Articles - Page 105

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

Agility CMS has <a href="https://agilitycms.com/resources/posts/agility-pricing-structure">announced</a> a new pricing model for their all-in-one headless content management system, aimed at helping a broad range of customers ­– from developers to the enterprise – expand their digital strategies. 
Founded in 2002, Agility CMS has positioned itself as a “Content-First” SaaS headless platform, giving users a significant amount of flexibility over their digital experiences through powerful, lightweight APIs. This includes the full array of JAMstack (Javascript, API, Markup) and browser-based frameworks – including static React site generators like Gatsby – that simplify and accelerate website performance while acting as a unified content hub.
Agility’s new pricing tiers reflect a shift in the CMS market, where platforms are offering both developers and enterprise organizations expanded options while simplifying the procurement process. As licensing has shifted to more subscription and SaaS-based models, many CMS platforms have raced to add more value to their offerings, including free entry points and streamlined pricing at multiple levels.
"We want to give [users] more, yet simplify things,” said Jon Voigt, CEO of Agility CMS. “We kept hearing that people are upset with the complex pricing models out there; we wanted to provide a better free edition and an unlimited community-supported edition that was based on value."
The chief reason behind the pricing change is to provide greater access to the Agility CMS across the marketplace, allowing users to increase productivity and collaboration between marketing, sales, and development teams. In addition to their advanced headless capabilities, unmatched load speeds, rapid development, and low-code content management, each of Agility’s paid packages are loaded with features.
<h3>The New Agility CMS Pricing Model</h3>
Agility is now offering four pricing tiers: a free Developer option, a Standard package for small teams, a Pro tier for high-performing businesses, and a custom enterprise option. 
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/agility-cms-pricing.png" /></figure>
Let’s take a look at these <a href="https://agilitycms.com/pricing">packages</a> in more detail:
Free: Agility CMS offers a free package for web developers. This plan includes 5 users, 10GB bandwidth, 2,500 content items, and community support – and it’s free forever. You can even <a href="https://account.agilitycms.com/sign-up?product=agility-free">sign up</a> without giving your credit card information. This plan is ideal for users who want to learn web development and content management, do some general tinkering, and have fun building. If you feel like you reached the limits of the free package, you can easily upgrade. 
Standard: For $47 per month, this package delivers unlimited users and content items. Community support and 500GB of bandwidth is also included. Starting with the Standard Package, every Agility CMS tier includes Content Management, Ecommerce, Ticketing, Search and User Generated Content. If you're running a small site with 500 pages or less, this package is ideal. 
Pro: At $579 per month, the Pro package is designed for high-performance business websites and includes unlimited users, unlimited content items, 1TB of bandwidth, and direct support from the Agility CMS team. With Pro, you can sell more products with rich eCommerce, generate custom reports, manage federated search over multiple domains, and more. 
Enterprise: Starting at $2,500 per month, the Agility CMS Enterprise package is for large-scale organizations that need highly customized setup with world-class support. Enterprise includes more direct support, a dedicated account manager, and greater control over the granular needs of your organization. Pricing varies based on the bespoke requirements of an organization; for a custom quote, contact their sales team.
All Agility CMS plans – including the free tier – include these features:
<ul>
<li>Roles &amp; Permissions     </li>
<li>Approval Workflows</li>
<li>Content Modelling and Versioning</li>
<li>Rich Text Editor</li>
<li>RESTful API &amp; Webhooks</li>
<li>Open Source SDKs (Javascript &amp; .Net)</li>
<li>Single Sign-on (SSO)</li>
<li>24/7 Monitoring</li>
<li>Unlimited Languages/Locales</li>
<li>Unlimited Content Definitions</li>
<li>Unlimited Asset Requests</li>
<li>Unlimited API Requests</li>
</ul>
<h3>Focused on Developers</h3>
One of the best parts of Agility’s pricing is its free tier for developers. Like most “freemium” models, it’s limited in its scope and capabilities. But it can still power an actual production solution, including access to APIs. An enterprising coder can build a basic proof-of-concept for a project or even power a small website – all for free. But be warned: the API will not charge overages for this package, so if you hit your limits, your calls will be blocked.
With a path for easy upgrades – and even alerts to tell you when you’re approaching your limits – Agility helps its users to scale more seamlessly based on their needs. As a headless platform, this is even more advantageous, as developers have more freedom to create in the language or framework of their choice and shape digital experience across a multitude of channels.
Because it’s a multi-tenant SaaS-based solution, Agility appears to have more control and flexibility over their pricing, and they’ve endeavored to make it easier to understand. However, because it’s a multi-tenant SaaS-based solution, it might be a limitation for organizations that require on-prem hosting or security governance for all of their websites and CMS platforms.
You can try Agility CMS for free <a href="https://account.agilitycms.com/sign-up?product=agility-free">here</a>.
<h3>About Agility CMS</h3>
<a href="https://agilitycms.com/">Agility CMS</a> is a SaaS headless “Content-First” platform with fast, flexible development and familiar authoring tools. Designed for developers, marketers, and enterprise organizations, Agility CMS is trusted by customers in the US, Canada, and across the globe – including Visit Orlando, PepsiCo, Polaroid, Hockey Canada, California State University Long Beach, Cineplex Entertainment, Scotiabank and more.

