Articles - Page 73

The Top 10 AI Tools for Small Business: From Automation to a Coordinated Team of AI Agents

matt-garrepy

Notre-DAM is an open-source Digital Asset Management platform targeted to the mid-market segment (digital libraries, micro-stock agencies, editorial teams, etc.).
The key features of Notre-DAM are:
<ul>
<li>multi-user, web-based application accessible from the most popular browsers</li>
<li>can manage images, video, audio and text</li>
<li>provides a customizable catalogue based on taxonomies and collections</li>
<li>full metadata support (EXIF, IPTC, XMP, Creative Commons, PLUS)</li>
<li>geo referencing and search, directly on a map</li>
<li>fully scalable, relies on a cluster of PCs for resource storage, processing, and delivery</li>
<li>provides a REST API for integration with other applications (e.g. CMSs)</li>
<li>distributed under the GPL v.3 licenseScreenshot: 
<img style="max-width:580px" title="notre-dam" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/notre-dam-580x306_zhohfp.png" /></li>
</ul>
More information (and an on-line demo) is available on the project's web site <a href="http://www.notre-dam.org">Notre-DAM.org</a>. A short <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMehvlhOPFY">video presentation is available too</a>.

Notre-DAM Beta released - an open source Digital Asset Management Platform

mike-johnston

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kokenupdate.png" alt="Koken Update" />
<a href="http://koken.me/" target="_blank">Koken</a> is <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-8-website-builders-for-photography-websites/" target="_blank">one of our picks as a top CMS</a> for photographers. Just this week, they made an already good CMS a whole lot better. Koken 0.8, announced on May 9, includes a lineup of great new features and capabilities. We'll touch on the highlights.

<h2>Make SEO-Friendly Links</h2>
Koken's old system built links in the old-fashioned ways — numerical slugs that did zilch for SEO, and even less for users. Now, the links are formatted with real text that humans can read and search engines can index. More SEO love.
<h2>Geotag Your Photos</h2>
If something as basic as Instagram has geotagging, shouldn't a sophisticated CMS like Koken? The answer is yes. Koken integrates GPS data into photos, and provides the familiar GPS locator button in the upper right corner of each featured photo. Clicking the pin brings up a map that locates where the picture was taken.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/library-geo-button-620x254.jpg" alt="Geo Button" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/library-geo-map-620x254.jpg" alt="Geo Map" />
<h2>Create Custom Code</h2>
For the code-savvy creative, adding a bit of Java is easier than ever before. The editor now includes a code button, which allows the user to copy and paste code anywhere in normal editing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/custom-code-620x254.jpg" alt="Custom Code" />
<h2>Host Better Conversations</h2>
To facilitate comments and interaction, Koken has included the Disqus plugin, which is now supported by all their default themes. Users need only to set up their Disqus account and enable the plugin to let the comments begin.
<h2>Manage Covers Easily</h2>
One of Koken's biggest selling points is the slick creative interior of the CMS. It makes organizing photos, portfolios, and other digital content a snap. Now, cover images appear at the top of columns when selected. The easy drag-and-drop repositioning makes it easy to rearrange files as needed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/library-cover-drag1-620x254.jpg" alt="Library Cover Drag" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/library-cover-title-620x254.jpg" alt="Library Cover Title" />
<h2>Feature More Social Sharing</h2>
Koken got more social. Each of the Koken themes automatically includes sharing buttons for four popular social media sites — Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+. In addition to spreading link love, these buttons help to trigger more social signals, that build rep and SEO for a site. Koken is pretty excited about the <a href="https://dev.twitter.com/docs/cards">support for Twitter cards</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/koken-social-share-620x254.jpg" alt="Koken Social Share" />
Koken describes themselves as “a free system designed for photographers, designers, and creative DIYs to publish independent websites of their work.” The sleek interface of the design and the cutting edge power make this a CMS worthy of a second look. With this update, Koken delivers more power than ever before.
<a href="http://blog.koken.me/essays/2013/05/big-new-features-fixes-and-enhancements-now-available-in-koken-08/">Read more about Koken 0.8 in their blog article</a>.
<a href="http://help.koken.me/customer/portal/articles/848339-release-notes">View the release notes for Koken 0.8.</a>
(All screenshots, courtesy of Koken.)

