TJP Site Move
I have spent several weeks reading up and playing with Drupal, the new Content Management Software (CMS) we are looking at for www.TheJapanesePage.com.
I’ve spent weeks and I am just now starting to feel like I understand how it works - on a very basic level. I am used to simple to admin CMSes. The problem with the current CMS is because it is easy to admin, much of the site is pretty much set in stone and difficult to add to or modify. This was fine when the site was small and just me fiddling around. Now that we have a lot of contributors and the site keeps getting bigger and bigger, we need growing room.
Drupal comes ugly out of the box. A lot of customization is needed to get it respectable for the public view. But because it is so bare bone flexible, so much more can be done with it.
Tonight I helped my father setup his Amateur Radio club website. Someone had installed Joomla but hadn’t done much to customize it. From not even knowing where the admin backoffice was, to pretty much having it all set up for him took less than an hour. Super easy, but not at all what would work for us.
Oh well, can’t eat my cake and have it too. (Ahem, Attention English lovers: This oft mixed up idiom will be discussed on my next post!)
I’ve rambled thus far to give a few reasons why we are moving. I’d love to hear any other ideas or comments on these.
Benefits for Moving:
TJP as a Single, Unified Entity
Until now, to go to the video site, wagawiki or chat features, the viewer basically goes to a totally different site with a different look and feel.
Revenue Sharing
Allows users to add their Adsense codes to their posts and other content. Maybe restrict this to those who have more than 100 forum posts to weed out spammers…
[NOTE: Please don't get your hopes up too high. I will try my best to make this work, but I am not 100% sure if it will! ]
Greater Community Feel
More community centered features including individual user blogs, user submitted articles, wiki, videos, podcasts, photos and chatting. All within a single, unified website.
Greater Server Speed
By moving to its own server, TJP will be MUCH faster. Also I believe the Drupal interface has less of a bandwidth footprint than the old site.
Manageability
The admins will have greater control over all aspects of the site. Intermediate member levels can be created if needed
Organic Groups
A place on TJP for users to organize, plan and work on projects. e.g. JLPT 3 kyuu study group; Group for discussing Yuki’s Story, etc
http://drupal.org/project/og
No Shoutbox
For Tony’s benefit - well, maybe we will have a shoutbox…
I would love to hear other ideas for possible site upgrades. This is about as much as I can think of, but I’m sure I’m missing something important!
I think these changes are really good. As I am a moderator for the JLPT 4級 Study Group, I am quite interested in the Organic Groups idea. Also if you are keeping the Friends thing, there needs to be a Shoutbox.
But I would like to ask, what does “Intermediate member levels can be created if needed” mean exactly?
>> Also if you are keeping the Friends thing, there needs to be a Shoutbox.
Tony may not like it, but there may very well be a shoutbox in the next generation of TJP.
I installed the Organic Groups module yesterday, but haven’t had a chance to play with it.
>>what does “Intermediate member levels can be created if needed” mean exactly?
Just that it is easy to give any individual right to any member. For example if a member wants to work on a specific part of the site but isn’t a full admin, the new site will be able to give that user the needed rights.
Thanks!
Will you be asking some members of the TJP community to test the changes just in case there are any errors?
Oh yes. At some point it will be ready for ‘Beta testing’.
I will certainly make a big announcement on TJP when it is ready. Hopefully this won’t be too long from now.