Agility CMS Introduces Simplified Pricing Tiers For Headless Content Management

paris-tuzun

<a href="/products/shopify">Shopify</a> has unveiled a dedicated WordPress plugin; <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/shopify-ecommerce-shopping-cart/">Shopify for WordPress</a>.The plugin brings Shopify buy buttons into the fray, which enable visitors to browse through a WordPress-powered website, before buying through a Shopify-powered eCommerce and checkout system.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_banner.jpg" />The announcement comes with three, free themes (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.themezilla.com/zillacommerce/">Hype by Themezilla</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://themify.me/themes/simple">Simple by Themify</a> &amp; <a target="_blank" href="http://themes.theultralinx.com/shopify-button-wordpress-theme/">Pulse by Ultralinx</a>). However, they're only free for a limited time only, so if you're thinking of combining WordPress and Shopify, don't delay those downloads.<h2>How it Works</h2>The Shopify for WordPress plugin allows WordPress users to drop products with buy buttons into any sidebar, page or blog post.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/daniel-add-10769x0-is.gif" />Plus, a pop-out shopping cart is introduced, so customers never have to leave the website in order to complete a purchase.The plugin itself is free, but you'll need to be a Shopify user to make use of it, which means you'll need to dish out (at least) a reasonable $9 per month.Further benefits include access to features like; Facebook Shop, Shopify POS for iOS or Android, the Shopify app store, and Shopify 24/7 support.<h2>A Big Win for Small Businesses</h2>The real triumph here, is for small businesses.WordPress excels Shopify when it comes to blogging capabilities and SEO value out of the box. While Shopify, of course, handles eCommerce projects far better than most, if not all, WordPress alternatives.Now that small businesses, startups and lone merchants can combine the two for just $9 per month, it's fair to write this whole announcement down as a big win for the little guys.WordPress has always offered a variety of free eCommerce plugins of course, but Shopify is one of the worlds leading solutions, known for its reliability, speed and sleek design. I'm personally kind of shocked that a dedicaed integration has taken this long. But hey, it's here now.More information on this plugin can be found on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/113145925-introducing-shopify-for-wordpress">Shopify blog</a>.

Shopify for WordPress Unveiled With Three, Free Themes

mike-johnston

When any web or digital professional thinks “analytics,” the first name that comes to mind is Google. And for good reason: the Google Analytics platform is the most widely used on the planet. Every day, millions of individuals and organizations rely on Google’s insights as their “source of truth,” helping them to better understand their customers and improve their digital experience.
<a href="https://blog.google/products/marketingplatform/analytics/new_google_analytics">Google Analytics 4 was just released</a>, and everyone from developers to digital marketers have been eagerly anticipating this update. The good news: it doesn’t disappoint. Not only is there a much deeper integration with their popular Google Ads platform, but the new Google Analytics offers some cutting-edge, AI-powered enhancements that are certain to delight users across the digital spectrum.
Google Analytics has a legacy that’s almost as old as the tech giant itself. It began when a still-youthful Page and Brin <a href="https://urchin.biz/urchin-software-corp-89a1f5292999">acquired Urchin</a> in 2005, adding their innovative web statistics and analytics technology to the Googleverse. Shortly thereafter, Google Analytics was officially launched, and has continuously evolved its core features for tracking and reporting on website traffic. Today, it’s a keystone of the Google Marketing Platform brand, and provides an SDK for gathering usage data from iOS and Android via their <a href="https://developers.google.com/analytics/solutions/mobile">Google Analytics for Mobile Apps</a>.
The Google Analytics 4 release is a milestone, as it’s the first major deviation from the Urchin framework – providing a new, more intelligent analytics platform that builds on the foundation of the <a href="https://blog.google/products/marketingplatform/analytics/new-way-unify-app-and-website-measurement-google-analytics/">Google’s App + Web property</a> introduced last year. Google previously had two separate analytics tools for web and apps (Google Analytics and Google Analytics for Firebase), but the App + Web resource combines everything to present a holistic view of customer data.
<h3>New insights and predictions powered by machine learning</h3>
By applying advanced machine learning models, Google Analytics 4 can automatically alert you to significant trends in your data – like products experiencing increased demand around specific customer needs. With enhanced predictive modeling, it can even anticipate future actions your customers may take. For example: it can help calculate churn probability so you can more efficiently invest in customer retention at a time when marketing budgets are under pressure.
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/google_analytics_predictive_metrics.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/10/Google_Analytics_predictive_metrics.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/10/Google_Analytics_predictive_metrics.png 1000w" /></figure>
<h3>Customer-centric measurement without fragmentation by device or platform</h3>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/google_analytics_new_reporting.gif" /></figure>
Google Analytics 4 uses multiple identity spaces, including marketer-provided User IDs and unique <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9445345?hl=en">Google signals</a> from user opt-in ad personalization – giving you a more complete view of how users interact with your brand. For example, you can track if customers first discover your business from an ad on the web, then later make purchases in an app or from a website. 
You’ll also get a better understanding of your customers across their entire lifecycle, from acquisition to conversion and retention. As has long been the case, Google enhances attribution and intent, giving marketers greater insight to power their Customer 360 strategies.
<h3>Deeper integration with Google Ads</h3>
Google Analytics 4 also offers a deeper integration with <a href="https://ads.google.com/home/">Google Ads</a> and the suite of Google marketing products, letting you create custom audiences based on your web and app traffic. Now, you can better reach your customers with more relevant, personalized experiences to drive higher conversions. These optics are designed to improve the overall ROI of your marketing spend.
<h3>More granular data controls</h3>
<a href="https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/digital-law/general-data-protection-regulation-new-rules-for-businesses/">GDPR</a> and <a href="https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/digital-law/california-consumer-privacy-act-ccpa/">CCPA</a> have had a profound impact on digital practices, and Google has been at the center of it. What’s great is that Google Analytics 4 offers enhanced features for managing data privacy and compliance. With these granular controls, marketers can confidently manage how they collect, store, and leverage their Analytics data.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Google Analytics has been around the block – and for such a mature and megalithic brand, it’s sometimes hard to expect a lot of product or service innovation. While the core features are still well-represented in this new version, the big shift is the around the unification via App + Web, enabling a more holistic view of the customer experience across both channels. With so much complexity around website traffic and users, making sense of the data is key – and Google seems to be doubling down on that mission.
The tighter coupling with their Google Marketing Platform, specifically Google Ads, is more evidence that the "search king" is connecting all of the various endpoints along the journey. The intended result: a more seamless, end-to-end marketing platform that is becoming increasingly automated by the day. 
If you’d like to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 from your existing analytics setup, you can <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10089681#start">create a new Google Analytics 4 property</a> alongside your existing properties. This will allow you to start gathering data and benefit from the latest innovations as they become available – all while keeping your current implementation intact.
If you haven’t used Google Analytics yet… well, 2005 is calling. But it's not too late. Click <a href="https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision">here</a> to get started for free.
<h2>About Google Analytics</h2>
<a href="https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/">Google Analytics</a> is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, currently as a platform inside the Google Marketing Platform brand. As of 2019, Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics service on the web.