Koken Announces New Features in v. 0.8

daniel-threlfall

This week we covered a <a href="/exploring-the-solodev-web-experience-platform/" target="_blank">high level overview of Solodev</a> as well as the <a href="/the-genesis-of-the-personalized-web-experience/" target="_blank">Solodev Web Experience Platform</a>, Solodev's state of the art <a href="/deploy-scalable-cost-effective-websites-in-minutes-using-solodev/" target="_blank">cloud infrastructure in Amazon Web Services</a> as well as <a href="/ensuring-customer-success-every-step-of-the-way/" target="_blank">Solodev's new enterprise support offerings</a>. Today we will showcase a few websites built using Solodev.
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/oneblood-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">OneBlood</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/oneblood-mockup-bg2.jpg" />
The Solodev Platform empowered OneBlood to drive the customer journey from homepage visit to appointment scheduling and all the way to an actual blood donation. When OneBlood’s technological infrastructure was put to the test with a 2700% increase in traffic overnight, Solodev leveraged the power of Amazon Web Services to auto-scale resources accordingly until the traffic leveled out and resources were auto-scaled down to normally required levels.
<a href="https://www.oneblood.org/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/cnl-financial-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">CNL Financial</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cnl-mockup-bg.jpg" />
CNL Financial harnessed the power of Solodev and Amazon Web Services to better inform financial advisors and promote investments on a scalable and secure platform. Built in Solodev on the AWS Infrastructure, CNL’s websites, including its Solodev-powered Mobile App, feature robust and scalable document sharing platforms for portfolio offerings with granular permissions, features and functionality that allow for quick updates to time sensitive information, as well as the publication of new content after FINRA approval. CNL’s multiple websites and mobile app also enjoys the benefits of unparalleled security and structural integrity provided by Solodev’s partnership with Amazon Web Services.
<a href="http://www.cnlsecurities.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/springstone-inc.-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Springstone Hospitals</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sycamore-website.jpg" />
With the power of Solodev and Amazon Web Services, Springstone, Inc. was able to rapidly deploy location-specific content to their user-facing hospital websites – all on a scalable, secure platform. Springstone’s multiple websites feature comprehensive functionality that allow each hospital to utilize the Solodev platform to rapidly deploy location-specific content to their user-facing websites. With granular permissions, features and functionality that allow for quick updates to their user-facing websites, Springstone also enjoys the benefits of unparalleled security and structural integrity provided by Solodev’s partnership with Amazon Web Services.
<a href="http://www.sycamorespringshealth.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/decide-dekalb-economic-development-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Decide DeKalb</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dd-image-lg.jpg" />Decide DeKalb was empowered to attract companies and entrepreneurs to DeKalb County through its user-facing website using the power of the Solodev Web Experience Platform. The Solodev Platform provides the team at Decide DeKalb with the ability to quickly add new site content, making it possible for Decide DeKalb to quickly customize content that targets businesses and industries in the recruitment process. The Website is securely hosted within Amazon Web Services, which offers full disaster recovery, and easy scalability to 100,000 concurrent users by leveraging the Amazon Content Delivery Network (CDN).
<a href="http://www.decidedekalb.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/seminole-county-public-schools-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Seminole County Public Schools</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/scps-mockup-1.jpg" />
Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) is the 12th largest school district in Florida and is 60th nationally with more than 67,000 students and 10,000 employees. Beautifully designed and easy to manage, the SCPS Website is fully responsive and scalable on-demand. Empowered by Solodev’s comprehensive software training and 24×7 support, the SCPS staff can now leverage the power of the Solodev Web Experience Platform to manage their website and deliver engaging web experiences.
<a href="https://www.scps.k12.fl.us/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/florida-dairy-farmers-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Florida Dairy Farmers Association</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fdf-header.jpg" />
Solodev empowered FDF to more effectively deliver its message and meets its online objectives. The ability of site administrators to easily keep it fresh with interactive content has resulted in big improvements in three key areas of engagement targeted by FDF leadership in the redesign. Site traffic compared to the identical period year over year shows the bounce rate down by almost 40 percent. At the same time, the pages per session more than doubled to 3.93 and the average time spent on the site doubled as well to 3:13. The highly customizable Solodev Web Experience Platform allows even the most non-technical of users to keep the site updated with new content. With a hosting infrastructure supported by Amazon Web Services, the site is secure, faster, and significantly less prone to experience downtime.
<a href="http://www.floridamilk.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/dr.-phillips-performing-arts-center-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/drphillips-website-1.jpg" />
The power of the Solodev platform made it possible for the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center (DPAC) to drive the customer experience from homepage visit to seat selection and all the way to opening night. DPAC benefits from their website being built in Solodev’s cloud infrastructure. This includes automation to scale the performing arts center’s applications based on time or load as well as dynamic configuration to orchestrate changes as traffic surges occur. This allows DPAC to schedule the allocation of their applications by adding servers prior to the sale of tickets for upcoming show releases.
<a href="https://www.drphillipscenter.org/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.solodev.com/resources/case-studies/florida-department-of-education-website-case-study.stml" target="_blank">Florida Department of Education</a></h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fldoe-header.jpg" />
Solodev empowered the staff at FLDOE to manage the user experience after building their award-winning website in the Solodev Platform. After the site was initially developed, FLDOE staff quickly learned how to use Solodev and took full ownership by adding new sections, pages and content in preparation for launch. Solodev configured and provides ongoing management of the site’s robust hosting environment. Currently averaging nearly 30,000 users per day, the site was developed to scale in response to peak demand periods and has more than enough capacity to accommodate 100,000 concurrent users when necessary.
<a href="http://www.fldoe.org/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a>
<hr />
*Solodev is currently offering a 14 Day Free Trial of the Solodev Web Experience Platform. This includes an instance of Solodev on an Amazon EC2 server as well as 50GB of storage, 2GB of memory, as well as email and chat support. You can also purchase <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/seller-profile?id=8e11c912-6253-41b8-b065-bf32bd27911b" target="_blank">Solodev on the AWS Marketplace</a> with plans starting at $99/month.

The Platform for Award-Winning Websites

The new WordPress 3.1 release is here. CMS Critic has been updated to this new release and one of the newest features is the introduction of a handy new admin bar.
WordPress 3.1 Admin bar in action:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2012-01-21-at-1_27_19-pm1-450x132_sly80x.png" alt="WordPress 3.1 Admin Bar" />
The admin bar has a number of benefits such as quickly creating a shortlink, editing the post (opens the post editor within the dashboard) and much more.
So far, we see no issue with the upgrade (at least on our site). Let us know your experiences within the comments!
From the announcement:
<blockquote>
The long-awaited fourteenth release of WordPress is now available. WordPress 3.1 “Reinhardt” is named in honor of the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Version 3.1 is available for download, or you can update from within your dashboard.
This release features a lightning fast redesigned linking workflow which makes it easy to link to your existing posts and pages, an admin bar so you’re never more than a click away from your most-used dashboard pages, a streamlined writing interface that hides many of the seldom-used panels by default to create a simpler and less intimidating writing experience for new bloggers (visit Screen Options in the top right to get old panels back), and a refreshed blue admin scheme available for selection under your personal options.
There’s a bucket of candy for developers as well, including our new Post Formats support which makes it easy for themes to create portable tumblelogs with different styling for different types of posts, new CMS capabilities like archive pages for custom content types, a new Network Admin, an overhaul of the import and export system, and the ability to perform advanced taxonomy and custom fields queries.
With the 3.1 release, WordPress is more of a CMS than ever before. The only limit to what you can build is your imagination.
</blockquote>
You can <a href="http://www.wordpress.org">download this latest release</a> or update from within your dashboard.

