Comments on: Drupal or Joomla? Picking a CMS http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/ Can I earn enough online to leave my corporate career? Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:16:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: chris janes http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-757 chris janes Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:19:56 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-757 I tried Joomla and Drupal. Finally i fell in love with Drupal. For me there was virtually no learning curve with it. Almost everything was more or less self-explanatory to me. Joomla / Mambo was (and is still) very strange in my opinion. I still don't understand the internal logic of them and my impression of Joomla was: complicated, produces ugly html, unlogical, strange, inflexible; But that was only a first impression. I'am shure, that you can become lucky and productive with joomla, if you get the idea of this cms, but obviously my brain lacks the ability to become familiar with joomla. I think the choice of the right cms is a very personal one. I tried Joomla and Drupal. Finally i fell in love with Drupal. For me there was virtually no learning curve with it. Almost everything was more or less self-explanatory to me.
Joomla / Mambo was (and is still) very strange in my opinion. I still don’t understand the internal logic of them and my impression of Joomla was: complicated, produces ugly html, unlogical, strange, inflexible; But that was only a first impression. I’am shure, that you can become lucky and productive with joomla, if you get the idea of this cms, but obviously my brain lacks the ability to become familiar with joomla. I think the choice of the right cms is a very personal one.

]]> By: ChrisW http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-118 ChrisW Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:01:17 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-118 I have just (literally) set up a simple website in the last few days using Drupal and a free template I found on the web. I have previously used Mambo (more or less same as Joomla) and was happy enough with it at the time. Now I've tried Drupal, I realise what I was missing! Mambo was clunky, temperamental and fairly convoluted to set up initially, and I never did persuade my users to add content of their own to it. In contrast, Drupal has been a breeze to set up, the internal logic is admirably straightforward, the interfaces are pretty easy to use and the add-on modules I've tried so far are excellent. But you're right about the positive user support around Joomla and Mambo, although so far I haven't has any problems with Drupal that I couldn't fix myself or with a bit of help from the WWW. IBM compared Drupal and a few other CMS for a test project and went for Drupal. They explain why here: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/osource/index.html I have just (literally) set up a simple website in the last few days using Drupal and a free template I found on the web. I have previously used Mambo (more or less same as Joomla) and was happy enough with it at the time. Now I’ve tried Drupal, I realise what I was missing! Mambo was clunky, temperamental and fairly convoluted to set up initially, and I never did persuade my users to add content of their own to it. In contrast, Drupal has been a breeze to set up, the internal logic is admirably straightforward, the interfaces are pretty easy to use and the add-on modules I’ve tried so far are excellent.

But you’re right about the positive user support around Joomla and Mambo, although so far I haven’t has any problems with Drupal that I couldn’t fix myself or with a bit of help from the http://WWW.

IBM compared Drupal and a few other CMS for a test project and went for Drupal. They explain why here:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/osource/index.html

]]> By: wendell http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-40 wendell Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:58:03 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-40 I can't speak for Joomia, but I had in the past played with Wordpress as my personal blogging app and recently have been working on the side for a small magazine to turn a Drupal install into a customized publishing system - following the New York Observer Model. So I have some ideas perspective of an end user to a developer. Basically, the potential and flexibility of drupal is amazing, but the usability lacks and as mentioned in some of the comments the learning curve is like smacking into a solid brick wall at full flight. That said, if you need customized solutions you have amazing tools like the content construction kit (CCK). Here I was able to define all the fields for the magazine's story, edition and contributors. So we could get our content to behave exactly as we wanted. The CCK paradigm, combined with views (a module to retrieve information and present it) will depreciate a large number of current drupal modules as you can role your own, how ever you choose. However, this last point really belies the learning curve and the current leanings of drupal towards developers. At first I personally found the drupal forums lacking, but as I developed my drupal vocabulary and began to understand the drupal paradigms, I was better able to describe my problem and search for solutions. I am now easily able to find the information I need. Every problem I have had thus far has been described in detail somewhere in the forums - it was a matter of being proactive, rather than reactive. I suspect your question may have gone unanswered because it may have been asked before. This doesn't forgive the negelect, but again belies the leanings towards developers. From the little bit of reading I have done on the Joomia/Drupal comparison, Joomia seems to focus on the user and as such may be a good choice for your project. However, if you are really planning to expand what you are doing in the future, and need a very flexible CMS you may still want to play with drupal. For me personally the real power is in the Content Construction Kit, and custom theming and views. I can’t speak for Joomia, but I had in the past played with Wordpress as my personal blogging app and recently have been working on the side for a small magazine to turn a Drupal install into a customized publishing system - following the New York Observer Model.

So I have some ideas perspective of an end user to a developer. Basically, the potential and flexibility of drupal is amazing, but the usability lacks and as mentioned in some of the comments the learning curve is like smacking into a solid brick wall at full flight.

That said, if you need customized solutions you have amazing tools like the content construction kit (CCK). Here I was able to define all the fields for the magazine’s story, edition and contributors. So we could get our content to behave exactly as we wanted. The CCK paradigm, combined with views (a module to retrieve information and present it) will depreciate a large number of current drupal modules as you can role your own, how ever you choose.