Google Analytics 4 Unifies App and Web Analytics, Adds AI and Marketing Enhancements

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Top Free Headless CMS Platforms

cms-critic-staff

Image of man without head, hat floating above empty area would head would be. Text reads "Top Free Headless CMS"

Key Website Builders: A Comprehensive Overview

<a target="_blank" href="https://flextype.org/">Flextype</a> is an open source flat file CMS that was developed in 2018 by <a target="_blank" href="https://romanenko.digital/">Sergey Romanenko</a>. It's purpose is to provide a lean, open source solution without the complexities found in many other content management systems. Today, we're going to take a look at Flextype and see what it's made of and what the administrative interface looks like.Before I get started, let me just explain a bit more about Flextype for those who are unfamiliar. If you aren't familiar with the concept of a flat file CMS, what it means is that this system does not require a database but rather stores everything in files within a directory structure. This may not be suitable for every type of website; such as one with thousands of complex pages; but it does work for the majority of them. To learn more about flat file CMS and how they work, read my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/static-site-generators-vs-flat-file-cms-is-there-a-difference/">Static Site Generators vs Flat File CMS post</a>.The advantage, of course, is that should you need to change hosting providers, it simply requires you to zip up the contents of your website and extract them somewhere else. No messy database exports to deal with. There are numerous flat file CMS out there (see our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/flat-file-cms/">Flat File CMS list</a> for instance) and Flextype is simply one of the options.Flextype uses a number of technologies to achieve it's simplicity and overall functionality.Some of these key technologies include:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.slimframework.com/">Slim PHP</a>: Framework for powerful web applications and APIs.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://twig.symfony.com/">Twig Templating</a>: Flexible, fast, and secure template engine for PHP.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.doctrine-project.org/">Doctrine Project</a>: A set of decoupled and reusable PHP libraries for powerful web applications.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://thephpleague.com/">The PHP League</a>: The League of Extraordinary PHP Packages well tested and using modern coding standards.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://respect-validation.readthedocs.io/">Respect Validation</a>: The most awesome validation engine ever created for PHP.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/thunderer/Shortcode">Thunderer Shortcode</a>: Advanced shortcode (BBCode) parser and engine for PHP.</li></ul>Now that we've covered that, let's move on with the review.<h2>Getting Started with Flextype</h2>To get started with Flextype, you'll need to download the latest release from their <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/flextype/flextype/releases">GitHub repository</a>. Once downloaded, simply upload the zipped file to your web host and extract it. Copy the files and directories within the extracted directory to /public_html/ if you want everything accessible on your root domain and visit the domain to get started.You should see something like this:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-review---1.png" />The initial welcome pageIf for some reason you don't see this, you may want to check out their <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.flextype.org/en/basics/requirements">requirements page</a> to make sure your server is compatible and / or has the right requirements installed.<h3>Creating an admin user</h3>Once you've managed to sort things out and are ready, visit the admin panel by following the link on the homepage. This will prompt you to create a user account for the CMS.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-review---create-a-user-account.png" />Creating a user account<h2>The Flextype Admin Panel</h2>Once you've created your user account and logged in, you'll be greeted with the admin panel.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-review---the-admin-panel.png" />Flextype Admin PanelAs you can see, the admin panel has been designed to minimize complexity. It's very simple, straight forward and easy to navigate within. Let's check out some of it's functionality.First, we'll take a look at Entries.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-admin---entries.png" />Flextype EntriesClicking on the three dots to the right of the Home entry, you'll get a context menu where you can add, edit, preview, delete, etc. Clicking on edit will launch the editor.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-editor.png" />Flextype EditorFrom here, you can make modifications to the individual entries (in this case the home page) and change some of it's settings. The integrated editor works well and provides plenty of functionality to do the job.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-entry-settings.png" />Flextype Entry SettingsWithin the settings you can modify pretty much everything about your entry, from the meta description to the template that's being used for it, visibility, the Url and more.The next tab in line is the media tab which, you guessed it, let's you upload media to be used with your entry. The odd part here, however, is that once you upload it and go back to the editor to insert it, there's no means to select the image.Instead, you have to copy the URL from the media upload tab to your clipboard, switch to the editor tab, click the image insert button and paste it in.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-editor---inserting-media.png" />Flextype Editor - Inserting an Image into the editorPersonally, I feel that this method is a bit cumbersome and can be improved on and I'd recommend the developers take it into consideration. It's a minor inconvenience, but since Flextype is focused improving productivity and ease of use, it's definitely something that needs correcting.Moving along. On the source tab you'll fine the source for the entry which you can modify and save if you prefer working with the code rather than a WYSIWYG editor.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype---source.png" />Flextype Entries - Viewing the sourceNext up are Fieldsets. According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.flextype.org/en/fieldsets/fieldsets">Flextype documentation</a>, fieldsets can best be described as configuration files written in YAML for Admin Panel to  create publish forms. They establish your content model. Essentially, a  schema that defines your fields, data types, and the interface used to  manage them.You can create new fieldsets and modify their source just as you would an entry. Here's a look at the structure:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-fieldsets.png" />Flextype FieldsetsSnippets are rather self explanatory. You use them for certain things such as inserting your Google Analytics code into your website and other types of code that you'd typically find within your websites' header.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-snippets.png" />Flextype SnippetsUnder the Tools menu you will find three items; information about your server, a cache tab where you can clear your cache and a registry tab showing all of the keys that Flextype uses. I won't get into all of them but here's what the cache page looks like. As you can see, it's very simple and just lets you clear your cache should you need to. Cache settings themselves are a bit further on and I'll show you those in a moment.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-tools---cache.png" />Flextype ToolsUnder the Settings tab is where you'll find the main settings for your CMS (and website). Everything from your site title and description to managing your robots.txt file are done from within this page.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-settings.png" />Flextype SettingsYou can also manage your cache settings from the cache section of the settings tab. Here's how it looks:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-cache-settings.png" />Flextype Cache SettingsLast but not least, there's one killer feature that you won't want to miss. Dark Mode.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flextype-dark-mode.png" /><h2>Conclusion</h2>A solid new entry into the Flat File CMS space, Flextype accomplishes what it set out to do; offer simplicity and ease of use to users. Where it's lacking at the moment is in themes and plugins. While I'm sure most developers won't require them for the majority of websites, they do make life easier for non-developers that are interested in using the CMS.There are links to a plugins page on the Flextype website but it's a bit weird how they have it organized. Plugins are listed under issues for some reason instead of just in an organized manner on homepage itself. I'm sure there was some logic to it but it's not super obvious unless you are stubborn and tend to click through every link like I am. You can find them here: https://github.com/flextype/plugins/issuesThemes are organized in a similar manner and you can find them here: https://github.com/flextype/themes/issues. I'd recommend a restructuring to make these easier to locate in the future.I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings for Flextype. There is no doubt the development team is on the right path, they just need to keep plugging away and hopefully, expanding their community as the word spreads.You can check out Flextype yourself on their website: <a target="_blank" href="https://flextype.org/">https://flextype.org/</a>

