Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:05:20 +0000

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Designers will choose Joomla because of the amazing capabilities that its engine has in making websites look fantastic. Newcomers to Joomla (and website management) will love the fact that it is very easy to use and even customize as more and more developers create tools that are easier to understand. Developers, likewise, will choose the system because of its large capacity for development and customization. The new MVC framework was built just so that anyone with the knowledge could override the core of the CMS without actually modifying the original code.

Still, it’s far from perfect. It’s still not as flexible as Drupal is with its code. While there are many ways to override what the default code does, there are some parts of the system that just can’t be pushed and stressed as hard as Drupal can be. Also, while Drupal can be used to run multiple websites with one backend and database, Joomla lacks the ability to create multi-sites. It is just powerful enough to be useful, but not enough to do anything.

In a side-by-side comparison with Wordpress, Joomla still has some way to go with being user friendly. In each case where I’ve had people use both systems to manage a web site, those that lacked good knowledge of the internet or how their website even worked always chose Wordpress over Joomla. It is simple enough that it can be taught to practically anyone, but not enough that anyone would want to learn it.

Joomla Pros

• Friendly for all types of users – Designers, Developers and Administrators
• Huge community is awesome for assisting with creation of web sites
• Has been rapidly growing and improving itself for the past three years

Joomla Cons

• Still not user-friendly enough for everyone to understand
• Not quite as powerful as Drupal, and can be a bit confusing for some to jump into
• Recently rebuilt the entire system from ground-up, and so there are still many out there sticking to the old versions (1.0.x)

In Conclusion

There is not just one system available for us to build our websites with, and so we should never limit ourselves to just one either. With so many different uses and ideas and opportunities that can be found in each, why should we anyone try so hard to make those CMS’s that they dislike seem worst than their own. I remember at an event two years ago that both a Joomla and Drupal team went to, and the members of the teams actually swapped shirts – with the Drupal team wearing Joomla shirts and vice-versa.

I believe that it’s time for us to start looking forward to a new future – where we use these different systems to better our own, and to continually build upon the awesome code, and knowledge, that has preceded where we are today. There will come a day when we are staring at three completely different pieces of software and trying to decide which one is the best – but in that day we will also look back to the year 2009 and remember that it was Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal that pushed us continually forward. Not just one of them, but all three – in that perfect, open-source way.

What do you think? Have you found a system that is more reliable than the others? Do you stick to using all three depending on the project that needs completing? Tell us in the comments!

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Tags: Drupal, Joomla, Our 2 Cents, SmackTalk, WordPress

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 2:24 am and is filed under SmackTalk, WordPress Designs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Web Design Upper North Shore Sydney

Posted on 13. Jan, 2010 by admin in Best, Cheap, Local, Web Design

Our team at Webretary have a shared mission to really help Australian small businesses get online with modern website design, and using the latest Internet technologies to help propel the entire country into the forefront of this digital revolution.

A particular area of interest for us is small businesses in Upper North Shore Sydney!

Our service focuses on providing intimate support, including monthly feedback where we phone you each and every month to let you know how your website is performing, including any advice for taking your business to the next level.

To see what services we offer, please see our Plans & Pricing page.

Kind Regards,
The Webretary Team
Web Design Upper North Shore Sydney