Web experts: what website solution do you recommend to organizations in Africa?

Wow, big topic. I think that for any potential responses, the singular
thing that can be agreed upon is to replace the FrontPage function. Beyond
the ridiculousness of Frontpage and the fact that Microsoft has ended it as
a product, it opens up massive security holes for both the client computer
and the webserver. A site based on PHP is going to be a great deal more
stable, secure, and also able to be upgraded and coded by the legions of PHP
coders that exist out there, myself included.

When it comes to specific platforms, I can break down a number of these and
my own observations on them.

*Maneno*
- Obviously I'm quite partial to the platform as I'm the Technology Director
behind it. We've been working to build out a brand new platform that is not
only good for the situation that Tobias is outlining, but also any other
implementation. The biggest strengths are the fact that at the core of
Maneno it has been built to be low bandwidth, multi-lingual, multi-author,
and custom-themed. We work to create an admin that functions much more like
Adobe or Apple's principle wherein new internet usage can get it, set up,
and write on their blog, but at the same time, if they start poking around,
they have the ability to add in more options.
- We are currently working on deploying a complete rework of our admin
system in the next two weeks which will create more customization options
and more powerful management features with a new and sexier theme system.
- We also allow for URL hosted setups. This is something that we set up on
an as-requested basis. Over the next three months, we will roll out a more
powerful system that we feel will be very cool and address a lot of the
issues specific to URL-hosting in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Our CMS system allows for pages separate from the blog articles will also
see a boost in functionality and design during the next few months as well.
- We are also building Maneno as an Open Source software platform, but have
yet to formally announce this given that I feel we need to work on several
more elements before bandying that term about freely.
- We don't have an offline tool, nor do I think we'll invest in constructing
one as basic text editors are very simple and available to use on any
operating system. Instead, we want to work on creating a mobile component,
which when blogging via SMS/MMS will require a brand new system to assemble
articles out of text messages.
- Shortly we will have an XML import and export function so that you will be
free to move any blog from or to Maneno to give users freedom of choice.
- We also work on the social media side of things, amplifying content on the
hosted blogs and promoting not only the African blogging community, but also
the African language communities that go beyond English, French, Portuguese,
and Spanish.
- If anyone has any specific function questions, please feel free to ask me.

*WordPress*
Obviously this is everyone's view of what an elegant blogging platform
should be. I will definitely agree that it is well-designed and powerful in
how it can be customized. My big issue in it is that it isn't a one size
fits all solution even though people try to bash it in to that. For
example, why on earth was a store component built for a blogging platform?
Unfortunately the functions that make it so appealing are also the ones that
make it impractical for low bandwidth implementations. While you can strip
out all the front-end images and get the pages to be quite small, the devil
is in the admin. I use WordPress often for a blog I write about San
Francisco, but I find the interface to be a bit redundant in places and
extremely overwhelming for new users. It's also the case that getting the
admin sections under 200kb in download size is quite tricky. You can (as I
have) install Google Gears and it reduces a great deal of the download size
and latency issues associated with that. It still is the case that it is
built to function best on a modern browser on a modern system even if
bandwidth needs are addressed.
If you need to have articles in multiple languages, WordPress is not a
terribly good choice as it's not a core component to the system. This
doesn't affect everyone and if you only need to write in one language, then
it's a complete non-issue.
But, after taking all of this in to consideration, it is still a highly
extensible, vastly-themed system with a large development community and user
base behind it. Just be careful when considering it as there are people who
consider it to be the *only* blogging application that you could ever use
and view it more in a religious than practical fashion. Still, think about
it and if it looks to work for your implementation, by all means use it.

*Blogger*
Probably not the best choice for CMS elements, but if all you need is a blog
and you choose not to use Maneno, then I really recommend Blogger. Blogger,
despite any reservations about the appearance, works really well. They
support hosted URL's and embedding content from other sources is very easy.
For new users, I think it's a great choice and just like Maneno and
WordPress, you can export out all your content as an XML file to move to
other systems.
I know that they offer the ability to email in articles which, while cool is
something I've never thought to be all that necessary given that if you're
writing email, you're probably online and can just post it directly to the
blog. Also, it's dependent on the user having their own machine, which a
great many people don't; 98% of the world actually.