WordPress 3.1 is now available and brings with it a number of new features

Ecommerce is growing more rapidly by the day. In fact, by 2016, U.S. consumers alone are <a href="http://www.internetretailer.com/2012/02/27/e-retail-spending-increase-45-2016" target="_blank">predicted to spend $327 billion</a> online.
With the e-commerce industry producing such vast figures, more and more e-commerce startups are looking for their first venture – and <a href="https://www.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Squarespace</a> is a platform primed for the task.
But just how easy is it to start selling on Squarespace? If you’re interested in selling with Squarespace, you’ll need to know if it can handle your business ideas and product types.
So, join me in taking a look at just how functional Squarespace Commerce is.
<h2>Selling on Squarespace: Good Enough for Your Online Store?</h2>
Selling with SquareSpace Commerce enables you to sell physical products, digital products, and even services. The platform does a very solid job of it too.
To get started, you only need to navigate to the “Commerce” section, located on the left-hand sidebar.
Once you get into the Commerce section, Squarespace leads you through the process of setting up your store with a three-step guide.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/selling700x0.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
To carry out all the steps, you only need to click on them, configure your products and settings, and move on. So, let’s take a look at just how easy those three steps are to take.
<h3>Adding Products</h3>
Adding products naturally makes or breaks an online selling platform, and it’s no surprise that adding products on SquareSpace is a breeze. Although, in order to add a product, you’ll need to navigate back over to the “Content Manager” section.
Once there, you simply have to click “Add Page” and then select “Products”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/selling2700x0.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
Next, a window will be presented to you, allowing you to configure your product.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/8-1700x0.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
Product images can be uploaded via a drag-and-drop system, while titles, descriptions, pricing and additional information can all be quickly added via the product upload window. If your products aren’t in need of any technical specifications, you can have a whole catalog uploaded in a matter of minutes.
<h3>Create a Shipping Option</h3>
The second step requires you to set up a shipping option. All you have to do is navigate over to the “Shipping” tab back over in the “Commerce” section, before clicking “Add Shipping Method”.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shipp700x0.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
A window will then prompt you to select either flat rate shipping, weight dependent shipping or UPS calculated shipping – which is reserved for Squarespace Business users.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shipp2.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
Once you have made your selection, you can configure the resulting options, and then hit “Save”. It’s that easy.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ship_3.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
<h3>Connect to Stripe</h3>
Squarespace only allows you to use <a href="https://stripe.com/" target="_blank">Stripe</a> as a payment gateway, which is quite disappointing. However, Stripe is a respected payment method, and setting up an account with them is easy.
To configure your Stripe account with Squarespace, you only need to navigate over to the “Store Settings” page within the “Commerce” section, where you will find the option to connect with Stripe.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/stripe700x0.png" alt="Squarespace eCommerce" />
Once you connect your Stripe account, you have effectively flipped the switch, meaning that your Squarespace store is now live.
<h2>Squarespace Selling Extras</h2>
Some handy extra options are also available for selling on Squarespace, including:
<ul>
<li>Coupon Codes</li>
<li>Sales</li>
<li>Shipping Options</li>
<li>Taxing Options</li>
<li>Mailchimp integration</li>
<li>Donations</li>
<li>And More</li>
</ul>
These additional options, along with the straightforward store setup guide, make Squarespace ideal for budding online merchants.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
To give you an overview of the good and bad which Squarespace Commerce has to offer, check out the pros and cons below.
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>Friendly setup guide makes it easy to build a store.</li>
<li>Product creation is extremely quick and easy.</li>
<li>Much like with page and blog post creation, Squarespace enables you to apply plenty of detail to your products and services if you wish to.</li>
<li>Good range of additional extras including Mailchimp integration and donations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>Squarespace only allows you to accept payments through Stripe – which is very limiting.</li>
<li>Adding products requires you to navigate away from the Commerce section.</li>
</ul>
Aside from its extensive design features – which is widely known as Squarespace’s forte – I’d say that Commerce is Squarespace’s biggest strength. Setting up the store and adding products takes just minutes, thanks to the user friendly walk-through guide.
Although, there are flaws to be found. I find it strange how adding products requires you to leave the “Commerce” section, as well as the limitation to using Stripe as the only payment gateway. But apart from these two relatively minor issues, everything else related to setting up a store on Squarespace flows quite nicely indeed.
For further detail on Squarespace, check out our full <a href="/squarespace-review-the-long-awaited-commerce-solution/" target="_blank">Squarespace Review</a>.
You can also get started with your Squarespace website today, via the <a href="https://www.squarespace.com/templates">Squarespace 14-day free trial</a>.

How Effective is Squarespace as an eCommerce Platform?

