Drupal is an open source Content Management System available as a free download from www.drupal.org. At the time of writing, the latest version is 6.6. It provides a range of facilities for developing and maintaining a web site. Its core functionality includes static pages, blogging and forums. It generates an RSS feed from its core content. A wide range of third party add-on modules are available to be uploaded to add additional facilities. For more information on Drupal, search for the term on Brighthub or go to http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/reviews/9837.aspx
The idea of Drupal appearing in my
list of transparent applications may seem odd to many. It has been characterized by many as powerful but with a steep learning curve.
So here is my dilemma. Installing Drupal is non-trivial; setting up your web site with Drupal the first time is worse, but using Drupal as a content management system once you have installed it and established your site is great. Much of the maintenance effort is hidden away with the administration user. Content may be added easily without getting involved with that level of detail. Now that I have set up my web site in Drupal, it makes managing the content much easier and quicker. This is what it is for, and it is at this point that it ceases to feel like that the complex piece of technology that it undoubtedly is. Its handling of newsfeeds both into and out of the site enriches the user experience. That’s why it’s at no.9: that and the fact that it offers much more sophisticated functionality than any of the other applications on my list.
Why no higher on my list?
If we were only considering Drupal in use then it would be higher, but I can’t ignore the development and learning stages completely. Whilst they are, in my view, offset by the benefits gained later in the lifecycle, some users may either get frustrated and give up, or not have the time to devote to this stage of the process.
Drupal makes my list because it makes managing content a pleasurable and streamlined process, and in particular, at this stage, it hides much of the necessary complexity
. It gets no higher in my list because of the time and effort required to get to that point.