Technology
Geek-speak Alert!
The current site uses Drupal, a free, open-source Content Management System (CMS). A CMS typically stores different kinds of information objects, e.g., menus, topics, stories, events, newsfeeds, blogs, & forms in a database -- such as mySQL; it then applies a theme via a template/style sheet for fonts, colors, layout to generate standards-compliant HTML pages automatically.
Since the interface for updating the web site is entirely browser-based, it's relatively easy for anyone (with appropriate access) to add comments, add/edit stories or events, or even administer the web site (change menus, appearance, modules, settings) -- just by filling out a form. No HTML (or programming) experience is required, though it does come in handy sometimes -- anyone with CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor), JavaScript or mySQL experience could help us administer and customize the site even more radically.
Although a lot of functionality comes built-in with Drupal, this site adds the following (free) 3rd-party modules: Backup&Migrate, Calendar, Content Construction Kit (CCK), Date, Meta tags (aka nodewords), Pathauto, Slideshow Creator, Tagadelic, TinyMCE, Token, Update Status, Views, Views DateRange and XML Sitemap (aka GSitemap). There are many free themes available, but this site uses the built-in Garland fluid-width theme, with Cold Day color settings.
We are currently using Drupal 5.7 (eventually upgrading to Drupal 6.x after needed 3rd-party modules are available and some server updates are done), on Hostgator shared web hosting services.
- drupal.org
- Wikipedia: Drupal; Content Management System (CMS)
- Acquia: commercially supported Drupal
- UUWiki, especially UU "Websters" CMS comparison/discussion/churches
- InformationWeek: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started with CMS
- Church websites using Drupal
- Faith and Web blog: church web sites
- Share the Knowledge evangelism for liberal religion: design issues
- Geeks & God