So you are looking to create a social network. Whether it be for a local organization or a specific interest group, there are many ways to go about getting started.As with any successful website, it requires the right combination of software, planning and implementation.Today, I'm going to guide you through the process and help get you started by explaining how to create a social network.<h2>Clarify your idea and concept</h2>The most important step before you get started is to make sure your idea is sound and will actually be successful.Some questions you should be asking yourself to help you clarify your idea should include:<h3>What niche am I looking to fill?</h3>This is the single most important question you need to ask yourself when thinking about how to create a social network. Attempting to take on something like Facebook simply isn't realistic but there may very well be a specific niche that you have a passion for and that could benefit from some kind of community / network.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/how_to_create_a_social_network_-_2-1.jpg" alt="How to Create a Social Network" />Since you've already found this article I would assume you already have an idea in mind but it's important to make sure you are realistic with your expectations. Don't expect to be the next Facebook or Myspace easily. It doesn't mean it can't be done but it's not an overnight achievement.Make sure you have a clear understanding of the niche (or specific topic) your social network will be about. Perhaps it's for musicians or animal lovers or something similar.<h3>Are there any existing social networks out there that fill the niche I'm considering?</h3>As with any good business, it's important to do your research and investigate whom you will be competing against. Are there already social networks out there that fill the niche you are looking to enter? If so, what are they doing correctly? Is there anything you would change to make it better? Make notes about what you like and don't like so you know what you need to do to gain an advantage.I'd also recommend trying something like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semrush.com/">SEM Rush</a> to perform research into the markets, analyze your competition, and more.<h3>What services or functionality do I want to be able to offer my audience?</h3>This is partly covered in the question above but I want to make sure you truly think hard about this. What are you going to offer your audience that will make them want to be part of your community?Perhaps if you are thinking of starting an animal lovers social network you can consider looking into a partnership with a manufacturer to offer some kind of discounts to your audience or perhaps you will offer specialized services like training for pets or videos.Think things through carefully and make sure that whatever you choose to offer, it's unique and something that would convince YOU to sign up if you came across a site like it.—– Cost Considerations<h3>How much do I want to spend at the most?</h3><h4>(be reasonable here, don't expect to put one together for $100, these things cost money in order to be successful).</h4>Obviously spending the least amount of money for the highest return is everyone's goal but it's not always a realistic one. Social networks (like any website) involve a financial investment of some kind. This can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Think about what you are willing to invest to get things going.For those of you who are not sure where to start, here are some typical costs websites such as this typically incur (note these are all conservative estimates, don't hold me to them):Logo creation or developmentIf you don't know where to start, check out the amazing Jessica Watts (she did all of our logos throughout our network and is reasonable priced and incredibly talented). Cost – $300-500Website hostingThis only applies if you decide to use purchased software that requires you to set it up on your own web host. If you want an inexpensive and reasonable hosting company with a good reputation, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bluehost.com/">check out Bluehost </a>, they are highly recommended and they will give you a 38% discount on hosting if you visit from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bluehost.com/">our link </a>. You will typically want to start with VPS hosting for a new site so you can have extra control. There are lower cost options but upgrading packages down the road can cause outages. I'd recommend starting with a VPS solution but you can of course choose whichever package suits you best.  Bluehost is hard to beat price wise. Cost – $30 – 100Social Network SoftwareThere are numerous options available for purchase whether it be prepackaged software that includes almost everything you could need or an online solution that offers numerous options. Typically, these are the best bet as they eliminate the huge costs involved in creating something from scratch. Cost – $99 +Custom DevelopmentPerhaps after investigating, you discover that existing software solutions don't fit with your requirements and choose to go the custom development route. Don't expect to get anything up and running reasonably with anything less than a few thousand. To put things in context, a typical blog design and development runs around $3-6k for a good one so a social network which is far more involved is going to cost well in excess of that. Cost – $10k+PromotionYou will need to get your name out there and you'll need someone who can help do this for you. I'd recommend checking out sites like Elance.com and others such as Fiverr.com for inexpensive options that you can buy to help spread the word. Cost – $100+SEO (Search Engine OptimizationAs much as I'm sure you don't want to hear the dreaded SEO term, search engine optimization is critical to getting traffic to your site. Consider joining a network like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seobook.com/">SEO Book</a> where you can learn how to do this yourself rather than end up spending hundreds on fake or illegitimate SEO companies. There are too many scams out there and you can waste thousands trying to find someone with the right skills when it's far easier and more advantageous to invest in your own knowledge.  Cost – $300 / month through SEO Book or thousands more through other SEO companies  <h3>Do I want to do the work myself or have someone do it for me? Who is going to run it once it's live?</h3>What is my expected volume? How many people could potentially visit and use my social network? (This is important as you need to have a good estimate of sizing in order to be able to help select the right software).There are more questions of course and the list goes on and on but this is a good starting point. I'd recommend grabbing a pen and paper and jotting down your responses to these so you have them readily accessible.—–Use Existing Software or Build your own?<h2>Use Existing Software or Build your own?</h2>The next step is to investigate what options are on the market with regards to pre-packaged social networking solutions. There are numerous options form self hosted (which means you will have to be responsible for putting up the website and keeping it up) or hosted solutions (you pay a fee to a provider each month and they look after this for you).It's important to see what's out there in order to determine if the solutions available can fit your needs or if you need to consider developing the site from scratch. Keep in mind that custom development is very expensive so make sure you absolutely discount all available options before going that route.Let's look at some of the solutions that are available.<h3>PHPFox</h3>PHPFox has been around for many years and is one of the least expensive options on the market. While there are always people who complain about every product that is out there, the fact remains that there are tons of great social networks running on PHPFox and doing quite well for themselves. Cost-wise, the investment has gone down quite a bit since the main company rebranded to Moxi9 and now, you can purchase PHPfox for just $99.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/phpfox.jpg" alt="How to Create a Social Network" /></figure>I'd consider that a reasonable investment for the amount of work it eliminates you having to do yourself. For less than a hundred bucks, you've got a framework to begin with and should your site take off down the road, you can consider other options such as custom development once you've established a strong foothold and started to generate revenue from your social network.Don't discount options like these as they are fast ways to get things going with minimal investment and see if they take off. You wouldn't want to spend thousands only to find out your idea flopped so start by minimizing your costs first and keeping your overhead low. PHPFox won Best Social Networking Solution in our 2012  <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Critics' Choice CMS Awards </a>as well.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.phpfox.com/">Get PHPFox</a><h3>Social Engine</h3>Social Engine is generally considered to be one of the top social networking products on the market along with PHPFox. Their offerings are more expansive and include both a cloud version (so you can use their product on their servers without having to install it yourself) which is currently priced at $29 / month or a downloadable version, which you would own wholly and would run you $299.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/socialengine_screenshot600x0.png" alt="how to create a social network" />Both options are excellent ones to consider. Personally, I think the cloud solution might be a bit better due to the fact that you wouldn't be required to fight with configuring your hosting. The downside of course is that you lose a bit of customization capability and do not fully own the product. Either way, SE is a great option to consider when exploring your options.<a target="_blank" href="https://socialengine.com/">Get SocialEngine</a><h3>Dolphin Smart Community Builder</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boonex.com/features">Dolphin</a> is another good option to consider. They offer plenty of great modules and loads of functionality at a reasonable price. While they are certainly more expensive than PHPFox, you may find they fit your needs a bit better (everyone has different tastes).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dolphin_smart_community_builder600x0.jpg" alt="How to Create a Social Network" />Prices for Dolphin range from $399 to 799 so needless to say, it's definitely more expensive than most but if you feel the options they offer suit your needs and PHPFox is out of the question, it's a good second option to consider. Certainly, it's far cheaper than developing from scratch so don't discount the price, which in the grand scheme of things is still quite reasonable.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boonex.com/features">Get Dolphin</a><h3>Evoq Social</h3>If the network you are trying to create is more of a business style network, then you should definitely look into Evoq Social. This offering is from the fine folks at DNN Software and can help you produce a truly amazing social network for your site. They also won last years  <a href="/2013-people-s-choice-winner-for-best-social-networking-solution/">Best Social Network Solution </a>award during our Critics' Choice CMS Awards.If this looks like a good fit for you, you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-engage">learn more about Evoq Social</a>.<h3>Oxwall</h3>Oxwall is a great open source solution that you can get your hands on for free. There is a strong community and plenty of options. You can test out a free demo on the Oxwall website to see if it suits your needs as well.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/oxwall600x0.jpg" alt="How to Create a Social Network" />Oxwall is open source which means the code is freely available. It's also free.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.oxwall.org">Get Oxwall</a>—– What's Next?<h2>What's Next?</h2>So you've decided whether you want to use some of the social network software we've recommended, you've made a list of your answers to the questions we identified at the beginning or our article and you are ready to get going.There's only one question now, what's next?At this stage, you've got your concept and the software. Make sure you take advantage of the many communities available to get help with your questions. Places like <a target="_blank" href="http://stackoverflow.com/">Stack Overflow </a>,  <a target="_blank" href="http://www.quora.com">Quora </a>and others can be invaluable resources when you get stuck or need help.If you find yourself in need of a developer, use sites like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.elance.com">Elance </a>,  <a target="_blank" href="http://www.freelancer.com">Freelancer </a>or  <a target="_blank" href="http://www.guru.com">Guru </a>to find someone who can give you a hand at a price point you can live with.Don't forget to use the support services of whichever platform you end up using. For PHPFox and others, use their community and look for fellow users on Google as well. Be sure to work with your hosting provider to help get things up and moving if you choose to do the hosting on your own.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/how_to_create_a_social_network_-_3600x0.jpg" alt="how_to_create_a_social_network" />If you need assistance setting up your social network, drop us a line or leave a comment below. We offer consulting services that can help you get things rolling. Good luck and may your social network be successful!

