OU's Day CMS

[Scott Watkins]

There's been a bit of discussion regarding the new Day CMS. I don't have any insight into its use or implementation as we're not migrating towards it just yet. However, who has had experience with the administration section of the new CMS? What are its pros and cons?

[Eric Blazek]

I've been to a week of hands-on Day training and met with Melanie Hamilton's WebComm group a number of times about it. Other than her group of two developers, I don't know of anyone here on campus using it to build websites. Has anyone else tried it out ? I found Communique rather cumbersome and difficult to use, with some serious limitations.

I am currently using Dreamweaver (code view mode :-) and think it is very user friendly, with good functionality for mixing in templates, CSS, SSI's, and a little JS when needed.

[Scott Watkins]

If I understand it correctly, the new Day CMS will be PHP or ASP compatible. Will this mean we could write our own scripts to integrate into our pages through the CMS? or will the administrators only allow us to use the 'vanilla' CMS tools? I wouldn't be opposed at moving our website there if I could still maintain a strong flexibility by writing my own components for our site.

[Eric Blazek]

That is not my understanding. Maybe you have more info than I do. The whole WebComm implementation of the Day software has isolated the user from all code, including the JS and the HTML code.

With sufficient training, you can build your own templates or components (in JS/JSP). Potentially, you could integrate PHP and ASP IF the server supports it, which I don't believe is the case here.

I would definitely call it vanilla... and not Edy's All-Natural French Vanilla Bean - more like those little paper cups with wooden spoonlets.

[mario]

From the content contributor standpoint, yes you are "isolated" from the code. That is the point. Does Sally the admin assistant really need to see code to update the time on an event posted on the Web site?

From the developer standpoint, as Eric mentioned, with sufficient JAVA knowledge and access to the backend, you can develop components. Its all coded in JAVA.

[Mark Walvoord]

We've been on this CMS since late February (2 weeks after I took over the University College webpage, uc.ou.edu). Definitely has limitations, but they're (so far) willing to work with you to get you what you need (they have to do it for you on the back end, it seems). You CAN get to the source and change some html code for individual "paragraphs," though they said a couple months ago that they would remove this ability (they haven't yet). I admit, though, that I am more of a "write things in html code directly OR modify existing css or php files to suit my needs." Not highly experienced (though I wish I was).

The positive aspects (and why they want...and will require? everyone to switch) are that: it gives a more standard feel to all OU pages for viewers; it is easy to add/modify text/images for even the non-web literate; the WebComm folks can set permission for other sub-users (i.e. I can give Dean Gaffin permission to change just one page or set of pages)--though I haven't done so yet; there is an integrated workflow feature (e.g. if Dean Gaffin makes a change, it goes in my CMS inbox, where I can approve it or route it to someone else for approval)--though you have to remember to go in and check it since there is not an email sent or anything; automatic backup of 5 versions with easy restore; searchable media to steal/use any other dept's images; web-based so you can work from anywhere a bit easier; integrated events calendar (was supposed to be kicked off last week...but I made too many requests/critiques, so they're working on integrating my "wish list" for another month or more); you CAN link/embed external applications (see our GPA calculator at http://www.ou.edu/univcoll/home/GPA_Calculator.html).

Of course, as with anything, to truly understand it, you have to play with it. I'm sure Melanie Hamilton or Erin Yarbrough in WebComm would be happy to meet with you or give you access to the "stagedayauthor.ou.edu" testing/development part of Communique 4.2 (the Day CMS portal)!

Hope this helps...maybe a little?

[Eric Blazek]

In addition to a common look and feel, one of the primary purposes of the CMS was to allow the people out in colleges to build their own pages. How many of the UC colleges were built by UC people ? It is not realistic to have two people (Libby and Christian) build every page on campus.

I've been to a week of Day training, and it still took 20+ hours to build a four page site that I could have been done in DreamWeaver in less than four hours start to finish.