Flextype Review

techcto2

CMS Summit 26

Find out at CMS Summit 26, May 12 - 13 in Frankfurt, Germany

What's ahead for CMS in the agentic era?

#ffffff

It's almost officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And while some outdoorsy types are packing their Airstreams to do a bit of camping, WordPressians made the virtual hike to <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2021/" target="_blank">WordCamp Europe 2021</a> last week. 
As one of the largest community events in the WordPress ecosystem, WordCamp Europe attracted nearly <a href="https://torquemag.io/2020/06/wordcamp-europe-2020-report/">10,000 registrees from over 140 countries</a> to their first online forum in 2020 (2021 figures are not yet published, but we're anticipating even bigger numbers). Now that we're emerging from Covid, it will be interesting to see how WordCampers migrate to these meetings worldwide in 2022. 
Our staff had a chance to peruse a number of the sessions, and there were some definite standouts. One of the most interesting talks we caught was called <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2021/speaker/robert-jacobi/">"Invisible CMS" by Robert Jacobi</a> (of Joomla fame). There was also a great interview with <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2021/session/conversation-with-marieke-van-de-rakt-of-yoast/">Marieke van de Rakt of Yoast</a> that was timely and relevant. You can catch a lot of the content on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaYQGYDpXpU4A17kxN-AgJQ">WordCamp Europe YouTube channel</a>.
During a packed schedule of fireside chats and presentations, attendees were treated to an update on WordPress 5.8, which is currently in Beta. As of right now, the current target for the final release is July 20, 2021. 
WordPress 5.8 is expected to deliver a host of new features, including more powerful blocks, enhanced editing capabilities, and other <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2021/01/21/big-picture-goals-2021/" target="_blank">big picture goals</a> like Full Site Editing – which was a focus area at WordCamp. We've covered some of the features we're expecting to see below. 
<h3>What is Full Site Editing?</h3>
OK, so <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/handbook/focuses/full-site-editing/">Full Site Editing</a> (FSE) may not be a game-changing new addition to WordPress, but it's another clear signal that WordPress is moving on from editing PHP templates to building websites entirely out of blocks. Full Site Editing is more akin to a "collection" of features that allows you to edit (quite literally) everything on your site. The collection isn't 100% complete, but it's a work in progress for the second phase of Gutenberg. 
FSE involves three main components: Template Editing, Block Themes, and Global Styles.
<h3>Template Editing</h3>
Page Templates are the building blocks of a WordPress site, and they’re composed using PHP. Every theme has its own custom templates such as “Single Page,” “404”, or “Header,” “Footer,” and so on. If you know some HTML and PHP, you can also edit these templates.
WordPress 5.8 is making a bold move by giving users the ability to create their own custom Page Templates by editing their theme template directly. Imagine creating templates entirely out of blocks without having to deal with PHP code. 
Don't imagine it: watch it here in this <a href="https://youtu.be/IdLGO-PzNJ0?t=8896" target="_blank">WordCamp Europe online video</a>. 
<h3>Block Themes</h3>
WordPress 5.8 features new blocks for Page Lists, Site Title, Logo, and Tagline. A powerful Query Loop block offers multiple ways to display posts and comes with new block patterns that take advantage of its flexibility and creative options.
Among the new block features, there is one notable one: the Lists View. This is a panel that can be easily toggled, allowing you see all the blocks in a list form and navigate complex blocks and patterns:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/06/block-list-view.png" alt="Gutenberg Block List View" />
<h3>Global Styles</h3>
Global Styles extend the efforts of Full Site Editing by bringing a higher level of customization to Gutenberg and WordPress. Together, these features enable users to have improved control over aesthetics and layouts beyond the context of single Pages and Posts. Global styles also bring consistency across your website without having to edit individual blocks or pages.
For example, you can select a body background color or change the line-height of all their headings from one place. Styles added to individual blocks will still override the global styles.
The first version of Global Styles has been ported to WordPress core and will be part of the WordPress 5.8 release. Any relevant update will be posted in <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/20331#issuecomment-848685044" target="_blank">this GitHub issue</a> on demand.
<img style="max-width:327px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/06/global-styles-sidebar.png" alt="Global Styles" />
<h3>Additional Highlights in WordPress 5.8</h3>
Here are some other cool features we're expecting from 5.8: 
<ul>
<li>An all-new Widgets screen and updated Customizer, which lets you use any block in your theme’s widget areas</li>
<li>A new template editor that allows you to create custom page templates using blocks</li>
<li>Themes that can control and configure styling with a .json file, including layout configuration, block supports, color palettes, and more</li>
<li>New design tools and enhancements to existing blocks, including more color, typography, and spacing options</li>
<li>Drag and drop features for Cover backgrounds</li>
<li>Additions to block transformation options</li>
<li>The ability to embed PDFs within the File block</li>
<li>Improvements to how the editor is rendered to resemble the frontend more accurately</li>
</ul>
The new Duotone filter is a noteworthy addition to 5.8. It allows you to change the color of an image and add various effects. If you love to use filters on your photos, you’ll get a lot of use out of this:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/06/duotone.gif" alt="Duotone Filter" />
You can read the complete list of new features on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/06/wordpress-5-8-beta-2/" target="_blank">WordPress news release</a>.
<h2>What’s new in Gutenberg 10.8?</h2>
Gutenberg 10.8 focuses on stability and performance while also introducing enhancements to the Template Editor that enables more design tools for blocks.
<h3>More Typography Options</h3>
Gutenberg 10.8 comes with more typography editing functions, including <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/27510" target="_blank">font-weight for the heading block</a> and <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/27510" target="_blank">custom fonts for the List block</a>. As with other design tools, you can configure them in your theme.json file.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/06/font-weights-edited-1.png" alt="Font weight options" />
<h3>Template Editor Enhancements</h3>
Gutenberg 10.8 also introduces a few enhancements to the Template Editor, improving the overall user experience. Now, the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/32037" target="_blank">title area in the Template Editor corresponds to the current post title</a>. Also, the appearance of the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/32042" target="_blank">template details popover</a> has been enhanced with more detailed information and an improved layout. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/06/template-editor-enhnancements.png" alt="Template Editor enhancements" />
You can see the complete list of new Gutenberg 10.8 features and bug fixes over <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/06/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-10-8-9-june/" target="_blank">here</a>.
<h3>Internet Explorer 11</h3>
Ah yes. Our update wouldn't be complete without discussing Internet Explorer. It is, as they say, the end of an era. 
Or <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/22/999343673/internet-explorer-the-love-to-hate-it-web-browser-will-die-next-year#:~:text=Microsoft%20is%20officially%20pulling%20the%20plug%20on%20Internet%20Explorer%20in%20June%202022.,-Alexander%20Hassenstein%2FGetty&amp;text=Internet%20Explorer%20is%20nearing%20the,%2C%20buggy%20net%2Dsurfing%20option.">as NPR so elegantly noted</a>, it's "nearing the end of a long and slow death." 
As Microsoft continues its planned retirement of this storied browser – a journey that began 25 years ago – support for IE11 is slowly waning. While the final sunset is planned for <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2021/05/19/the-future-of-internet-explorer-on-windows-10-is-in-microsoft-edge/" target="_blank">June 15, 2022</a>, WordPress is deprecating its support for IE this year. So if you haven't already, say your goodbyes. 
<h3>More to come for WordPress in 2021</h3>
The WordCamp world is still abuzz from days of drinking the open source kool-aid, particularly in anticipation of the official 5.8 launch. 
In the meantime, if you’d like to test the new 5.8 Beta, you can install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/" target="_blank">WordPress Beta Tester plugin</a> and activate it. You can find the full set of instructions on how to use the latest Beta version <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/beta-testing/" target="_blank">here</a>. 
Like everything in the world of WP, it bears repeating that the new features like Full Site Editing are still a work in progress. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day – and for a CMS that powers over 40 percent of the web, changes need to be carefully tested for mobile performance, security, accessibility, and so on. 
What's clear is that the various page-building plugin options for WordPress – such as <a href="https://elementor.com/">Elementor</a>, <a href="https://www.elegantthemes.com/gallery/divi/">Divi</a>, and <a href="https://www.wpbeaverbuilder.com/">Beaver Builder</a> – have ramped up the innovation and certainly inspired WordPress to improve its own block editor. It's important to remember that when Gutenberg first arrived, it was <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/gutenberg-2-years-later-is-wordpress-better-off/" target="_blank">very green</a> and met with an abundance of criticism. WordPress is definitely listening, and working to make content editing even easier for the non-coding folk who don’t want to rely on a developer. While the editor still has a steep learning curve and is clunky in some areas, it seems that Gutenberg is heading in the right direction.
Now, forget the code and fire up your Coleman grill. It's summertime!