How to Create a Social Network

Choosing a content management system for your project is paramount to the success of your venture. The primary reason CMS Critic exists is to help our readership stay informed about which CMS are to be trusted and used.
However, choosing a content management system is only half the battle to getting a project up and running. The other half is all about selecting the best web host.
As a result of this realization, CMS Critic has selected <a href="https://www.bluehost.com/" target="_blank"> Bluehost</a> as their web host of choice – and we recommend them to all our readers.
<h2>Why Bluehost?</h2>
There are countless web hosting solutions on the market, but we believe Bluehost is the best all-around solution for startups, seasoned web property developers, and everybody in between.
Founded in 1996, Bluehost is an award-winning web host that powers over 2 million websites across the globe. Bluehost offers shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and reseller hosting.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bluehost700x0.png" alt="Bluehost " /> 
Bluehost's price plans are second to none when the quality of the control panel and support system are both taken into account. They offer a one-click install for WordPress, automated backups, unlimited domains, unlimited storage space, a free domain name, and 24/7 support – all of which is included in their shared hosting plan, starting from just $4.95 per month.
Their VPS and dedicated hosting plans are equally impressive and offer great value for money. So impressive in fact, that preparations are now being made for CMS Critic to migrate to the Bluehost.
<h2>4th July Discount</h2>
Bluehost is about to roll out a 4th July special discount, coming down on their already impressive monthly price of $4.95 per month. Details of the offer are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Special 3.95/mo Promotional Pricing</li>
<li>Starts Friday, July 4, 2014 @ 12:01 a.m. MDT</li>
<li>Ends Monday, July 7, 2014, @ 9 a.m. MDT</li>
</ul>
So, be sure to grab your Bluehost discount this Friday, 4th July 2014.

Bluehost: CMS Critic's Web Host of Choice (Plus a Special 4th July Bluehost Discount)

Shopify - The global commerce platform

Build your business with Shopify to sell online, offline, and everywhere in between.

