Choosing the Joomla 1.5 CMS

Joomla 1.5 was released on January 2008 and it has been used to build millions of sites. Now, it is at version 1.512 and still going strong. Joomla can be downloaded at joomla.org and installed on the hosted domain or a local Wamp or Xamp server. Wamp is a good tool to use for testing Joomla sites offline before they go live.

Joomla can be seen as the Windows of Content Management Systems. Other CMS may have positives like better administration control over content, but, Joomla has so many components, modules and plugins that can be installed which can do practically anything a user wants. All plugins components and modules are written in PHP. In some cases they can be installed and used immediately. In other cases, proper parameters need top be setup. Yet in other cases, they will need complete makeovers in the CSS and PHP files. Furthermore, just how PHP is setup on the server can have an impact on how the site displays information. At some point, a web builder will need adequate knowledge of PHP and MYSQL in order to make forward progress with the majority of Joomla components, plugins and modules. Still, for the client he wins because the CMS can be setup and delivered rather affordably, and his ability to edit text and image content will cut all future costs and allow for a more up to date website at all times. 

So many websites are built with Joomla 1.0 and Joomla 1.5 because the client can login and make changes on his computer. The changes can be text or graphics. 

With the Global economy, so many Joomla extensions are being produced in countries the american dollar is very strong. This allows for an instant purchase for an affordable extension that can often be downloaded within minutes of purchase. And, as you read this, more and more competition is popping up and new versions and templates are being tweaked to keep web 2.0 very fresh indeed. It may be heartbreaking for some people to see such advanced coding being sold in Malaysia for $150 when it would take a hefty salary for an efficient PHP programmer with solid CSS skills to create the same software at home. This is just the way it is. Web development is becoming more plug and play. Joomla is a spelling change from the derived word ‘Jumla’ which means ‘all together’. The future, at this point, only looks easier for the plug and play web developer since the methods of plug and play are so cost effective and a quick solution to often complex problems. 

Some of the more high end Joomla sites are outdoorphotographer.com and tnawrestling.com 

For websites that just use text and graphics, familiarity will be the key. Drupal and WordPress load very fast with websites that display text and graphics. 

July 7, 2009 by kent