Updates on WordCamp 2021, WordPress 5.8 Beta Details, and Gutenberg Enhancements

WordPress and Textpattern are two of the most well-known blogging platforms out there. Each has its own share of advantages and disadvantages as well as supporters and critics. Both have a great user base and power many wonderful websites! In this article, I shall attempt to provide a comprehensive comparison of both WordPress vs Textpattern. Be informed though, this piece is just based on personal experiences and most users of either WP or TXP might agree (or disagree) at will. For the sake of clarity, I've attempted to sub-divide this article into multiple heads.
Functionality
WordPress seems to be the leading CMS when it comes to functionality and ease of use. Its latest version has undergone a good revamp and the organization of the administrative back end is now as user-friendly as it can get! You can control every major section of your blog through it in a matter of few clicks.
TextPattern, on the other hand, has a slightly less refined administrative back end. Yet, it still is fairly user-friendly and very robust. The only catch is that TXP's back end looks slightly dated, in comparison to that of WP.
Customizability and Extendability
Both Textpattern and WordPress are equal customizable by means of themes and templates. On a similar note, both TXP and WP have a good quiver of plugins and extensions. However, if you delve deeper, you'll find that WP has more themes and plugins as compared to TXP. While this clearly does not mean that WP is a better CMS than TXP, it surely goes a long way in building the user base for WP. Since majority of commercially viable tech blogs and websites are powered by WordPress (not to mention the millions of blogs at WordPress.com), it is but natural that WP has a large number of themes and plugins.
If you are geeky enough, you really should not be worried as you can tweak TXP to your liking and build a website. But if you are just planning to get a blog or website up and ready with as little technical expertise as possible, WP should be your safest bet!
Usability and Operation
This seems to be the most debatable topic. WordPress has a WYSIWYG Editor that makes editing posts and articles a breeze.
<img style="max-width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weaver_elizabeth_submission_manager_screenshot_gcloaz.jpg" alt="WordPress vs Textpattern" />
Textpattern, on the other hand, has an equally awesome (though not so end user friendly) editor, which can do almost all that you want it to, but is slightly confusing in operation (at least for starters). While Textile and other related items can be your best friends if you get used to them, they really will seem mind boggling features if you are a stranger to them.
<img style="max-width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weaver_elizabeth_submittable_screenshot_rpavbu.jpg" alt="WordPress vs Textpattern" />
Moving around the back end too, you'll find that installing themes or plugins, checking your blog's stats or even upgrading the CMS – all can be accomplished in WP in a way easier manner as compared to TXP.
Are they alive?
Both WordPress and Textpattern are in active development (so this sub-heading perhaps should've been different, but I couldn't resist). Similarly, both TXP and WP have a good community base and many forums where you can turn for support.
However, WP is updated on a more frequent basis as compared to TXP. Supporters of WP will be tempted to portray this as higher level of activity at their developers' end, while supporters of TXP can attribute this fact to a sign of maturity of TXP in itself.
To sum it up
With that said, lets summarize each CMS's pros and cons:
Textpattern (<a href="http://www.textpattern.com">http://www.textpattern.com</a>):
Pros:
<ul>
<li>Textile is a very popular element among TXP users, and once you get used to it, you really will find WP's interface bit over done.</li>
<li>The Template System lets you tweak your website to the heart's content.</li>
<li>Extensive documentation.</li>
</ul>
Cons:
<ul>
<li>Admin back end slightly unattractive.</li>
<li>Confusing for beginners.</li>
<li>Lesser number of themes or templates (as compared to WP)</li>
</ul>
WordPress (<a href="http://www.wordpress.org">http://www.wordpress.org</a>):
Pros:
<ul>
<li>Arguably the easiest CMS out there</li>
<li>Numerous themes for customization</li>
<li>Easy updates</li>
</ul>
Cons:
<ul>
<li>Unless you install WPMU, it can power only one blog</li>
<li>Slightly limiting back end (if you're a geek)</li>
<li>Editing article meta data is difficult</li>
</ul>
The verdict?
Well, ideally picking a CMS is a decision that is governed by the user's specific needs (and perhaps bias towards a personal favorite). Still, if you need a CMS just to power a blog or a small website, WordPress should do the trick for you. If, however, you have plans of doing something beyond the ordinary such as having multiple blogs or prefer to tweak your articles before posting them (or simply like to get to the bottom of things), Textpattern might solve your purpose.
Have you used either WP or TXP (or both) earlier? Got some opinions to share on either of these two blogging platforms? Let me know in the comments!

