| While the term "content is king" is certainly true for | | | | in this world is truly free, they are making money off |
| web masters, you need to have ways to deliver that | | | | your work. Install your own blog software and |
| content to your visitors. I'd like to outline my favorite | | | | control your own destiny. My favorite blog software |
| 5, that is what I consider to be "best in class" pieces | | | | is Serendipity. Of all the top choices listed here, this |
| of software to build your web presence. | | | | one is probably the most debatable. Their are other |
| First of all, let me set the ground rules. I'm going to | | | | good free choices in this category such as |
| assume you have hosting and that hosting provides | | | | Wordpress and Nucleus. After trying a sampling of |
| MySQL databases and PHP. I would also say Java, | | | | other software, Serendipity was the easiest to use, |
| but none of my top 5 require Java, so I'll save that | | | | place ads on had the most attractive layouts (with |
| discussion for another day. Another thing I'd like to | | | | the least work). Others will certainly argue this choice, |
| point out is that all of my picks are either freeware | | | | and to this day I have blogs in both Nucleus and |
| or open source, so you won't need to buy any of | | | | Serendipity. |
| these. Let's get down to business. | | | | The 2nd best software for building your web site. |
| The 5th best software for building your web site. | | | | Community forums are a great way to boost your |
| I have a two way tie for my fifth favorite piece of | | | | web sites content. Get the visitors to do the work |
| web site software. They are Nucleus for blogs and | | | | of putting relevant content on your site and over |
| Mambo for a content management system. If you | | | | time you will have a perpetual content machine. My |
| read further down, both of these were beaten out | | | | favorite forum software is phpBB. PhpBB is a high |
| for higher spots by other software but they deserve | | | | powered, fully scalable, and highly customizable Open |
| honorable mention. These are both excellent pieces | | | | Source bulletin board package (quote taken right |
| of software and of course they are free. Mambo is | | | | from their web site). I found phpBB easy to install, |
| an open source product and although I don't see | | | | stable and you can't argue with the price, it's free! |
| mention of open source in the Nucleus web site, it is | | | | There is a very active user community and it's easy |
| a community driven effort under the GNU General | | | | to find add ons and customizations. |
| Public License (GPL). | | | | And finally, my #1 pick for the best web site |
| The 4th best software for building your web site. | | | | software. |
| Photo gallery software. Okay, there are a million | | | | Joomla! Joomla is a content management system |
| wallpaper sites on the net, but the one thing most of | | | | which has it's roots in another product, Mambo. I've |
| them have in common is that they are extremely | | | | used Joomla on more than a dozen web sites and |
| popular. The reason for this is clear, people like | | | | am very happy with the flexibility it provides, it's |
| pictures, desktop wallpaper and otherwise. I don't | | | | stability and with the use of add ons, it's search |
| personally run a wallpaper site, but I do use photo | | | | engine optimization capabilities. |
| gallery software to serve images to my other sites | | | | The current version (as of this writing) is 1.0.12 with |
| (and for personal family photos). The software I | | | | 1.5 in beta. Joomla is an open source product, |
| chose in this category is called Coppermine. This | | | | meaning that it is developed as a community effort |
| software is easy to use and customize. Did I mention | | | | and the source code is freely available. It's easy to |
| that it's also free! | | | | find add ons for Joomla such as templates, SEO add |
| The 3rd best software for building your web site. | | | | ons and more. The install for Joomla (on GoDaddy) |
| Blogging is very popular on the net right now and | | | | was painless for me, simply follow the enclosed |
| there are a ton of places that will let you start your | | | | instructions. If you haven't looked at Joomla for your |
| own blog at no cost. Of course the drawback to this | | | | web site yet, I strongly suggest that you take a |
| is that they usually put their ads on your site. Nothing | | | | closer look at it. |