*TypePad*
It's been far too long since I've used this system to give a good analysis
of it. Hopefully someone else can?

*Posterous*
Much like TypePad, I've not used it enough to evaluate, but it is a cool
concept and it's dirt simple to set up and get going for new users.
Obviously not useful for CMS purposes, but more just online publishing.

*Tumblr*
I seriously love Tumblr. It fills that point between a typical blogging
platform and microblogging like Twitter. And a blog like this
http://stoodinthemaasaimara.tumblr.com/ is just cool. The only problem with
it is when people try to write normal blogs on it, which I would say it
isn't the best for. Also, it's not great for CMS. I was really shocked to
find that despite the very clean (and in my opinion, super classy) designs,
the overall bandwidth really isn't that slim. But again, for sharing links,
photos, and the general ephemera of the internet, it's a great system.

*Joomla*
I worked for a company that had built their CMS on Joomla. Let's first off
say that the blogging component of it is not good. We mashed TypePad up to
work with it and later on they switched to WordPress... while in the process
dumping Joomla altogether. I admire what Joomla has and the development
community is focused behind it, but implementing it beyond a basic website
is not easy. First, you need to be a highly-competent PHP developer and
second, you need to be a Joomla developer. Their markup language requires a
good deal of work to learn properly. But, if someone wishing to implement
has a good Joomla developer sitting around, go for it. It is robust, but
just complicated, although again, on the admin side of things, it gets
rather heavy in the bandwidth department. Also, multi-lingualism is not in
its vocabulary.

*Drupal*
The CMS that got the leg up on Joomla primarily because the development
environment is a great deal easier, the documentation better, and the
community larger. Drupal has a massive plugin repository, but in pure
functionality, it is much the same as Joomla. There is the rather steep
learning curve in setting up a site on it and unfortunately, a lot like
WordPress, I find that people who are fans have gotten religious about it
and don't approach implementations from an objective viewpoint. The front
end can be hacked and made to be light just like WordPress and Joomla, but
the back end admin is still heavy. Also the blogging element is not
something I would recommend. Lastly, as an ardent Drupal developer once
told me, "At it's core, it is impossible to have a multi-lingual site with
Drupal." So again, if that's an issue, think twice about implementing it.

In general, I have to say that there is no simple solution that will meet
100% of an organization or individual's needs and maybe not even 90%. To
quote Princess Bride, "Anyone who says differently is selling something."
And of course, most people/organizations don't have the budget for a
fulltime technology person to analyze all of this, so they have to go by
word of mouth. All I can say is to be wary of anyone who will not admit to
the weaknesses and strengths of a selection of systems out there.

Miquel Hudin
Technology
http://www.maneno.org
http://twitter.com/maneno

On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 03:45, Tobias Eigen wrote:

These are great responses about technology responding to the situation faced by the Somali organization. But I wonder to what extent the question about why this website is being created in the first place has been adequately addressed, and what expectations there are for the website. 

In my own work I have been amazed at the pace of technical innovation ... I consider modern technology ... that is ICT ... to be perhaps 1 million times more powerful than the technology available at the beginning of my career. But the data flowing over the technology is pathetic compared to the technology ... there is a lot of entertainment and socializing ... but the data, analysis and accountability that might be possible on top of this amazing technology has hardly started. 

Website design has become dynamic ... and the graphics and the imagery is impressive ... but what does the website do for important information relative to what it could do?

I do not pretend to be at the top of the technology game ... but I have some training and experience in the design and management of data systems, and in the use of data for decision making and accountability. I read engineering and economics at Cambridge ... did some heavy engineering ... then Chartered Accountancy in London and a corporate management career in the USA including installing mainframe computers, running accounting departments, running a sizable US factory and being the CFO of an US based international company. My only claim to fame was a lot of profit improvement because the accounting and operating performance data helped people make good decisions and this resulted in profit improvement. Later I did consulting work for the World Bank, the IFC, UN agencies and others ... trying to apply some of the lessons learned about management information to the operations of the relief and development sector. I had some success ... but nothing like what should have been possible.

