What do you want in a CMS

I have noticed some asking for alternative CMS software to replace current one that are insecure, or complicated.

Some of these CMS are paid, some are free. Some are free with paid themes.
I have used some of them, find most of them useless, confusing or bloated with thing that aren't needed.

My question, what are people looking for in a CMS?
The reason why I am asking is, I own my own CMS. Its a little dated and want to redo it. Give it features that users are looking. Make it simple, sweet and expandable. As it stands, it only works up to php5.1 or 5.2 as some of the features it used are depreciated and have been removed from PHP. As it stands, its very secure.

As it stands now, it uses Divs and drop down menu's. So, I am open to suggestions and input on the structure. It does not have an edit feature or code tags like Mybb, or Vbulletin yet. It does have smilies, but I have never liked that feature in any CMS, but I know a lot of users like them. Once, I get a chance, I will upload the code to my server and let you have a look at it.
 

Genesis

Administrator
Staff member
I'd like it for making a Website to be responsive to different devices.

Resize photos and logo for different devices.

Menu for smaller devices.

Align and position social buttons.

Make header area attractive.
 

Yozora

Moderator
Hmm... For me it's these:

Responsive layout with a mobile menu (I should be able to use it on my tablet with no issues)

Easy page content editing for people who can't code (AKA my usual clients)

Intuitive layouts (not too much work to convert from plain HTML),

and it should not be too slow/bulky.

Can't wait to see what it looks like!
 
Ok, I forgot that some of you like this mobile layout stuff. That is a simple thing to do.
I do have a file to edit some of the pages without having to open the file. It was something that was done from an admin page. It was just simple stuff like naming sections of the forums and front page. There was a few other things that I forget not. I will see if its still works.
 

Genesis

Administrator
Staff member
strokerace said:
Ok, I forgot that some of you like this mobile layout stuff. That is a simple thing to do.
I do have a file to edit some of the pages without having to open the file. It was something that was done from an admin page. It was just simple stuff like naming sections of the forums and front page. There was a few other things that I forget not. I will see if its still works.
That sounds like magic Strokerace. Looking forward to seeing it. :cool:
 
Ok, here is the code that I will be playing with. Its not perfect, nor is it complete. It had only 2 skins for it at this time. You can use admin and admin to log into it and check out the features for yourself. No, its not mobile friendly yet.
As for this code. Myself and a few others wrote and maintained over 10 years ago. Back in 2005, I was working on the code myself converting it to use divs and drop down menu. A few others were working on other fixes. Seeing we lost contacts, they did what is known as a fork for the code. So, this is the code that I will be working with along with another set of code to modernize the code to use CSS and Divs.

http://strokerace.gi9.co/
 

Yozora

Moderator
strokerace said:
Ok, here is the code that I will be playing with. Its not perfect, nor is it complete. It had only 2 skins for it at this time. You can use admin and admin to log into it and check out the features for yourself. No, its not mobile friendly yet.
As for this code. Myself and a few others wrote and maintained over 10 years ago. Back in 2005, I was working on the code myself converting it to use divs and drop down menu. A few others were working on other fixes. Seeing we lost contacts, they did what is known as a fork for the code. So, this is the code that I will be working with along with another set of code to modernize the code to use CSS and Divs.

http://strokerace.gi9.co/

Nice! I like how the options are very clearly laid out. Can't wait to see what you do with it!
 

jlsrios

New member
I am looking for compatibility with the most web browsers and devices, , flexible, responsible websites, speed and the most important: security.

Currently I am using WordPress when I create CMS-based websites because WordPress is flexible and you can do almost everything you want on the sites. Get or create your own plugins and themes.

But to make WordPress secure you need to reserver some time to change some changes like...
- Add a 2 factor authentication system it will make your site almost un-hackeable (this term does exists? lol)
- Do not use "admin" username because of brute force attacks
- Use generated passwords (you can do it directly from WordPress dashboard or installation)
- Use a security plugin to limit login attempts, country limit, error 404 pages limit (some scripts can find vulnerability on your site)
- Change default WordPress installation directory and password protect them
- ALWAYS make use of HARD and BIG passwords ( hehe )
- Also hide WordPress version, this can make hackers work more hard if they do not know a vulnerability to your WordPress version
- Update your WordPress, plugins and themes frequently
- Uninstall unused themes and plugins, it will make your site faster and secure, some plugins have vulnerabilities.
- Add SSL if you can.

It is why I am using WordPress.
 

PeaceSigns

New member
For it to be super speedy or lightweight. Wordpress is great but it does come a bit bloated with a few extra plugins like hello dolly and askimet. I used to use CuteNews, but then I started writing my own flat file cms script - was able to run some crazy php scripts that load in seconds because flat files are faster than database.
 