WordPress vs Textpattern

<img title="openedit" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/openedit_vv9jiq.jpg" />Our latest interview is with Openedit founder Christopher Burkey. Openedit is an interesting project that was founded approximately 10 years ago and utilizes java as it's base. We always find it very interesting to get a chance to talk with people who have been indepth in the industry for quite sometime as there's always an opportunity to learn something new. So sit back, grab a coffee and enjoy the read!
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.
CC: You began development of Openedit approximately 10 years ago, is that correct? What prompted you to begin this project?
CB: Yes, many people don’t realize we have been developing OpenEdit for over 10 years, using our own development team, as well as developers from the OpenEdit Community. OpenEdit began with a multi-year project for General Electric Aircraft Engines. The project required us to develop a web application, which would allow GE to capture technical data on jet engines. Each feature of OpenEdit had to be self-contained with as few interdependencies as possible. The idea was to allow any feature of OpenEdit to be able to interact with, or even within, other parts of their application. From this, OpenEdit evolved into a web application framework used to create and maintain dynamic websites and custom web applications, most notably, Digital Asset Management, Content Management and Ecommerce.
CC: Why did you choose to go open source and what other services does your company provide in order to remain profitable?
<img style="max-width:150px" title="Christopher Burkey " src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/chris-140x150.jpg" alt="Christopher Burkey " />
CB: Sharing knowledge and allowing developers to have the source code in hand empowers them, it drives innovation. Most of the features in OpenEdit were developed for and by organizations with specific Content Management and Digital Asset Management requirements in their work environment. OpenEdit users have seen that open source provides freedom of setting up their systems as they wish and freedom in the long term. A software company can give their software away and make money on services or add-on’s. Or perhaps a company can sell the software for a high initial price and provide support for free. When a company sells software and support, many times, it results in the customer becoming frustrated, because they don’t understand the reasoning behind paying for a software they have no control of and also paying for its support and services. OpenEdit sells installation services, project work and hosting – there is no charge to download, use and upgrade OpenEdit.
CC: What is the primary objective and/or target market of your product?
CB: Our primary market is Marketing and Creative Services departments within large firms. OpenEdit offers the best web based, open source Digital Asset Management and Content Management software used across the enterprise. Our focus is on workflow, search, management and collaboration, multi-media, repurpose of assets, PDF and image format conversions. Today, OpenEdit is used by marketing and creative services departments having thousands of users and managing millions of digital assets across the enterprise.
CC: What separates Openedit from similar platforms? Is there a specific functionality that makes it stand out?
CB: OpenEdit is the most feature rich platform for DAM and CMS. We offer the only Digital Asset Management solution that includes a full Content Management System, integrated Blogging, eCommerce, Events Calendar, Multi-language support and Social Networking tools. Every feature of OpenEdit is all-inclusive, we don’t charge for add-ons 
or even upgrades for that matter.
CC: Given the current state of the economy, what objectives does your company have for 2009 in order to “stay afloat” during these difficult times?
CB: Our approach is to keep focusing on Digital Asset Management integrated with Content Management. Make sure that our clients are treated like royalty and that OpenEdit is flexible enough to keep up with the latest feature requests from our target market.
CC: If there was one thing you would change about your platform what would it be and why?
CB: The one thing we would change is to package our product better. We want to make multiple flavors of OpenEdit that match the needs of certain groups of clients. We believe in permission marketing within software. What that means is if a customer gives us permission to sell them something then we should provide a version of OpenEdit that is tailored to their needs. For instance, OpenEdit comes with all of our feature sets but narrowing down or expanding those features for specific types of users will make OpenEdit more appealing to that audience. As an example, we have a solution available online today, it’s directed toward large marketing departments but we also want to make an eCommerce flavor of OpenEdit that is packaged for photographers to sell prints of photos online.
CC: What do you feel is the most overlooked feature or functionality of your product?
CB: The most overlooked feature of OpenEdit is the Debug Mode. This mode allows users to change any part of any web page within their site. The changes that they make are stored in a separate folder structure so it is easy to track what has been customized for a specific client. This allows us to support hundreds of installations of OpenEdit with customizations and still be able to upgrade them regularly without too many problems. With Debug Mode developers can provide continuous integration and quick, agile development.
CC: Where do you see the future of the content management system industry going?
CB: Our philosophy has always been that CMS and DAM is a great fit for one another. OpenEdit began with a pure content management solution, in which General Electric could capture data and it naturally evolved into the inclusion of a Digital Asset Management solution, this direction continues to prove itself.
We have already seen growth in the interest of open source CMS and DAM for 2009. Search methods will continue to change, so individuals can search the way they want, rather than being forced to search a specific way. Social networking is something we see our CMS and DAM users have an interest in. The Web Browser makes a great desktop replacement, thus online document editing capabilities will see continued growth. Corporations need a suite of integrated web based document management and editing tools that they can host and use within their entire enterprise.