The global commerce platform

#ffffff

With a new look and tons of interface improvements,  the release of Contegro Version 4, comes a Window’s style desktop that will make even first-time Website CMS users feel like experts.
Contegro 4 continues the goal of completely removing the developer from the website life-cycle, and empowering designers with the sole power to create and manage functionally rich websites. “Contegro Version 4’s interface brings simplicity and usability in Web CMS to a whole new level,” says Contegro founder Vaughan Reed. “The Window’s Desktop interface is already familiar, so for users every action is intuitive.”
Contegro Version 4’s new Interface and multi-tasking workspace concept is set to revolutionize Web CMS. Take a look at the following key feature releases.
A completely transformed CMS interface
Contegro v4 removes the need to open up multiple browser tabs to manage many different areas of a website or even independent sites; everything can be managed from the new interface. “It makes multi-tasking so simple,” says Reed. “The increase in productivity that can be achieved when setting up and managing sites by using the new interface is really exciting.”
<img style="max-width:427px" title="Contegro 4 - 1" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/04/browserstack-live-pricing.jpg" alt="Contegro 4 - 1" />
More specific interface features include the following:
Smart Desktop Shortcuts.
A quick click on a desktop shortcut enables you to access/manage files, categories, website members, and edit content. Or simply go to the Contegro Start Menu.
<img style="max-width:346px" title="Contegro 4 Context" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/02/wordpress-homepage-featured-image.jpg" alt="Contegro 4 Context" />
Streamlined Task Bar.
Just like the Windows Desktop environment, if a new application is opened it appears as a button on the Task Bar. You can quickly and simultaneously switch between tabbed windows keeping them open. A right-click minimizes the window and can it be relocated onscreen to suit your requirements.
Informative Notification Window.
The Notification Window keeps you in the loop. See your latest edited pages; pages within your workflow approval queue, product updates, feature releases and training videos. Pages can be open from within the notification window directly from the desktop.
<img style="max-width:391px" title="Contegro 4 - 2" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/02/wordpress-logo-homepage-featured-image.jpg" alt="Contegro 4 - 2" />
Further Developments in Contegro Version 4 include:
An Advanced Workflow.
The Contegro Workflow provides a flexible three-step workflow process with Submit, Approve and Publish steps to make life easy. The workflow can be configured to a one-or-two-step process if required. To keep uniformity, one single workflow can be established as a global site-wide process. Conversely, multiple workflow scenarios can be established within sections of a website.
Site Tree Enhancements.
Drag ‘n’ Drop and right-click functionality makes it easy and efficient to manage the site structure, create pages, copy pages and assign permissions and workflow.
Updates to the Site Tree include the clever automatic creation of 301 redirects when moving pages from one section to another. This eliminates broken links within search engines and external linking to moved pages.
<img style="max-width:173px" title="Contegro 4 - 3" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/03/sitecore-featured-image-2.jpg" alt="Contegro 4 - 3" />
An Intuitive Editing Workspace.
With a streamlined workspace that takes advantage of the new Window’s look, the Site Tree, Page Attributes and Content Editing Sections have been combined within a single workspace. Key features include:
<ul>
<li>Ability to open and edit multiple pages simultaneously and copy and paste content between pages.</li>
<li>Drag and drop modules – add, remove or drag modules around the page to add functionality.</li>
<li>View all page attributes – plus listing details, publishing and revisions at the same time.</li>
<li>Workflow steps – ensure pages are edited, approved and published by the correct staff.</li>
<li>Maximize your workspace – Editor and Attributes and Site Tree panels all individually minimize.</li>
</ul>
Superior Administrator Control.
The Administrator Control has also been modified to include
Unlimited Administrative Groups and greater control around the management of the Administrator group permissions. The level of access that each account has can be completely customized to your staff requirements and ability.
Control Administrator access to sections of the website via the site tree. Lower levels will inherit both member and administrator permissions set in the parent page.
<img style="max-width:314px" title="Contegro 4 - 4" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image010.gif" alt="Contegro 4 - 4" />
Contegro Version 4 is available now. With the simple usability of the new interface and new key features, the potential for greater productivity and creativity is almost endless. Discover the new face of Contegro today.
<h3>For More Information</h3>
Please visit <a href="http://www.contegro.com">http://www.contegro.com</a>

Contegro v4 Released - Introduces whole new interface and usability improvements

<img style="max-width:150px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/day_software_logo-150x100_p3zcpr.png" alt="Day Software logo" />
Day Software Holding AG (SIX: DAYN, OTCQX: DYIHY), an enterprise software provider of Web 2.0 content management and content infrastructure software, today announced the release of CRX 2.1, Day’s open, standards-based Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform. Day’s new CRX 2.1 release promotes rapid development, deployment and scalable hosting of composite content applications in either a public or private Cloud. Based on an open source core comprised of the Apache Jackrabbit, Felix and Sling projects, CRX 2.1 provides a core Java Content Repository (JCR) with OSGI-based application integration and RESTful web application development.
With a modern, open, standards-based architecture, CRX 2.1 enables IT to virtualize disparate content repositories and application services and consolidate development and hosting of mission-critical Web applications on a single unified platform for increased productivity and compliance. Purpose-built for Cloud-based deployments, CRX 2.1 also enables IT to leverage Cloud service providers like an Amazon Web Services (AWS) to dramatically reduce costs and accelerate new initiatives.
“As an ECM platform for composite content applications, CRX 2.1 is targeted to meet the needs of both CIOs and IT developers,” said David Nuescheler, Chief Technology Officer, Day Software. “For CIOs, we provide an open, standards-based infrastructure to consolidate development of new composite content applications and deliver radically low development and hosting costs through our native support of the Cloud. For IT developers, we add support for the latest content management standards, including both JSR-283 and CMIS. With a focus on promoting IT agility, we’ve also added an entire new suite of productivity tools for the IT developer, and support for sharing and leveraging community contributions to accelerate project timelines.”
Highlights of Day’s new CRX 2.1 release include:
Open Standards
CRX 2.1 adds support for both the JSR-283 and CMIS standards. JSR-283 support follows the December ratification of this successor standard to JSR-170, capping a multi-year effort led by CTO David Nuescheler in the Java Community Process (JCP) and Apache Jackrabbit project. Along with support for JCR 2.0, CRX 2.1 also adds support for the upcoming CMIS standard, which is scheduled for final voting and ratification 30 April 2010. CRX’s support for CMIS follows nearly one year after Day’s announcement of the Apache Chemistry project to provide a common, vendor-neutral reference implementation of the CMIS standard to promote development and adoption of the new standard. With major vendors like SAP and OpenText part of the Apache Chemistry project, CRX 2.1 provides standardized support for CMIS in addition to support for JCR.
Virtualization and IT Consolidation
Day extends CRX’s virtual repository to extend a JSR-283 and CMIS interface to leading enterprise content management repositories, including Microsoft SharePoint. Leveraging CRX 2.1, organizations can now federate any number of Microsoft SharePoint servers to provide a consolidated platform for composite content application development leveraging industry-standards.
Rapid Composite Content Application Development
CRX 2.1 introduces new tools for developer productivity. For web developers, CRX 2.1 introduces a new browser-based development environment, CRXDE Lite, that offers code-editing, packaging and deployment support for composite content applications, along with integration with leading source code management (SCM) systems like Subversion. For developers building and testing new CRX-based content applications in the Cloud, CRXDE Lite’s browser-based experience simplifies the development process and provides a fun-to-use developer experience.
On-Demand Scalability with the Cloud
CRX 2.1 adds new support for elastic storage capability with native support for Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3. Leveraging S3, enterprise customers can scale their Amazon-hosted content repositories on-demand. CRX 2.1 also now pioneers a new hybrid Cloud deployment model, enabling enterprise customers deploying on-premises software to rapidly add new CRX servers in the Cloud on-demand to accommodate increased site or application loads. With CRX 2.1, these new instances can be “hot-joined” to a running on-premises cluster with zero downtime, enabling organizations to build virtual clusters across both on-premises and off-premises servers to best leverage elastic scalability through the Cloud.
Cloud-hosted PackageShare Service
In addition to its native Cloud support, Day also introduces with CRX 2.1 its first Cloud-hosted service, PackageShare. PackageShare is Day’s online service for enabling CRX developers worldwide to package and share composite content applications, providing a global catalog of pre-built solutions and components. CRX developers can browse PackageShare directly from their CRX development environment, download, install and subscribe to updates for packages shared by other developers in the CRX community. CRX developers can easily post new packages to PackageShare, view community feedback and ratings on posted packages, and easily find new, useful packages leveraging integrated search and pre-set filters.
Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Cochrane commented on the new release, “CRX 2.1 is an exciting new release because it provides the IT department with greater agility. Our new capabilities are designed for rapid development of new composite content applications, native support of the Cloud and expanded standards support with JSR-283 and CMIS, including for the Microsoft Sharepoint platform. We are looking forward to engaging with the community of JCR developers on our free developer edition of CRX 2.1 and growing our online catalog of ECM solutions through our PackageShare service.”
Day Software’s CRX 2.1 Developer Edition is immediately available from Day’s website at http://www.day.com/downloadcrx. Online documentation for CRX 2.1, including for CRX 2.1’s new SharePoint Connector, can also be found on Day’s website at http://docs.day.com.
About Day 
 
