Joomla! What I’ve Learned
Like many widely adopted open source projects Joomla has a wealth of user documentation, forum posts, plugins, training materials and all the other trappings of good software. I wanted to write a few posts, though, and outline a few things that I’ve learned which are central to my understanding of Joomla.
First, Installation
If you’ve never installed a web application before, and don’t plan on doing it again soon, seriously consider having someone do this part for you. Open Source web applications like Joomla are a lot easier to install and much better documented than they used to be.
But, it’s a bit like changing the oil in your car. Rather than pay $30, do you want to go find a jack, jack-stands, the right filter, a filter wrench, clothes you can get filthy, and figure out what kind of oil to use? I’m pretty handy, but the last time I changed the oil in my car I accidentally stripped the oil pan bolt socket – a $200 repair .
It should take someone who knows what they’re doing about an hour to quiz you about the setup you want, get access to your hosting or set up hosting for you, and install the application. It would probably take you 4-6 hours to do it the first time, especially if you’ve never set up a MySQL database, configured an FTP client, or updated file permissions.
So, that’s my first piece of advice in a nutshell. Installation can be the most technical part, so why not leave it up to someone else?
Coming Soon:
- Menus = Mapping Magic & How URLs Work
- Advanced Templates