CC: Where do you see Openedit fitting in with this future?
CB: OpenEdit is an extensible and flexible enough platform to be used within a huge variety of enterprise environments. Every business has custom needs, which is why OpenEdit was built from the ground up based on real work agile development. OpenEdit is a major force in the future of CMS and DAM and will continue to add and refine our features as CMS requirements grow for our users.
CC: Do you plan to offer SaaS options for Openedit?
CB: OpenEdit has offered reliable and inexpensive hosting for clients who do not have their own servers for over 10 years.
CC: What are your favourite implementations of your product? Can you share some websites that use your product that you find interesting or innovative?
CB: My favorite implementations include:
<ul>
<li>Slamdance Film Festival – uses all the parts of OpenEdit for a very low cost implementation. OpenEdit hosts this one: 
<a href="http://www.slamdance.com/">http://www.slamdance.com</a></li>
<li>Proyecto Piloto – I like this one because it is in Spanish and was put together and maintained by non-technical users and it features lots of images: <a href="http://www.proyectopiloto.cl/">http://www.proyectopiloto.cl</a></li>
<li>WWE – World Wide Entertainment – This is an eCommerce site that is used to sell licensed media to their partners. This site requires a login.</li>
</ul>
You can see a list of our clients on our website <a href="http://www.openeditdam.com/">http://www.openeditdam.com</a>
CC: How do you feel Openedit compares with other open source projects in the ECM market such as Alfresco for instance?
CB: The most striking difference between OpenEdit and traditional CMS's is the use of a database. Most CMS's start with a database then they build editing and management tools around the data. OpenEdit starts with the HTML User Interface and the data is defined on the fly as needed. This allows us to create entire web applications stored within a file sub-directory. It is very intuitive and flexible 
to create new applications just by creating more folders. It is not intuitive for users to have to create or alter database schemas each 
time they want to create a new simple web application.
CC: Can you provide us with some insight as to future modifications or upcoming changes?
CB: In the immediate future OpenEdit is working on data mining tools that will help a business search across all of their media repositories. We plan to provide detailed summary reports and navigation tools to simplify searching for all digital files, such as video, images, documents, brochures, logo’s, etc.
CC: Do you have any parting comments for our readers?
CB: OpenEdit has proven itself to be a powerful CMS and DAM solution for many companies and organizations. The OpenEdit community is of the utmost importance, as they keep coming up with innovative ways to use OpenEdit.
The progression from a content management solution into one which also integrates full digital asset management capabilities seemed obvious to us years ago. Integrating the management, collaboration, sharing and reuse of all digital assets across web content management and digital asset management is achieved using OpenEdit.
We always welcome any sort of feedback about OpenEdit, please feel free to post here in our online user forum <a href="http://www.openeditdam.com/OpenEditDAMblog/index.html">http://www.openeditdam.com/OpenEditDAMblog/index.html</a>
The OpenEdit developer website can be found at <a href="http://www.openedit.org/">http://www.openedit.org</a> and our website devoted to OpenEdit DAM and CMS is <a href="http://www.openeditdam.com/">http://www.openeditDAM.com</a>
We think that Java is the best tool for Enterprises, that’s why we use Java and Object Orientated development to build OpenEdit. We feel that choice has been advantageous by allowing our team to re-use and constantly refactor our code for over a decade without ever starting over. Our competitors who are using PHP, Perl and proprietary software systems such as Microsoft, seem to have to re-architect every few years to avoid endless mounds of confusing spaghetti code or to adapt to new technology such as Ajax. Java has been great for our clients and OpenEdit.
Thanks for this opportunity!

Openedit Founder, Christopher Burkey Interview

The only thing better than a happy ending, is a promising beginning. 
 Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.injader.com/" target="_blank"> Injader CMS</a> didn't have a happy ending last time around. After <a href="/injader-cms-project-closes-doors/" target="_blank"> closing its doors over four years ago</a>, the platform had been lying lifeless ever since. Until now. 
 The Founder, Ben Barden, has just revived his project, giving it another, more promising start to look forward to. It's not quite on it's feet yet, but it's alive and kicking. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/injader-avatar.jpg" alt="Injader CMS" />
<h2>Injader CMS 2.5.0</h2>
Injader is an open source CMS for technical users. 
 Version 2.5.0 brings about a handful of new features and bug fixes. These include:
<ul>
<li>New: Simplified Control Panel layout</li>
<li>Guides: Created new install guide under /guides/</li>
<li>Guides: Created new upgrade guide under /guides/</li>
<li>Bug: Fixed an issue where the custom order field wasn't getting set, causing a database error</li>
<li>Bug: Fixed an issue with the default timezone not being set</li>
<li>Bug: Fixed several notices in the installer</li>
<li>Upgrades: Upgraded jQuery from 1.3.2 to 1.11.1</li>
<li>Upgrades: Upgraded TinyMCE from 3.0.1 to 3.5.11</li>
</ul>
You can <a href="https://github.com/benbarden/injader/releases/tag/v2.5.0" target="_blank">view the full list of features here</a>. Plus, there's a brand new Injader website on the way, and version 3.0 is in the works.  
 Ben Barden, Injader CMS' Founder, had this to say about the revival:
<blockquote>
Despite the neglected state of the project, it's still a surprisingly fast CMS that uses a very small amount of memory. So I thought it would be worth revisiting.
Although you can technically upgrade to 2.5.0 from either 2.4.4 or 2.4.5, the plan is to break backwards-compatibility with the next major release – 3.0.0. If all goes well, this will include a major overhaul of the theme system. So I wouldn't recommend you start building themes on the current version.
</blockquote>
So, although Injader CMS' revival is an ongoing one, you can <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/injader/"> download Injader at SourceForge</a>.
Or, you can  <a href="https://github.com/benbarden/injader"> fork Injader on GitHub</a>.