PeaceSigns said:
For it to be super speedy or lightweight. Wordpress is great but it does come a bit bloated with a few extra plugins like hello dolly and askimet. I used to use CuteNews, but then I started writing my own flat file cms script - was able to run some crazy php scripts that load in seconds because flat files are faster than database.

Right now, my page load is 0.6 secs. I don't think there are many CMS can achieve that. I have no plugins like wordpress. So far, the whole CMS is 4.77megs with 808 files and 34 folders. That is where it stands right now. In the next few months, It will be trimmed down in size. I do have 1 set of code that loads in 0.03 sec. But its not up to current code that will work on 5.4php and above. But both of them uses tables and need to be updated to use DIVs. I had a build using DIVs.

Here is the CMS using Divs. Its nothing fancy and lacks some things http://hotrodders.fromadia.com/EdgeDivs/index.php
 

PeaceSigns

New member
Yes a flat file can load your script in less. Flat file is much much faster than a database, because it's quicker to load a file and read its contents than to query a database (especially on a shared host). Only problem with flat file is it can't scale as well, is bad for large databases and also is harder on the disk (I/O) since it's constantly reading it. But you can get around that by caching the request (similar to a database - which is what big companies like Google and Amazon do for content heavy sections).
 
PeaceSigns said:
Yes a flat file can load your script in less. Flat file is much much faster than a database, because it's quicker to load a file and read its contents than to query a database (especially on a shared host). Only problem with flat file is it can't scale as well, is bad for large databases and also is harder on the disk (I/O) since it's constantly reading it. But you can get around that by caching the request (similar to a database - which is what big companies like Google and Amazon do for content heavy sections).

Ummm, I think you are talking about html. Caching is not piratical as the content doesn't get updated quick enough. Then you have to use JSscript to refresh the page to update it. Slow, bulky and outdated
 

Buxykay

New member
I use a number of CMS but my preferred one is Wordpress. When I first started with Wordpress I discovered that I can build my websites faster. As the sites grew and became more sophisticated, I came to realize that I needed more than the basic options.

Wordpress has a lot of resources, pluggins and themes.

The things I would want in a CMS is basically related to themes or templates depending on how it is called.

1. Since mobile equipments are now very much in use, I would want a responsive theme and one that is professional.

2. The ability to make dynamic widgets. I would like to be able to make the widgets of a page different from the other. I am presently using a number of plugins (I commend the creators of the plugins for job well done) to accomplish this. Earlier I had to recode every page.
 
Buxykay said:
I use a number of CMS but my preferred one is Wordpress. When I first started with Wordpress I discovered that I can build my websites faster. As the sites grew and became more sophisticated, I came to realize that I needed more than the basic options.

Wordpress has a lot of resources, pluggins and themes.

The things I would want in a CMS is basically related to themes or templates depending on how it is called.

1. Since mobile equipments are now very much in use, I would want a responsive theme and one that is professional.

2. The ability to make dynamic widgets. I would like to be able to make the widgets of a page different from the other. I am presently using a number of plugins (I commend the creators of the plugins for job well done) to accomplish this. Earlier I had to recode every page.

Whats a widget?
 

Buxykay

New member
strokerace said:
Buxykay said:
I use a number of CMS but my preferred one is Wordpress. When I first started with Wordpress I discovered that I can build my websites faster. As the sites grew and became more sophisticated, I came to realize that I needed more than the basic options.

Wordpress has a lot of resources, pluggins and themes.

The things I would want in a CMS is basically related to themes or templates depending on how it is called.

1. Since mobile equipments are now very much in use, I would want a responsive theme and one that is professional.

2. The ability to make dynamic widgets. I would like to be able to make the widgets of a page different from the other. I am presently using a number of plugins (I commend the creators of the plugins for job well done) to accomplish this. Earlier I had to recode every page.

Whats a widget?

According to Wikipedia A widget is an application which can be embedded in websites in order to further enhance user experience.

As far as websites are concerned a widget can be in the form of "Place Holders". For instance the sidebars, the footer areas, the header etc. These are specially created spaces on your website where you can place anything you like, pictures, headings, category lists, recent posts etc.

It is a rather broad thing. I suggest you search the net for more details as the space here may not be enough to explain everything about a widget. I hope I have been helpful.
 
Buxykay said:
strokerace said:
Buxykay said:
I use a number of CMS but my preferred one is Wordpress. When I first started with Wordpress I discovered that I can build my websites faster. As the sites grew and became more sophisticated, I came to realize that I needed more than the basic options.

Wordpress has a lot of resources, pluggins and themes.

The things I would want in a CMS is basically related to themes or templates depending on how it is called.

1. Since mobile equipments are now very much in use, I would want a responsive theme and one that is professional.

2. The ability to make dynamic widgets. I would like to be able to make the widgets of a page different from the other. I am presently using a number of plugins (I commend the creators of the plugins for job well done) to accomplish this. Earlier I had to recode every page.

