What is a content management system and why do I want one?
Although you can use almost any html editor or web design program to publish your web site on UTORWeb, Radio Userland is special -- its a web design program with a powerful content management system built in. If your web site would benefit from a content management system (cms), then Radio Userland is the choice for you.
What is a content management system (cms)? In its simplest form, a content management system is a tool that allows you to write web pages -- just like any other web publishing program -- but it also gives you special tools to help you manage multiple pages across an entire website. These tools can help you build, store, index, archive and change many web pages at once, quickly and easily.
How do content management systems work? Most web site content management systems have three parts: (i) a special database or file system that holds the basic content on your web pages (i.e. your text, pictures, stories, posts, etc.); (ii) a system of templates which contains the design and layout for your web pages, and (iii) a scripting language which lets you combine the content with your templates, as well as automate important tasks like indexing and archiving your pages.
When do I need a good content management system? If your website is going to be small, or you don't need to update it too often, you probably don't need a content management system. Other kinds of web sites do:
- Weblogs: If you want to make a personal weblog (e.g. a daily journal or news site), then it is very important to use a program like Radio Userland which can automatically keep track of the dates of your 'posts', archive them, and keep the links between them up to date. Trying to maintain a weblog without a good cms can quickly become a web logger's a nightmare.
- A big site: If you are going to generate a large, document-based website, like an institutional site, a course website, or any kind of site where you intend to convey a lot of information over many separate web pages, a good content management system will save you time and trouble in the long run, and help you organize (and re-organize) your material. Remember, (a) the more pages you have, (b) the more often you want to change them, and (c) the bigger the changes you expect to make, the more important the special features of a good content management system will become.
- Any site - if you don't want to learn html: If you want to build a web site without having to learn any html at all (especially if its a weblog), a 'template driven' cms like Radio Userland is the choice for you. In a 'template driven' system, the basic layout of your site is set up in a series of templates into which you can insert the particular content for each page. Radio comes with a selection of built-in templates, so you can get your site up and running without learning any html at all. (The page you are now viewing uses Radio's built-in 'default' template). With Radio, you can also use templates designed by others, or design your own.
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