Hi MCGers,
Firstly quickly wanted to introduce myself I started at the beginning of
September as Head of Digital here at the Royal Academy. Do get in touch to
say hello!
I'm working on a website redevelopment project here, and I wanted to
canvass opinion on our technology choice. Our technology partners are
suggesting building a bespoke CMS (primarily using Ruby and other open
source technologies), rather than adapting a CMS (like Drupal, for the
sake of argument).
I've worked with both solutions in the past, but I wondered if any MCGers
had any thoughts based on their experience in this sector.
My concern is that, when I've worked with a custom CMS before for
example, GOV.UK it's involved a large internal development team,
something we currently lack. I don't want to tie us into a relationship
with one supplier (as with proprietary systems of old), but at the same
time, assuming the language and technology are well-supported by the
developer community, a custom CMS will offer us a lighter, more elegant
solution.
Does anyone have any experience of making similar choices, or how it has
worked out for them? Realise this is quite a broad question and brings up
loads of associated questions, both philosophical and practical. But would
be interested in your thoughts.
Couple of thoughts below:
Benefits of a custom CMS
* we can build exactly the right CMS for the RA, we don't have to bend an
off the shelf product into shape
* it will be faster, the database structure is optimised for the RA, an
off the shelf CMS database is designed for flexibility
* we can design a more dynamic system, unconstrained by the particular
usage model an off the shelf CMS would bring
Drawbacks of a custom CMS
* extending the system will require more in depth knowledge, currently not
existing in-house
* Could tie the RA into a difficult/expensive issue if technology moves in
a different direction
Benefits of an off the shelf CMS
* a community of developers exist that understand how to use it
* can be extended easily to add functionality
* includes robust code for handling classic content management tasks
* powerful
Drawbacks of an off the shelf CMS
* upgrades to an of the shelf CMS could have unforeseen consequences for
the system
* an off the shelf CMS represents a retrospective view of the trend in
content management. In contrast we are trying to build a future facing
approach for the RA.
* might cost money to buy a licence on a recurring basis
* the CMS design might go out of date, or be superseded by better designs.
* complex, lots of features are included which are not needed by the RA
* Could prove expensive to build and customise for RA requirements
Thanks!
Nick Sharp @emuroad
Head of Digital
Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London W1J 0BD
020 7300 5803 | 07718 236871
www.royalacademy.org.uk <http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/>
The Royal Academy of Arts is a registered charity under Registered Charity
Number 1125383 and is also registered as a company limited by guarantee in
England and Wales under Company Number 6298947. Registered office:
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD.
The Royal Academy of Arts is a registered charity under Registered Charity Number 1125383 and is also registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales under Company Number 6298947. Registered office: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD.
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