PM
|
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Does anyone on the list have expertise in this area of content management systems for the distribution of museum collections information, or has anyone contracted a CMS vendor for major, long-term museum Web- or intranet-access projects? I would be interested to know more about your experiences and about how you are using the CMS, especially for integration of various museum databases. If replying off-line, please send messages to willscottconsult...@yahoo.com.
Many thanks in advance,
Will
Will Scott
Museum Database Freelancer
Assistant Registrar, The Museum at FIT
willscottconsult...@yahoo.com
(917)753-1274
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