Whether you have already crossed that bridge or not, you know that the selection of a web content management system (CMS) is a very big decision to make (or sell to your website stakeholders).
Selecting a CMS can be a difficult and long process.
Most of the time, you will have to ponder about the cost of your choice, plan for potential implementation nightmares and involve as many of the stakeholders as possible (and practical) in your decision process.
When contemplating all the implications of a CMS selection, the induced stress can even make good old HTML editing attractive again.
Fortunately, help is actually available thanks to higher ed web pros willing to share their homework after successfully going through this main rite-of-passage in our industry.
Dartmouth Web Publishing Services came up with CMS evaluation factors and defined a very detailed feature list that can easily be used to start up your own process.
If you need even more inspiration, you can check the slides of the presentation Jay gave last year at the EDUCAUSE Western Region Conference: Keeping It Fresh: Sustaining the University Web.
Used by permission. Updated with new links, 8/2008
JayCollier: @epersonae Parents, relatives, & counselors will advise against buying a whole degree. Who recommends a whole CD now? Buy songs, make a mix! 4 days ago
JayCollier: @epersonae Agreed. The goal of helping people learn obfuscates the practice of giving loans to people who can't repay. Like mortgages. 4 days ago
JayCollier: @epersonae Higher education is being unbundled as were the recording industry, libraries, and newspapers before. A new model is emerging. 4 days ago
Jay Collier Yes, Daniel. I concur. It is interesting that, as I have benefitted from the increasing power of digital processing and the Internet over the years,... – Apr 01, 2:45 PM
Daniel hi jay i think we’ve become too dependent on the digital world (computers, the internet, digital gadgets, etc) to do things for us that we... – Apr 01, 1:53 PM
Laura Sebastianelli wow! can't wait to see the full version!!!!! And, Jay thank you for sharing this. I was moved to tears! – Apr 02, 10:52 AM
@epersonae Parents, relatives, & counselors will advise against buying a whole degree. Who recommends a whole CD now? Buy songs, make a mix!Yes, Daniel. I concur. It is interesting that, as I have benefitted from the increasing power of digital processing and the Internet over the years,... – Apr 01, 2:45 PM
hi jay i think we’ve become too dependent on the digital world (computers, the internet, digital gadgets, etc) to do things for us that we... – Apr 01, 1:53 PM
wow! can't wait to see the full version!!!!! And, Jay thank you for sharing this. I was moved to tears! – Apr 02, 10:52 AM
Content management system 101
How to evaluate a Web CMS
By Karine Joly, College Web Editor — March 2005
Whether you have already crossed that bridge or not, you know that the selection of a web content management system (CMS) is a very big decision to make (or sell to your website stakeholders).
Selecting a CMS can be a difficult and long process.
Most of the time, you will have to ponder about the cost of your choice, plan for potential implementation nightmares and involve as many of the stakeholders as possible (and practical) in your decision process.
When contemplating all the implications of a CMS selection, the induced stress can even make good old HTML editing attractive again.
Fortunately, help is actually available thanks to higher ed web pros willing to share their homework after successfully going through this main rite-of-passage in our industry.
Jay Collier, Dartmouth Associate Director of Web Publishing Services, has published his “Web Content Management Discovery Project” documentation developed in 2002 /2003.
Dartmouth Web Publishing Services came up with CMS evaluation factors and defined a very detailed feature list that can easily be used to start up your own process.
If you need even more inspiration, you can check the slides of the presentation Jay gave last year at the EDUCAUSE Western Region Conference: Keeping It Fresh: Sustaining the University Web.
Used by permission. Updated with new links, 8/2008