Whats a widget?

According to Wikipedia A widget is an application which can be embedded in websites in order to further enhance user experience.

As far as websites are concerned a widget can be in the form of "Place Holders". For instance the sidebars, the footer areas, the header etc. These are specially created spaces on your website where you can place anything you like, pictures, headings, category lists, recent posts etc.

It is a rather broad thing. I suggest you search the net for more details as the space here may not be enough to explain everything about a widget. I hope I have been helpful.

You have it wrong for the website part. An actual widget is just a short cut to a program. It has nothing to do with side bars, footers etc.

That is why I asked what a widget is. Its basically just a icon that will take you to a program. Coders just use fancy words to make something look better then what it is.


The things that you mentioned IE pictures, headings etc are not widgets. They are actual parts of the content management system.

Now to expand a bit on that, if you had a program on you website that would allow you to edit, alter a picture. Then that could be classified as a widget. But most would call that a tool.
 

Buxykay

New member
strokerace said:
Buxykay said:
strokerace said:
Buxykay said:
I use a number of CMS but my preferred one is Wordpress. When I first started with Wordpress I discovered that I can build my websites faster. As the sites grew and became more sophisticated, I came to realize that I needed more than the basic options.

Wordpress has a lot of resources, pluggins and themes.

The things I would want in a CMS is basically related to themes or templates depending on how it is called.

1. Since mobile equipments are now very much in use, I would want a responsive theme and one that is professional.

2. The ability to make dynamic widgets. I would like to be able to make the widgets of a page different from the other. I am presently using a number of plugins (I commend the creators of the plugins for job well done) to accomplish this. Earlier I had to recode every page.

Whats a widget?

According to Wikipedia A widget is an application which can be embedded in websites in order to further enhance user experience.

As far as websites are concerned a widget can be in the form of "Place Holders". For instance the sidebars, the footer areas, the header etc. These are specially created spaces on your website where you can place anything you like, pictures, headings, category lists, recent posts etc.

It is a rather broad thing. I suggest you search the net for more details as the space here may not be enough to explain everything about a widget. I hope I have been helpful.

You have it wrong for the website part. An actual widget is just a short cut to a program. It has nothing to do with side bars, footers etc.

That is why I asked what a widget is. Its basically just a icon that will take you to a program. Coders just use fancy words to make something look better then what it is.


The things that you mentioned IE pictures, headings etc are not widgets. They are actual parts of the content management system.

Now to expand a bit on that, if you had a program on you website that would allow you to edit, alter a picture. Then that could be classified as a widget. But most would call that a tool.

I didn't explain it well. English is not my mother tongue and learnt it in school. In all my experience with websites (especially with Wordpress), I happen to understand that widgets are places which hold the codes you would like to place on the web site or pages. I checked wikipedia and had a better knowledge. Thanks for pointing that out to me.
 

Genesis

Administrator
Staff member
@"strokerace"
Buxykay must be on the same wavelength as me with working with WordPress. And maybe Wiki as well. Widgets are used exactly in the way he described it for WordPress. Maybe widgets mean something different for IT coders, but it is exactly how it works at WordPress. You go to the Dashboard. Navigate to "widgets" under "Appearance", and then you can use placeholders to add text or search or whatever boxes to it. There may be a fancier way of describing it, but this is how I know widgets as well. :p

@"Buxykay" Absolutely nothing wrong with your English. I understood every word you said. :good:
 
Genesis said:
@"strokerace"
Buxykay must be on the same wavelength as me with working with WordPress. And maybe Wiki as well. Widgets are used exactly in the way he described it for WordPress. Maybe widgets mean something different for IT coders, but it is exactly how it works at WordPress. You go to the Dashboard. Navigate to "widgets" under "Appearance", and then you can use placeholders to add text or search or whatever boxes to it. There may be a fancier way of describing it, but this is how I know widgets as well. :p

@"Buxykay" Absolutely nothing wrong with your English. I understood every word you said. :good:

I am not talking about wordpress. But what you are describing inside of wordpress is what others would call tools.

Here is what its is
a small gadget or mechanical device, especially one whose name is unknown or unspecified.
Computing
an application, or a component of an interface, that enables a user to perform a function or access a service.

the word widget is a generic term for a bit of self-contained code that displays a program, or a piece of a program, that is also (usually) a shortcut to a larger application. We see them every day on web pages, on our computer desktop and on our smartphones, but we never give too much thought into how great they are.

So, you or wordpress may call something a widget, but without know what you want to do with said widget. Its hard to understand what you want done. Is that better.


How is this. go here and check this out and tell me what you think should be removed and what should be added.

http://strokerace.gi9.co/ Use admin and admin to login into and check it out.