Multi-person editing of a web site

[visual-net]

There are wiki pages and software like Drupal or Joomla, but my clients find these too hard to learn. The clients are entrepreneurs and not IT people and have limited patience.


Here's my vision for a solution.
- The software stores the source files on the website
- The software checks and synchs the source files between the PC and the website.
- As edits are done, the HTML gets generated and posted to the website. At the same time, the source files on the web server get updated.
- As for managing the files so two people aren't editing at the same time, it's very simple and low tech: a phone call or email saying "I'm editing the website, I'll let you know when I'm done".

Anyways, I'm still shopping around for a straightforward solution so several people can maintain a website, one that is easy to learn. I hope the Xara developers consider this need and lack of competition.

As one who is in webdesign-business since 2000 (Started with NetObjects Fusion) - created websites with it and teached customers how to edit sites in a minimum of time (Fusion is just simple as Word, but -----
----) as you really realized it:

It is necessarry that more than one person can edit a website
(this can be done, but just like in XARA you have to have the program to edit the site and this is one of the most killing arguments against every software-solution)
So last year after 8 years in business i started with Joomla and of course it was much more difficult to learn for me - but much of my customers who worked former in Fusion now working with Joomla said:
Much more easier than before...
Why is it easier?
Because i combine a pakage just like i had done in my Fusion time:
I create the whole site in Joomla and then i create an user account in the frontend, where the user can do more wrong, because he only can edit texts or add pictures into a site, but the rest doesnt need to be done....

Only this is the future solution and this need more requirements as a good webediting program.
Yes the webdesign features of XARA are great only when i think about how a picture can be positoned in relation to Joomla/Fusion (its a pain) - but if you have to work with more persons on a webpage and changes had to be done in a minimum of time; a CMS system like Joomla/Drupal/ or any other CMS is necesarry, no other webeditor, no matter if it is Dreamweaver or whatever can do this in such a range...

So now i drive on both ways:
For static sites a normal Webeditor and for dynamic pages where more persons have to work on a CMS.
Everything else i a waist of time, because the market needs both.
And if you only work with one tool you're going to loose clients - i know what i'm talking about, i have lost few clients on an other web-agency who working only with a CMS...

Michael

[megadoc]

One of the primary strengths of a CMS, like Drupal or Joomla, it the editing capabilities - and let's face it --- for the client - owner/operator - it's all about the text editor, if they have full control of editing the website they are going to go loco at some point, move or delete a bunch of stuff and then call you to fix it. Drupal keeps track of the changes and edits which is nice (change/log) and if it's a case of multiple content editors then a CMS is a must. Which means PHP programming and not a Wysiwyg editor.

Looks like the primary strength of XWD is that if you are a experienced with Xara - then you have a huge advantage now in being able to leverage the graphics software to meet the needs of the "small" website --- which is most websites --- so you can churn out some really strong landing pages and are also able to plug in widgets --- it would be nice if there was an option --- 1. full admin/editor mode and 2. text only, perhaps in a future release.

I LOVE THE REPEL FEATURE!