My first WordPress plugin, really! It’s a simple plugin for changing the default stylesheet for your website’s login. Smallest possible footprint.
The CMS Uber Guide: Free
The guide for open source CMS solutions to help make your website a reality!
Extending your CMS
Extending the CMS
The majority of content management systems have increasing extendability, meaning you can enhance the original functionality already native to the system even further to match your online solution. This is usually achieved through the use of three concepts: plugins, modules and API’s. What they mean and do slightly vary from system to system but overall:
Plug-ins
Can be used to add all kinds of functionality to a CMS, from post to twitter plugins, to content creation kits the possibilities are endless to the amount of them you can download and install into your CMS’s.
Modules
Usually extend the core functionality of the CMS to help achieve a specific goal but not required for all projects. For Example, site-wide searching, forums or e-commerce functionality could be separated into individual modules which could be installed as required. Usually CMS providers use this approach and offer first-party modules that integrate perfectly into the system. Third-party modules are also an option as well usually.
API’s (Application Programming Interfaces)
Enable you to access the data of a service you require to create …
Microblogging is here to stay!
As if normal blogging was too much, the world of microblogging has emerged with it’s facility to quickly post content of all media types; alluring and the latest addiction sweeping across the web, it has quite the following with a couple of notifiable mentions that both provide, what seems to me as, similar services. Utilizing both might not be nessissary for your social media plans unless you really know what you’re doing and plan to use both to the fullest extent.
Tumblr
To me it feels like a smaller, faster version of Google’s Blogger. The ability to quickly post photos, videos, links, text, quotes, music to your full-fledged blog through a browser, email or mobile app adds to its appeal. Highly customizable when it comes to themes and design so with enough savvy and patience you could even use it as a stand alone blog if you wanted with your own customized theme. Also having the option to upload items from your mobile phone as they are captured is why posting became so much faster than traditional blogs where …
The CMS Uber Guide: Hosted
Lots of hosted CMS options, let’s break it down
A Hosted CMS is totally owned and operated by the provider of that CMS. This is benefitial in numerious ways depending on your point of view. You don’t have to worry about setups, maintenance and updates to the system: everything is done for you. A hosted CMS also scales upwards very well, being able to handle most traffic spikes, and all for a single, little, or no cost. The downside can be limited flexablity in how you’re able to deploy/customize the CMS and not all are free.
Squarespace
This CMS is quite well designed and has a great user interface. It’s easy to get started, simple to use and updates almost automatically. The custom templates are easy to put your own content into and their are tonnes of extra options to add functionality to your site like photo galleries, forms, maps, forums all by inserting them into defined blocks. If you know CSS you can fully customize themes or make your own using the provided controls for editing. The only …
The CMS Uber Guide: Licensed
How do you pick the right CMS for the job?
When I first started web design I thought that using a content management system was a type of cheating. I didn’t believe in the quality of the systems out their that offered everything you need in a box. It was also a bit concerning, just starting in this field, that I could be replaced by an out-of-the-box solution. Even worse, what if I used the system only to have something break on me and not work as planned?
It was this type of mindset that started me to lean towards making your CMS from the ground up for each project that required it. Although satisfying when complete, way to many countless hours, sleepless nights and energy drinks were wasted crafting these systems. The icing on the cake happened when clients wanted custom modifications and rather than enhance the functionality, they just broke the system even more making them a maintenance disaster.
Thankfully I’ve learned much since then and over the last couple of years have grown to become very familiar …
Windows Live Writer, essential for every blogger!
Personally I’m not a fan of having to open my browser every time I want to post something onto my blog. In fact it’s because of this reason that their are so little posts on here! Well, that and the fact that I’ve been extremely busy.
While waiting for my MMORPG to finish its scheduled server maintenance (no, not World of Warcraft) I stumbled upon this helpful program in my start menu. Windows Live Writer, why have I never seen you before??
With a couple of clicks I was already setup and ready to start posting into Blogger. I have to say painless setups are always nice. Especially coming from Microsoft. I enjoy the interface as well, easy to understand; nothing anyone can’t pick up if you’ve used Microsoft Word; and who the hell hasn’t used Word, I mean seriously.
I also like that I can easily insert content with the click of a side button! It organizes posts and all your blogs if you have more than 1.
My favourite aspect is the Preview tab, allowing you …