I am continuing this work independently and have developed Community Analytics (CA) ... an analytical framework about socio-economic progress and performance for the community that goes beyond the measurement of money costs, revenues and profit to include the value consumption, value creation and value change that determine quality of life in society. CA has the perspective of the community rather than the organization ... and looks at what value an organization contributes to or takes from the community.

Every sport keeps score ... and compiles performance statistics. Every good company measures profit ... and has operating performance information. The stockmarket has details about is prices and its volumes and how different economic indicators and profit reports impact prices and valuation. But when it comes to the community where we live and where we work, there are little or no meaningful metrics ... no score keeping ... no stats. Without meaningful metrics, there is poor decision making, and little or no accountability.

Most websites developed for an organization tell about an organization ... tell about what an organization is doing in the best possible light ... tell stories about clients to impress the reader ... the website packages the organization to sell the product! The community context and the impact of the organization on the community is usually weak or non-existent ... quite often because this information would be not be helpful in the presentation package. How should this be addressed? I think this is important ... but I also know it is very uncomfortable. What to do?

Peter Burgess 

All of you receive greeting and best wishes from the Somali Journalist Rights Association (SOJRA).

We understand the whole positive responses which are here and your collaborations and assistances are as always much appreciated in view of that we are kindly requesting to all of you to support us so as to maintain or daily work and what we need is having a better website whether it is PHP, Word press or another version.

Journalism and Africa.

Journalism should be a tool that is shaping Africa to a bright future “Democracy and protection of human rights” thus officers remaining in the media organizations offices for long time is not helpful or weakness.

And we are under stigma and discrimination from some international media organizations and that is why what we are extensively requesting help from the other international community through our tireless affiliate organization Kabissa.

Best Wishes

Daud Abdi Daud

SOJRA, Founder

Email: daauud27@yahoo.com

To be honest, there are tons of technical solutions out there (Maneno does a good job reviewing different CMS's, and Win Morgan does an excellent job of arguing for a simple HTML-based site), but I'm much more interested in knowing what the website's going to be used for. There are literally hundreds of solutions for your website, and before we can give you specific advice, it's important to know what your needs are.

• What is the website for?

• Who is your audience?

• How often will you be updating?

• Is the person updating capable of learning HTML? Do they want to?

• If you'll be updating every day, how do you want your information to be organized?

• Do you need to be able to send newsletters, poll your readers, accept comments on articles, or any thing else besides display simple, flat web pages?

• Will you be redoing the website yourselves, or do you have a budget to hire an expert?

• Do you have a plan (and a budget) for site maintenance and updates as needs change?

• What's your bandwidth situation? What about that of your audience?

• Because you're blogging elsewhere, what would you like to accomplish with your website that you are currently unable to do through your blogs?

All these questions have to be answered before anyone can give you a good answer. There are a couple of steps I'd recommend following before diving into a redesign and relaunch:

1. Get all the stakeholders in a room and decide two things:

   1. The site's primary objective (raise money, raise awareness, get announcements out to a specific audience, serve as reference library and documentation center, or whatever else)

   2. The primary point of contact for the site.

2. Once you know what the primary objective is, brainstorm the best ways to accomplish this, both ON and OFF line, including thinking about who your audience is.

3. Start thinking about content and how often your website will be updated. All the information on your site should serve a purpose: accomplishing your primary objective. Think about whether the site needs to be accompanied by a social media campaign, or whether the site will more or less stand on its own. How do you plan to get the word out about the relaunch and any new features?

4. Come up with a budget (you'll need money if you're outsourcing the job, and you'll need time if you're going to hand if off to a staff member).

It's really after you've got this information in hand that we can give an informed opinion about the “best” solution for your business.

(I'd be interested in a list of possible technical solutions with examples. For example, what kinds of situations is Maneno most appropriate for? When is WordPress the best solution? When is it a disaster? Are their any cases in which Joomla is really the only viable option? How do you customize X-solution to do Y? When should orgs start looking at hiring someone technical or outsourcing the work? How do you identify a competent developer? Etc.)