We're starting a new blog over here at biz.advanceitmn.org. The focus will be open source Web Content Management Systems with a lot of focus on Drupal.
In this blog we'll spend some time on comparing some of pluses and minuses of open source and proprietary systems (and whether this is even a good question in the first place). We'll look at how some of the commonly used open source Web Content Management System stack up. Then we will spend considerable time on Drupal showing its strengths and some of is weaknesses.
Before we get started though. I thought it would be useful to review why a Web CMS is a good idea in the first place.
A Web CMS offers several key features that are extremely helpful. Some of the key features include:

• Inline, easier editing that almost completely eliminate the need to hand-write html and ftp files back and forth to a server. This allows people with good writing skills, but without html and Web skills, to write for the Website without the help of a tech guru. Lowering the tech barrier is a game changer.
• A templating system to promote consistency in look and feel of a site. Ever been to a site that has a completely different look on a section of a site - one that looks a little off?  A good templating system allow content editors concentrate on content. 
• Provide a granular permissions system to allow site administers to control who can edit what.  Many Web CMS systems allow for complex work flows where some users are writers, others proofreaders, editors and approvers where content does not get posted to the site until it is proofed and approved.
• Key features that are difficult to create from scratch such as event calendars, blogging, news, e-commerce, server-side video conversion a la YouTube, RSS feeds and more. These features allow you to take your Web site much further in much less time.
• Allow your Web developers do something much more interesting that turn Word documents into html pages.  Believe me, they hate doing this.        

 
One thing on the minus side of the column a Web CMS often  requires a beefier server.  Many Web CMS applications need more server RAM, CPU, and fast disks.  I feel the trade off is well worth it - spending a little more on hosting every month versus more man hours is an easy choice to make in my book.  
In our next post, we'll look at Open Source vs. Proprietary Web CMS systems.