Day Software is the ECM pioneer that leading global enterprises rely on for their Web 2.0 content application and content infrastructure needs. Day’s Content Repository Extreme (CRX) is the industry’s leading Java Content Repository (JCR) that provides unique virtualization services to consolidate legacy repositories and unique cloud computing services to lower IT operational costs. Day’s CQ5 platform provides industry-leading Web Content Management, Digital Asset Management and Social Collaboration in a single, unified suite and won the 2009 InfoWorld Technology of the Year Award for “Best Web CMS”.
Day is an international company with headquarters in Basel, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, traded since April 2000 on the SIX Swiss Exchange, and “Over the Counter” (OTC) as American Depositary Receipts (OTCQX:DYIHY). Day’s customers are worldwide leading global enterprises, including: Adobe, Audi, Volkswagen, Daimler, General Motors, Nissan, Newsweek, MTV Networks, Virgin Media, University of Phoenix, InterContinental Hotels Group and McDonald’s.
Day Software's website is <a href="http://www.day.com">http://www.day.com</a>

Day Software Advances Standards Support with New CMIS and JSR-283-compliant ECM Platform

<a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/" target="_blank"> ElcomCMS </a>  have unveiled version 9.5 of their platform, with a “focus on customer experience”.
Geared towards mid-large size enterprises, ElcomCMS comes with over 70 core features to enable users to manage multiple sites, intranets, micro-sites, and so forth.
ElcomCMS 9.5 is scheduled to go live on July 1st 2014.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elcomcms9_5.jpg" alt="ElcomCMS 9.5" />
The Elcom team has identified some common challenges facing IT managers, marketing executives, and everybody in between.
Here are some of those common challenges ElcomCMS 9.5 is aiming to address:
<ul>
<li>Reducing the time it takes to transfer content from old sites to new sites with a migration toolkit.</li>
<li>Authorized staff will be able to update the website anywhere, anytime on a mobile-friendly admin interface.</li>
<li>Push important information out to your employees through a new intranet mobile app.</li>
<li>Segmentation-based delivery of content to website audiences.</li>
<li>Faster performance resulting in quicker page-loading and reduced bounce rates.</li>
</ul>
Elcom's Product Director Tim Kirkman made the following comments regarding the announcement:
<blockquote>“Increasingly, IT and marketing teams are working together to create websites and intranets that not only meet the basic corporate requirements but integrate the many elements of marketing technology that are now critical to sales strategies.
As technology advances, companies are able to build on their existing platforms rather than having to change products. At the same time most want to take more control over migration and administration, to cut out the middle man and reduce time delays.
In upgrading our CMS platform a core consideration has been enhancing both our customers’ experience behind the scenes as well as the experience of their own customers. We want to offer a foundation from which companies can manage all their communication tools with flexibility to grow in the future.
Our goal is to help businesses get the most from their websites, intranets and portals by integrating existing systems with new functions. By putting the focus on communication rather than technology or sales, we can ensure the needs of all departments are met – regardless of a company’s core business.”</blockquote>
For more information on ElcomCMS 9.5, check out <a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/Resources/Articles/elcomcms95-customer-experience" target="_blank"> Elcom's recent blog post</a> regarding the impending release.

ElcomCMS 9.5 Set to Be Released

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.motocms.com/">MotoCMS</a> 3.0 was only <a href="/motocms-3-0-formally-launched/">released a few weeks ago</a>, but now there's a new update in town.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/motocms-3-0-6-update-main_1.jpg" /></a>Capable of producing crisp-looking responsive Websites, MotoCMS is a platform that's fast, sleek and heading in an interesting direction. CMS Critic has a review of MotoCMS on the way, so do keep your eyes peeled.Here's what's new with MotoCMS.<h2>Support &amp; SEO Enhancements</h2>First up, users will notice a “Quick Help” button within their admin panels. New users will see a helpful pop-up whenever they enter a new area, explaining the area.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/motocms-3-0-6-update-quick-help_1.jpg" />Experienced users though, can access the same help at any time by simply clicking the Quick Help icon.Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has also been enhanced, as users can now make use of “noindex”, “nofollow” and “canonical” link elements.Another notable feature lets users add custom html-code to Headers and Footers. This can be done via the Settings section to make the code valid for the entire website, or alternatively, the code can be injected into specific pages.More information on MotoCMS 3.0.6 can be found on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.motocms.com/blog/en/motocms-3-0-6-update-technical/">MotoCMS Blog</a>.You can find out more about <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS through our CMS Directory</a>.