[Mark Walvoord]

Easier for a beginner to build...but NOT more time-efficient. Definitely true. Our last UC web guy (Bryan Ray) built ALL the CMS UnivColl pages just before I took over. So, I've just been maintaining or making/deleting individual pages. I think it took him a fair amount of time (he was a Dreamweaver person).

[mario]

Ill try to clear up a bit of the confusion. Once you have your site "built" its actually quite easy to add pages, it just takes a couple clicks.

As with any web re-design, the development process takes some time. Keep in mind, we take our migrations into the CMS from initial research (creative brief, analytics and statistics, identifying target audiences) to design (photoshop comps, fireworks click throughs, revisions, etc) to development (making the comp into and actual CSS/HTML site)

In some cases the process takes less time. We actually have 12 pre-designed sites that with minor modifications can be up in less time than if you have a completely new custom design.

Id also like to say that the primary goal of any CMS (CONTENT management system) is to distribute ownership of content to users. Day is no different.

One of the things i am excited about is the systems ability to free up web developers. By giving non-technical folks in colleges and departments the ability to update content, our developers are free to create rich content, web apps, etc.

wheeeeeewww! there is so much more to talk about...

[Laura Gibbs]

My sense also is that life is less and less about the website (since that involves getting people to come to you), but more and more about syndication options, and how you can push your content out to other venues - RSS, podcasts, widgets, mashups of various sorts.

I've been at OU for ten years now, and I am still waiting for a dynamic calendar of university events that I can subscribe to... is it going to emerge from this new CMS? Gosh, I hope so! I've missed so many events I would have love to have attended simply because I did not know about them... and as someone in daily communication with my students, I'd really like to get the word out to them in a timely fashion.

I'm not going to visit the OU website every day (I shouldn't have to)... but via blogs, RSS, widgets, etc., I would like to know what is going on and be able to integrate that information into my OWN webspace, the course webspace I run for my class, etc.

It's 2008... and I really believe that the era of the website which visitors flock to is coming to an end. Instead, we need to think about syndication, networks, distributed content... that's what I would be looking for anyway, and I know that my students - Facebook-oriented cellphone users - are definitely interested in distributed content. :-)

[Melanee]

Hello Everyone – going to jump in here on the CMS discussion since this project is managed by my department, Web Communications. We selected Day Communiqué as the enterprise CMS solution for the Norman campus to give lay users tools to keep their Web content up to date. We have been actively using the system for about six months now and owe a huge thanks to the departments who volunteered to migrate first (Univ. College, JMC, Graduation) and go through the pains of implementing a new system.

The idea is to get away from having to have a “Web person” update content and move toward a distributed ownership model. This way, true Web Developers will have more time to develop rich, dynamic content rather than updating paragraphs of type and photos.

The CSS is completely editable by site owners. The templates are more complicated to update (written in Java), which is what makes it so easy for the lay user once the CMS site is live. The templates we’ve built so far are very versatile. We have a team of developers in both Web Communications and IT who are also developing out components for the system. We’re not close to being finished yet and are committed to listening to what campus wants/needs and working with you and providing good service. If there are things the CMS does not offer, departments are completely able to develop outside the CMS. The CMS is not always going to be the right choice for every implementation. We are trying to let a couple of developers, but the learning curve is much more steep than using a WYSIWYG editor like Dreamweaver.

We are also happy to meet with any of you if you want …

[Scott Watkins]

Melanee, I think a universal CMS for the University is a great option for us. I've always thought (especially when I was a student) that the OU web presence should be more enveloping of all of the colleges/departments/etc. within the University. I'd like to be able to test the system and see if our College would be able to integrate at all. I know Bill Moakely, our Director of Communications, has spoken with you regarding our initiative, but I feel if we could integrate into the system but still have a fair amount of flexibility, we would be happy to migrate. Is there a way to allow test accounts for us that just want to get an idea of the functionality?

[Melanee]

Hey Scott, We can totally hook you up with a test account. Looking forward to meeting with you on this next week! Hope you have a great holiday. Melanee