I’ve already whined about the trials of being a web generalist. Too many technologies, not enough time, the dog ate my homework, woe is me. It’s true I have to know a ridiculous number of platforms, frameworks and languages to some extent. It’s also true that I’m an expert in only a small handful of them, knowing enough of the others to get by. I can generally use related frames of reference to pick up a new technology quickly. I’ve also learned that it is often sufficient to know the capabilities of some technologies, so I can contract a specialist to implement solutions for me, if required.
Many people hate the idea of being a jack of all trades, and want to excel in one or two areas. A common pairing is web design and a CMS framework like Joomla, Wordpress or Drupal. Typically these people will become an expert on their platform, learning about all the available plugins and hacks, and maybe even how to write plugins of their own.
Sooner or later, a project will come along that doesn’t mesh with the expert’s tools. There is a saying: “When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. Zen Cart makes a lousy CMS. CMS Made Simple’s blogging module can’t compete with Wordpress (I know, I’m using it on a personal site!). Wordpress doesn’t work well as a social networking site. I am not criticising any of these excellent tools, I’m just noting that they each have a core focus: E-Commerce, general purpose CMS and Blogging, respectively, in the examples cited above.
The decision isn’t always simple, because site requirements aren’t always simple. Take for example, a recent project we dealt with. It required a brochure site, with a booking system, one CMS page and a blog, in that order. We could have done the lot in one of a number of CMS platforms, but each solution we looked at presented a serious compromise with one or more of the requirements. In the end we decided that we would custom code the brochure site, the CMS page and the booking system, and port the overall theme to Wordpress for the blog component. This solution resulted in a more intensive development cycle, and cost a little more, but ultimately it matched the client’s requirements exactly. The client is delighted with the end result and is coming back to us in the new year for more features.
If we had developed the system on one platform, I honestly feel that the client would have needed to adapt their business to the constraints of the system, rather than the other way around.
If you are contemplating a new web system, do ask your provider about the nuts and bolts. I am reliably informed that it is a torturous experience to be locked up in a room with me for a couple of hours, while the painful process of deciding how the system will function is decided. I know however, that this process saves hours, days or even weeks in the long run.
Use the right tool for the job, folks, and if your provider tackles every job with a Stanley knife and that tool for getting stones out of horses hooves, you might want to be a little concerned.