MotoCMS 3.0.6 Brings About Support & SEO Improvements

Magnolia 5.3 has offiically been released and with it, introduced a new blend of CXM and CMS for this rapidly growing company.
With year over year growth exceeding 35% and a churn rate lower than 5%, Magnolia has seen some incredibly promising up ticks in sales and presence over the past few years.
To keep the ball rolling, they've introduced a new release that offers even more amazing refinements to their mobile first open source CMS. Magnolia 5.3 focuses on better positioning the product in a market of customer experience management driven suites by focusing on expanding capabilities such as personalization in order to improve customer interaction.
<blockquote>
“Creating better brand experiences is about taking the best tools and the data collected from them to quickly deliver new and personalized customer interactions” explains Boris Kraft, Magnolia Co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer. “The innovation in this release has been driven by our customers and their need to track, enhance and organize every online interaction through a simple-to-use content management system.”
</blockquote>
Let's take a look at some of the new capabilities and changes in this release.
<h3>Personalization</h3>
Magnolia's new personalization feature is based on page variants. Variants are alternative content that replace the original content in personalized delivery. You can target page variants to visitor according to traits such as country, date, or new vs. returning. Dedicated apps support creating segments and personas and impersonating visitors. Take the example below for instance, as you can see, you can personalize the experience based on the individual user or other traits as outlined above.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/magnolia-personalization953x0.png" alt="Magnolia 5.3" />
<h3>Tag Management</h3>
Another new feature in this release is the introduction of the Tags Manager app. This app lets you take those often used snippets of code for best-of-breed services such as <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/"> Google Analytics </a> , <a href="http://www.comscore.com/"> comScore </a> , <a href="http://www.turn.com"> Turn </a> , <a href="https://www.omniture.com/"> Omniture </a> , <a href="https://www.optimizely.com/"> Optimizely </a> , <a href="http://www.leadlander.com/"> Leadlander </a> and many others and integrate them quickly and easily into your platform with no developer support required.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/teaser-tags-manager_2014-06-24-12-15-05.png" alt="Magnolia 5.3" />
These tags can be used for a number of purposes and you aren't required to use any specific vendors, it's simply a way to quickly integrate code with minimal effort. What's nice is you can determine whether they show within your content and which platforms you'd like to display them on.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/diagram-tags-manager_2014-06-24-12-16-45.png" alt="Magnolia 5.3" />
Is it revolutionary? No of course not. This type of functionality already exists in a number of systems but the implementation here is what counts in my mind. There are similar solutions in products such as WordPress for specific themes (I'm thinking Genesis snippets here) and with the use of third party plugins but this being an app that is developed for Magnolia by Magnolia makes me more likely to consider it over an unvetted third party solution.
<h3>Tasks Inbox</h3>
This is one of the items I've been waiting to see the most since my  <a href="/my-visit-to-magnolias-offices-in-basel-switzerland/"> first visit to the Magnolia offices </a> last year. One of the features I saw missing was a workflow process that could be utilized to communicate between team members and Magnolia has done a great job in creating what I consider a solid implementation.
<blockquote>
The new Tasks Inbox provides instant visibility into open tasks, allowing administrators to easily check status and assign tasks to users. The Tasks Inbox is integrated with the Pulse, so assignees get instant notifications of new tasks…and of course, it all works seamlessly whether you're at work or on the move.
</blockquote>
In a demo by Andreas Weder and Mikael Geljic here at the 2014 Magnolia Conference, we saw a good example of how this Tasks inbox can be utilized when they demo'd the creation of an instagram based app that pulls photos and suggests them for future content to approvers.
Here's a great video that showcases a bit of what the Tasks inbox can do:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZrwbBBnGiKg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h3>Content at home or abroad</h3>
Perhaps you use third party cloud storage or web services in addition to databases to store your content.
<blockquote>
With Content Connectors, developers can now build Magnolia apps with the same great user experience as native apps, and quickly interact with any external data source while users manage the content in a familiar way. 
 All native Magnolia content apps in community and enterprise editions are updated to use the new content connector automatically. Magnolia 5.3 also introduces an improved DAM API making it possible to plug in external asset providers such as Flickr, YouTube or a file system, and integrate the DAM with WebDav and CMIS.
</blockquote>
With Magnolia 5.3, you can manage all of it using your favorite Apps. Content can be stored in a number of places as illustrated by the diagram below.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/teaser-content-connector_2014-06-24-12-16-12.png" alt="Magnolia 5.3" />
The obvious advantages here are that you don't need to create yet another repository just to make things work with Magnolia but rather, you can simply connect it to existing services and manage them from within.
In addition to these new features, Magnolia has also introduced their new App Finder, which is a centralized repository for Magnolia approved applications, modules, source code and partner contributions.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appfinder887x0.png" alt="Magnolia 5.3" />
It is available to all customers and community contributors and can be found at <a href="http://apps.magnolia-cms.com"> http://apps.magnolia-cms.com </a>
To learn more about this new release from Magnolia, visit https://www.magnolia-cms.com/home/campaigns/magnolia-5-3  and be sure to  <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cmscritic"> follow us on Twitter </a> to get the latest updates.

Magnolia 5.3 Blends CXM with CMS to Deliver Best of Breed Software

<img style="max-width:150px" title="Xoops_logo" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/xoops_logo-150x150_cwvjnx.jpg" />The <a href="http://xoops.org/">XOOPS Project</a>, one of world’s leading Open Source CMS (Content Management System), has released recently the newest version of its award winning software – XOOPS 2.4.4, and continues to show its strong presence in the Open Source CMS market, as shown by the number of downloads of this releases.
In the first ten weeks after releasing of 2.4.4, it has been already downloaded more than 20,000 times.
Including versions of 2.4.4 that are released in local languages (e.g. French, German, Russian), the number is even much higher.
There will be soon a release of XOOPS 2.4.5 RC (see the <a href="http://www.xoops.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5229" target="_blank">Beta release here)</a>, and XOOPS 2.5.0 Beta (see the<a href="http://www.xoops.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5249" target="_blank"> Alpha 2 release)</a>.

Over 20,000 downloads of XOOPS 2.4.4

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