[TYPO3] SPAM-LOW: Re: Typo3 vs other CMSs

[Ryan Off]

Chris,

I completely agree. I switched from Mambo to Typo3 about a year and a  
half ago and I still am wondering if it was a good idea. The amount  
of time it has taken me to learn how to get the basic modules  
installed (newsletter mailer, members area, document management,  
photo gallery, news listings) and working has been tremendous. Most  
of these modules should all be a standard part of any CMS core  
functionality.

And most importantly, my least favorite part of Typo3, TEMPLATES! Why  
does Typo3 not have a gallery on the web where you can view templates  
and in one or two clicks have them apply to your installation?!!

And why is there no active Bullitin Board for Typo3.org???!!!  Much  
easier to use search through than a mailing list!!

Unfortunately, not many of the extensions are built to be plug-and- 
play. I am a strong believer that simplicity is power and Typo3  
strongly lacks simplicity. I would really like to see a movement in  
the Typo3 community to make extensions more simple. My thoughts are  
that any extension should be plug-and-play with only a few clicks to  
run the normal basic installation, then if you want more options/ 
flexibility, then you would go to the documentation. I see the Typo3  
core as the problem. The system is built as a development platform  
with a basic infrastructure to handle extensions, but each extensions  
takes a few hours to understand, learn how to install it, and build  
the necessary structure in Typo3 to handle the extension. I just wish  
a core value in Typo3 was simplicity and it's not.

Even though I am negetive here, I must say that I adore Typo3's page  
tree view of your site and how you add content items to it. And how  
to move them around, etc. That is the best part about Typo3 and one  
reason why I haven't switched back to anything else.

Another major Typo3 problem is bugs. I have found a tremendous amount  
of them in all sorts of extensions. Hopefully by Typo3 7.0 it will be  
ready for the masses, but as is, get ready for a lot of learning and  
a lot of the Typo3 community pointing your to go back and re-read the  
over-elaborate and complex documents on Templating and Typoscript.

With all my complaining, I must say that Typo3 is an amazing product  
and I express my thanks to Kasper for so much effort. Hopefully in a  
few versions it will be the CMS everyone is looking for. For the next  
few versions, I would love to see a new fresh look at templates and  
making the BE look a bit more simple and elegant (Drupal's ajax  
implementations are quite nice).

Ryan



On 12 Jul 2006, at 11:29, Christoph Herrmann wrote:

> Lol, I'm getting the message, thanks all :) I guess it's the same with
> all the Photoshop vs Fireworks, MT vs Wordpress etc discussions. There
> will never be agreement, but the more competent and customisable your
> tool, the more diffcult it will be to set up and learn.
>
> I played around all day with Joomla. In my particular case I feel that
> (apart from the very important point that it displays no site  
> hierachy,
> which indeed hurts!) most of all it will be easier on my clients. I  
> can
> sit down and play around with Typo3 all year and probably learn to use
> and develop over time, like I have learnt to use all other tools of my
> trade. But when I tested with my wife yesterday, she had no clue where
> to start with Typo3 and Joomla made a lot of sense to her, at least at
> the basic beginner level.
>
> Now most of my clients are at the same web savvy level as my wife,  
> i.e.
> no idea. They want to control their websites or want their  
> secretary to
> do so, without any need for training. So I install a CMS, explain the
> basics and then charge for more advanced stuff. Keeps them happy and
> relieves a lot of maintenance work for me. I don't think any of my
> clients would ever manage to learn Typo3. One example:
>
> One client of mine wants different templates for different pages. In
> Joomla he just clicks and assigns a template to a page. In Typo3 he
> would need to learn TypoScript and all sorts of stuff.
>
> Basically in Joomla my client can switch on and off all sorts of stuff
> and readf the docs and learn how to use it. With Typo3 he wouldn't  
> even
> understand the first 5 lines of any doc I've read so far, and I really
> have read a LOT.
>
> So bottom line is, from my very short experience: Typo3 is a pro
> developers tool with immense capabilities. Great to build complex  
> stuff.
> But I can't really present  this to any customer of mine as a CMS. If
> even I got intensely frustrated by it I don't even want to imagine  
> what
> it would do to a mere Joe Sixpack who can't even configure their email
> address properly (and I say this without any disrespect, I can't  
> fix my
> spark plugs either!)
>
> Cheers
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> Elmar Hinz wrote:
>
>> Matthew Manderson wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I found that TYPO3 was the only CMS that could do want I wanted  
>>> so I had to
>>> learn it and I still am learning and I still feel like a newbie.
>>>
>>> If you can really do it in Joomla, don't waste your effort on TYPO3.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Full ACK.
>>
>> TYPO3 is definitly not for your mother and your father and your  
>> cousin. It
>> is for professionals and real freaks only. It's a heavy machine.  
>> You need
>> training to handly it.
>>
>> Donate your little sister a package of Joomla.
>>
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Elmar
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> TYPO3-english at lists.netfielders.de
>> http://lists.netfielders.de/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/typo3-english
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Christoph Herrmann
>
> Lemon Digital Design
> Internet Professionals
>
> Mail: cherrmann at lemon-digital.com
> Tel.: +34.954.906.902
> Mobile: +34.661.805.195
> Web: www.lemon-digital.com
>
>
>
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