However, this last point really belies the learning curve and the current leanings of drupal towards developers. At first I personally found the drupal forums lacking, but as I developed my drupal vocabulary and began to understand the drupal paradigms, I was better able to describe my problem and search for solutions. I am now easily able to find the information I need. Every problem I have had thus far has been described in detail somewhere in the forums - it was a matter of being proactive, rather than reactive.

I suspect your question may have gone unanswered because it may have been asked before. This doesn’t forgive the negelect, but again belies the leanings towards developers.

From the little bit of reading I have done on the Joomia/Drupal comparison, Joomia seems to focus on the user and as such may be a good choice for your project. However, if you are really planning to expand what you are doing in the future, and need a very flexible CMS you may still want to play with drupal. For me personally the real power is in the Content Construction Kit, and custom theming and views.

]]> By: themegarden.org http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-35 themegarden.org Tue, 22 May 2007 19:21:03 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-35 Both, Drupal and Joomla are really great. Both have strengths and flaws. Out of the box, joomla has a bit more features, and has shorter learning time. On the other site Drupal is more flexible and more powerfull. A lot of "big players" those days converting their sites to Drupal (for example http://www.observer.com/ - New York Observer) Both, Drupal and Joomla are really great. Both have strengths and flaws.
Out of the box, joomla has a bit more features, and has shorter learning time.
On the other site Drupal is more flexible and more powerfull. A lot of “big players” those days converting their sites to Drupal (for example http://www.observer.com/ - New York Observer)

]]> By: eddie http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-34 eddie Mon, 21 May 2007 22:22:28 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-34 what about mambo? i've been reading a lot of discussions regarding the merits and limitations of each of the three, but a lot of time the threads are one or two years old. i am happy to find this fresh discussion, and would want to hear opinions on joomla. the 2 most important aspects for the current project is SEO friendliness and end user easy of use. what about mambo? i’ve been reading a lot of discussions regarding the merits and limitations of each of the three, but a lot of time the threads are one or two years old. i am happy to find this fresh discussion, and would want to hear opinions on joomla. the 2 most important aspects for the current project is SEO friendliness and end user easy of use.

]]> By: Matt Seymour http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-33 Matt Seymour Sun, 13 May 2007 14:32:53 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-33 I started out on the path for a PHP CMS just over a year ago, knowing nothing about PHP, MYSQL etc. Drupal seemed the most promising but I just couldn't get my head around it. The learning curve was too steep. In my experience greater flexibility goes hand in hand with a more complicated user interface. Ultimately I think Drupal's flexibility could be its downfall. I started out on the path for a PHP CMS just over a year ago, knowing nothing about PHP, MYSQL etc. Drupal seemed the most promising but I just couldn’t get my head around it. The learning curve was too steep. In my experience greater flexibility goes hand in hand with a more complicated user interface. Ultimately I think Drupal’s flexibility could be its downfall.

]]> By: J David Rogers http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-20 J David Rogers Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:49:50 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-20 Thanks for the good comments everyone. I definitely agree that Drupal is a solid platform. While I have been very happy with Joomla and feel it was the right choice for my current project, I still plan to work on a Drupal site at some point in the future. Thanks for the good comments everyone.

I definitely agree that Drupal is a solid platform. While I have been very happy with Joomla and feel it was the right choice for my current project, I still plan to work on a Drupal site at some point in the future.

]]> By: GiorgosK http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-19 GiorgosK Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:18:16 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-19 Drupal does have a steep learning curve, sometimes the answers are in front of us though, we just have to search for them. I have spend some time on drupal myself after having spend a couple of years using other systems (and joomla) but I finally decided to stay with drupal (and don't regret it). It was a tool though made mostly for developers in mind but its changing slowly trying to attract more regular users. Anyway I respect your choice on choosing joomla, if you ask me your answers went unanswered was just bad luck If anyone wants to give it a try (or a second try) please consider reading the handbooks http://drupal.org/handbooks before asking questions since drupal does have its own unique vocabulary of terms which are essential in understanding and working with drupal. For newbies I definetelly recommend the cookbook http://drupal.org/node/120612 Drupal does have a steep learning curve, sometimes the answers are in front of us though, we just have to search for them.

I have spend some time on drupal myself after having spend a couple of years using other systems (and joomla) but I finally decided to stay with drupal (and don’t regret it). It was a tool though made mostly for developers in mind but its changing slowly trying to attract more regular users.

Anyway I respect your choice on choosing joomla, if you ask me your answers went unanswered was just bad luck

If anyone wants to give it a try (or a second try) please consider reading the handbooks http://drupal.org/handbooks before asking questions since drupal does have its own unique vocabulary of terms which are essential in understanding and working with drupal.

For newbies I definetelly recommend the cookbook
http://drupal.org/node/120612

]]> By: robbie schmelzer http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-18 robbie schmelzer Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:16:54 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-18 gonna do both of my old websites new again with Drupal - content management solutions were the reason for the decision thanks for putting this stuff out there... gonna do both of my old websites new again with Drupal - content management solutions were the reason for the decision

thanks for putting this stuff out there…

]]> By: Cláudio http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-17 Cláudio Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:59:47 +0000 http://www.jdavidrogers.com/2007/04/07/drupal-or-joomla-picking-a-cms/#comment-17 Hi David, Try the IRC channels. The support room is always populated, and people there use to respond to questions and issues quickly. Cláudio Hi David,

Try the IRC channels. The support room is always populated, and people there use to respond to questions and issues quickly.

Cláudio

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