Injader CMS Revived With Version 2.5.0

LightCMS has released a number of new features, including password-protected pages and calendar enhancements.
These days, not a month goes by unless LightCMS reveal new updates. In recent months, they have <a href="/lightcms-launches-new-partner-platform/" target="_blank">released a new partner platform</a>, <a href="/lightcms-unveil-new-element-ui/" target="_blank">made improvements to their interface</a>, <a href="/lightcms-rolls-out-blogging-enhancements/" target="_blank">enhanced blogging features</a>, and much more. It's for this reason, amongst many others, that LightCMS has been <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank">nominated in the Best Cloud CMS for SMB category for the CMS Awards 2014</a>.
Now, let's take a look at what the latest update brings to the table.
<h2>Password Protected Pages</h2>
Firstly, a new password protection feature allows you to restrict access to certain pages of your site, granting access to only those visitors who know the password. This was always possible via LightCMS' Users and Roles section, but there were many requests for a quick and easy way to restrict access without having to create a new user or user type.
To enable the feature, simply go to a page’s settings and select the “Advanced” tab. Enter a password in the Password field, and that page becomes password protected. It's really that easy. To unprotect a page, all you have to do is clear the password field.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/passwordprotectpage.png" alt="LightCMS" />
When a visitor attempts to access a protected page, the system displays the “Protected Page” message, prompting the visitor to enter the password before it will display the page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/protectedpage.png" alt="LightCMS" />
Registered users assigned to an administrative role, or any role that grants editing privileges for the page, can access the page without having to enter the password, as long as they are logged in.
<h2>Manage Events &amp; (Better Manage) Posts</h2>
LightCMS users who publish a calendar of events on their websites will be excited about the new “Manage Events” feature.
Similar to “Manage Posts” for blogs, Manage Events gives you a listing of all of that calendar element’s events. To view the Manage Events page, go to the page with the calendar element and select Manage Events from the Calendar element’s drop-down menu.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manageevents700x0.png" alt="LightCMS" />
Using the new grid interface, you can easily sort, filter and search for events. Plus, you can specify the number of events to display in the grid by selecting the number from the drop-down list in the upper left corner.
As for blog post management, this existing feature now includes the same features that were introduced on the Manage Events page detailed above. This includes sorting, filtering, and pagination.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manageposts700x0.jpg" alt="LightCMS" />
<h2>Event Management Improved</h2>
And finally, LightCMS now allows you to specify an end time for an event. Previously, you could set only the event start time.
To set up start and end times for an event, enter them in the time section of the event settings page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/calendarwitheventandtime.png" alt="LightCMS" />
Before this update, event times only displayed on the event's detail page. Now, both the start time and end time can be displayed in event summaries in list or calendar view.
To find out more about all of these LightCMS updates, check out the official blog announcement, which includes the full release notes.
Also, make sure you explore more of LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

LightCMS Unveils Password Protected Pages & Calendar Enhancements

One of the most prominent blog software platforms with one of the biggest communities in both the blog and CMS world, WordPress is a force to be reckoned with. Or is it? WordPress has been around for a long time and has/is growing like mad. It's like a weed. Except one you don't want to pull out of your garden because it keeps getting prettier, better and nicer. Today, we'll examine this popular platform in this review of WordPress 2.5.
Let's look at the ridiculously easy install. This is the first screen you see. Brings new meaning to the term “keep it simple stupid” doesn't it?
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp1_1.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" />
WordPress then gives you the precursor screen below that tells you basically what to expect on the next couple screens.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp2_1_.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" />
Now that you've been informed. You can fill in the info below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp3_11.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" />
Enter your Blog title and email below: <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp4_1.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" /> Bam, done. Now that's a total of 4 screens to get installed. Insanely easy, very quick and ridiculously simple. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp5_1.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" /> Now log in with admin details provided on the screen above. And you can change the password after your first login. You have to love the sense of humor the lads at WordPress have. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp6.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" /> After logging in you get to the admin screen or “dashboard”
Ok let's take a breather and review the dashboard. Here's where wordpress really shines. You want a blog that makes your life easy? You've found it. WordPress 2.5 has auto update capable plugins.. just click on the plugin link.. wordpress will automatically tell you if there's an update available and let you automatically download and install it. No effort required. Where do you get the plugins? Well they have 2200 as of this review. Yes, 2200. and it's a BLOG platform for crying out loud.
Need themes? There are thousands.. literally. You can't type anything in google without tripping over a wordpress theme about it. The control center has one click theme switching (with screenshots). Installing and updating a plugin consists of clicking a button.. The dashboard provides you with the latest wordpress news and the Wysiwyg editor just works beautifully.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp7.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" />
Where does wordpress fail? I guess the default theme could use some work:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp8.gif" alt="review of WordPress 2.5" />
Can you tell I'm smitten? Seriously though.. for a blog platform… You simply cannot find a better solution than WordPress. Some will claim it's also very capable as a CMS.. while I think it would struggle in that area, mainly due to lack of forums integration and lack of CMS like themes (wordpress does LOOK like a blog after all).
Community? Massive. WordPress has a community larger than most CMS communities. Support is amazingly quick and there are tons and tons of sites with hints tips and more to get the eager blogger any info they need quickly. With the size of the community and the number of people using it, it's quite possibly the best supported blog platform that exists today.
Would you use it for a portal? Perhaps not. However, for what it claims to be able to do, it does it and more with ease.
Our ratings are below:
Community 10/10 (I said it before and I'll say it again, massive with a huge number of support sites around)
Expandability 9/10 (For a blog platform, very expandable. The only thing lacking is forums or some kind of discussion platform)
Themability 10/10 (Can't touch wordpress for themes.)
Useability 10/10 (Fabulous dashboard, easy install and simple theme switching, auto updating plugins. nuff said)
<h2>Overall Score: 9/10</h2>

A Review of WordPress 2.5

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