Content+management+system

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Description
**Introduction**

A content management system, also called a Web management system is software or a group or suite of applications and tools that enable an organization to seamlessly create, edit, review and publish electronic text. Many content management systems offer a Web-based GUI, enabling publishers to access the CMS online using only a Web browser. Also, a CMS designed for Web publishing will provide options and features to index and search documents and also specify keywords and other metadata for search engine crawlers.


 * Features**

A CMS may serve as a central repository containing documents, movies, pictures, phone numbers, scientific data. CMS can be used for storing, controlling, revising, semantically enriching and publishing documentation.

Typically, a CMS consists of two elements:


 * Content management application (CMA)
 * Content delivery application (CDA).

The CMA element allows the content author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster. The CDA element uses and compiles that information to update the Web site. The features of a CMS system vary, but most include Web-based publishing, format management, revision control, and indexing, search, and retrieval.

**Purpose**

 * Why you should use a CMS?? **
 * Update website in own terms.
 * No HTML knowledge? No problem!
 * Redesigning your website won’t require a complete site overhaul.
 * Access the most up-to-date web functionality.



= Strengths and Weaknesses =


 * Strengths-**
 * Enables the average Joe to make website updates - with an interface somewhat similar to Microsoft Word: insert picture button, add new paragraph button, etc
 * Cost Effective: Some CMS's are open source (free).
 * Assign Different Privilege Levels: This is great to allow certain users only the necessary privileges for their task
 * Encourages Theme Consistency: CMS provides user the framework and basic layout for your web pages separated from your editable regions.


 * Weaknesses-**
 * Some CMS's don't produce web standard code which is an important consideration for SEO efforts.
 * Some CMS's are overly complicated for your specific needs, but you can always test drive another CMS.
 * Customizing a default CMS theme could be pricey: If you or your team are not familiar with some of the underlying code languages that CMS's are built with, like PHP or Perl, you will have a hard time customizing the templates yourself. You may need to hire a backend web developer to alter the underlying code-keep in mind this work is more advanced than HTML and commands a higher price.

Things to look for ??

 * Quick and easy installation
 * Good administration interface
 * Quick and easy extension of CMS for extra functionality
 * Simple template manipulation
 * Helpful user community

**List of Some Popular Free CMS**
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 * WordPress
 * Drupal
 * Joomla
 * TypePad
 * Moveable Type

Other popular CMS

 * Desire2Learn
 * Blackboard
 * Sakai
 * OpenClass
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.5;">Canvas
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.5;">iTunesU
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.5;">AddrennaLearn
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.5;">LearnDash

Implementation resources
[|wiki] [|tools]

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**Some Questions :**
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> What is meant by workflow in a CMS? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> What is a sandbox? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> What is asset management? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Does the new CMS support mobile? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> How much flexibility will I have in navigation and design?

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