Good pro-MODx arguments needed

Hi Jay,

I agree with everything you’re saying
The wiki is great but imho it should be an extra resource next to the manual, it cannot replace a well-written manual.

Quote from: smashingred at Feb 08, 2008, 08:16 AM

I think for the benefit of MODx a "Guide to MODx" needs to be focused, edited and singular with a set of links to references, howtos and wiki posts. A manual is a sign of maturity and although MODx is still a baby compared to other projects it is almost ready for school. We need to look at how we can allow for the most successful adoption of what many of us believe is a revolutionary CMS/F App.

I agree.

I also, to be frank and honest, believe that MODx right now has a ton of excited forum posters, and very few contributors.

We need more of the latter.

I think that we are somehow starting from the end...

We need first to identify the customer(s)/user(s).
MODx was designed for people that know how to program but to make it
really take off it has to cater to pure designers and in some extent (which
needs to be defined) to the general public.

Once the customers or segments are defined, the proposed documentation and
its levels has to be layed down. A programmer probably does not need a flash
tutorial to understand how to do things... a designer probably needs a green bean modx book
and some flash tutorials, the general public would definitely needs a video tutorial or a
graphic/screen step by step how to guide.

It all depends of how far we want MODx to go...

True Shaun, sometimes I wonder if I should not spend more time writing doc, blog post and do screencast and less time on the forums... maybe it’s a downside of an hyperactive forum

Then again having participated in several opensource community, and managed documentation for Texpattern for a while, people willing (and able) to write doc are hard to find ! This doesn’t mean we don’t have a contributing community but that given the narrower user base we have, finding people willing to jump in and write or do screencast is scarce...

Last but not least, we definitely have to improve our communication towards would-be contributors too... I believe the modxcms.com redesign will help a bit on that one...


Quote from: charliez at Feb 08, 2008, 09:13 AM

We need first to identify the customer(s)/user(s).
MODx was designed for people that know how to program but to make it really take off it has to cater to pure designers and in some extent (which
needs to be defined) to the general public.

This debate has taken place long ago, first among the team and then regularly on the forums.

We have not only identified, but targeted, a very clear category of users / customers. Contrary to what you seem to imply, MODx was not designed (only) for people who know how to program. I think MODx has been attracting as many designers as it attracted coders. I think 0.9.7 will attract a lot more coders / dev with the framework aspect being expanded way beyond what it is now (and also, since we’re talking documentation, a fine API doc !).

Flexible templating is one of MODx strong suit, accessibility and standards compliancy is a key aspect too. I am a designer with very little php skills, yet I can achieve with MODx things I would have needed a developper to achieve with another CMS ! And it didn’t take me long to learn... I think I am not the only one here.

Now, we’ve always been clear that MODx does NOT, at the time, target end users in the sense that someone with no skills can built a website with MODx. You need at least to be HTML and CSS savvy. MODx is NOT Joomla or YAPS or "1 click install" system...

Quote from: charliez

Once the customers or segments are defined, the proposed documentation and its levels has to be layed down. A programmer probably does not need a flash tutorial to understand how to do things... a designer probably needs a green bean modx book and some flash tutorials, the general public would definitely needs a video tutorial or a graphic/screen step by step how to guide.

This is true of any documentation effort. Check out most open source projects and you’ll see the doc is split between developpers, designers and end users. Nothing new here.

I am one of those ’Designers" that has adopted MODx. I’ve built about 10 sites using MODx and 10 others using Joomla. A couple of observations about the last 15 months of learning. I

First, I used Joomla / Mambo before I began looking for a "real" solution. They felt as forced as osCommerce. The worst thing about them is they are over-stuffed out of the box with features and code I will never use. That bloat makes the Admin a nightmare for me.

Second, a major help for designers with MODx would have been to use different terminology regarding "templates". When I first started I almost felt as though MODx was like Joomla. Install it and then try to hack/re-style all of the parts I was using. For me, MODx is an application. The designer builds a site - XHTML and CSS - and then plugs in the pieces he wants and the snippets he needs. Once I realized this the whole thing became much more easy and clear.

I’ve gotten pretty sophisticated with MODx, but I don’t want to learn PHP... The best thing that the community could do when depositing a script in the repository is to ask someone like me if they understand the install instructions and can they make it work. For example, I’ve used Kalender on a couple of jobs. Deevio did a great job with the install instructions. I had the snippet installed and working (and styled) in minutes. My current project (http://209.62.36.15/~centenn4/) uses more Resources than I would have imagined a year ago.

The best argument for using MODx versus Drupal or any other CMS - from my perspective - is what I ask my customers: Do you want a completely custom solution that is lightweight and flexible. Or do you want something out of the box that will have a ton of features, code etc that you won’t use or need.