Contribute in Review

The capacity to update and maintain a website after it is designed and developed is among the most influential design issues requiring prior resolution before a project can begin.

There are a variety of proprietary and open source software applications available that facilitate effectively in the execution of this process. Commonly referred to as Content Management Systems (CMS) these technologies have rapidly evolved in recent years in their sophistication and capabilities. Determining which is the most appropriate application to utilise is generally influenced by the various technical requirements and logistical demands of the particular business.

Whilst it is true there are a variety of traditional content management solutions that efficiently organize content and manage its flow to the web, the majority fail to accommodate essential workplace usability requirements. Many large companies lured by the prospect of resolving many of the issues they experience in organising content to be published on-line have implemented advanced CMS only to experience the emergence of a whole new subset of issues requiring resolution. The most fundamental of these issues encountered being the basic flaw to adequately provide the appropriate level of competence to the user whereby content value can be created and published in seamless integration.

Successful business depends upon having tools that non-technical users can learn quickly and achieve a high level of competency in, thereby, facilitating a greater willingness in their use. A truly effective CMS should drive content value by focusing on publishing the content rather than simply controlling the content. This type of application actually maximizes content value by encouraging its creation and ensuring its rapid delivery to the web.

Extensive surveys conducted of business in the United States in relation to CMS found ease-of-use to be the most sort after requirement and the current major deficiency of traditional content management systems. Software manufacturers have always considered ease-of-use a primary consideration in the development of software programs achieving great success in desktop publishing applications. However, no matter how intuitive they have tried to design the user interface of website editors and maintenance software programs they have failed to deliver a masterful product. The critical reason being there is no comparative alternate solution to learning the necessary web formatting programming languages.

The World Wide Web is made possible because of the many various interacting layers of technologies and its use of universal standard protocols. The problem with traditional CMS for non-technical users has more to do with the schematic positioning in the overall relational architecture where the software must reside in order to perform the multiple tasks required. The majority of these tasks can only be executed in a programmable layer and not the content layer above. This is a technical requirement that cannot be changed.

The achieving of professional results whilst enjoying improved performance, functionality and usability in the utilisation of Internet related technologies requires a different process and methodology in comparison to desktop publishing. The integration of the different technologies in which Internet technologies rely makes separating the functions of a layer from its neighbouring layer virtually impossible because of the associated reliance each layer of technology has with the next; whereas, conversely, desktop publishing software is infinitely more amenable to the development of improvements - especially in ease-of-use - as advances are made in separating the operations of the software applications layer from the computer operating system.

Devising appropriate solutions with Internet technologies then invariably requires a composite methodology in approach that recognises progress is better advanced when two or more interacting components are improved, in unison, whilst maintaining component integrity. Any alternate approach in resolution must invariably compromise efficiencies and defeat key usability elements in the process by the creation of fat and bloated software applications that are not only confusing and impractical to deploy, they also serve to retard employee proficiencies of a particular skill set, until such time, they have learned and mastered another skill set which maybe beyond their abilities to grasp sufficiently for practical purposes. However, the tendency of business is to pursue efficiency in consolidation whether by training employees in other skill sets or making product acquisitions purely on the number of features incorporated into a single software program. It is this methodology that causes conflict with achieving workplace efficiencies when utilising Internet technologies.

A CMS designed for ease-of-use for non-technical users in desktop application that accesses only the content layer of a website for update and creation of new content is Contribute by Adobe (formerly Macromedia). Whether a business is large or small, established or starting out this product executes simply and easily the majority of tasks a business will need to perform in the professional maintenance of a website. It does not offer all the features of a traditional CMS, however, it need not be deployed exclusively on its own as it is quite usual to have different technologies powering various sections of a website. Prudence generally precludes making definitive rationale regarding how a particular business best proceeds when utilising Internet technology without knowing their specific circumstances, however, an exception does exist when the issue revolves around which is the most practical CMS to engage for businesses commencing to develop an Internet presence - it is Contribute.