Mar 20 2009
The Need for an Adaptable CMS in Web 2.0
Is your CMS updated for the web? It better be. There are certain issues that an updated CMS can handle best that your old CMS will probably find difficulty in. After all, technology is about change and change is what Web 2.0 has brought us. So what makes a CMS a good fit with Web 2.0? We examine its characteristics.
What is CMS?
CMS is content management system, used for the management of website content. Generally, CMS is deployed by site owners and site administrators to allow the interactive use of a website by multiple contributors. One of the best examples for this type of content management is the wiki, where numerous users create content through collaboration. Content may be textual, audio or video.
Uses of CMS
The point of CMS is to ensure that these files are produced and made available for use on the Internet. In
many organizations, CMS is also used for archiving files and other information, so that they can be accessed at any time. An established CMS also helps individuals and organizations to share files more easily using a
server-based system, allowing more people access.
CMS is very useful, often utilized for storing, publishing and controlling documentation and information such as news, articles, guides, how-to manuals and other technical manuals and brochures.
CMS in Web 2.0
Experts and industry observers will tell you that in the Web 2.0 environment, CMS is the necessary tool. It would be difficult indeed for a website to survive in this era where ‘content is king’ if it did not rely on a dependable system to manage its offerings. The more accessible the site’s content is, the easier for users to find it, browse it and if necessary, make changes in it. The end result is a much improved quality in the type of content that a site can provide.
These days, the more unique the content, the more highly valued it is. In fact, it’s no longer about using the
newest software – it’s more about being able to create and provide content that people will not be able to
access anywhere else. If the use is more creative for a broader audience, the more highly sought-after the site will become. This is probably what prompted Tim O’Reilly, himself the purveyor of the Web 2.0 phenomenon, to declare that data is the new Intel Inside.’
Collaboration in the 21st century
CMS is about producing and managing valuable content and it has the perfect opportunity in the Web 2.0 environment where collective intelligence is key. A site owner or administrator who prefers to be limited by either technology or his imagination stands to lose plenty in terms of audience and relevance. The more chances you provide to users to participate in a worthwhile project, the more value you create for your site and its service. As a result, the more value your content will have, thanks to the dynamism and vibrancy provided by your host of collaborators.
CMS and Web 2.0
In order for a website to harness CMS in a Web 2.0 environment, it must use interface that offers rich functionalities, along with speedy responses. Features must be simple to use and yet highly useful. Layout is
secondary only to the quality of the content and its flexibility to be edited, adapted, mashed and distributed. Content is now made of objects and treated as such. Service interfaces must meet the standards and yet still be flexible enough to adapt to multiple devices to be able to reach a wider audience.
Here is where this lesson ends for today. We really hope you enjoyed this lesson too.
You will receive the next lesson in 7 days. Next week’s lesson will have the following title:
“Web 2.0 Apps You Should Be Using”
Copyright(C) 2009 by John Delavera & Reimund Lube
