Plone

Plone is a web content management system well suited for sites that need membership such as community sites, extranets, and intranets. We prefer it for websites that need:

• Flexible permissions management for individual users or user groups.
• Multi-step workflow with a change-approval process and automated email notifications.
• Built-in support for internationalization and localization.

Why do we like Plone?

• Free and open-source. Plone can run on Unix, Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. It’s built on the Zope application framework, which is written in Python.
• Accessibility. Produces standards-compliant XHTML web page code, which follows the standard WAI-AAA and Section 508 specifications.
• Editing Experience. Editors use the Kupu rich text editor for content changes. Kupu uses CSS in favor of HTML for layout and presentation.
• World-wide Community. Plone has one of the largest development communities of any open-source CMS. Many extensions, or “products”, have been built and are available to download at no cost. Products can be added to existing Plone implementations for often-used website functions, including blogs, image galleries, and many more.
• File Protection and Versioning. Uses a check-in and check-out model for file management, which prevents duplication of changes. Also, current files can be compared to previous file versions, and rolled-back if necessary.
• Common Website Features Built-in. Plone installs with many common website features available to template builders, such as email-a-friend, site search, feedback form, and site map.

An authoritative list of Plone’s features can be found at www.plone.org.

Concerns about Plone

A common complaint is that Plone sites look boxy and generic. You can see an example of the boxy look at the Plone website. This shows the default theme installed by Plone.

Fortunately, Plone allows tremendous flexibility for creating custom themes and designs. In fact, there is no limit to what a Plone site can look like. Two sites we built with Plone, with very different appearances, are for The San Francisco Foundation and Pragmatic Marketing.

Developing new functionality for Plone requires more effort than what is required for adding to other open-source CMS, including SilverStripe.

User Experience with Plone

To edit a Plone site page, users navigate to that web page in any browser, log in, and then edit. The types of changes possible for any given user are based on their permissions. For example, an editor might have permission to add blog posts, but not to change the home page.

The editor in Plone is the Kupu rich text editor, which offers buttons for common formatting options similar to those found in a word processor. Among its many features, Kupu enables you to browse to images on your server or desktop, or to apply hypertext links to highlighted text. It also has an HTML toggle to show the underlying HTML source code of the content.

Because Plone is integrated into the live site, a web browser is all that’s needed to edit pages. When changes are ready, the editor can publish them; or if a workflow process has been established, the editor can pass changes on to a reviewer for approval.

Implementing the Plone CMS

A typical Plone site begins with a new installation of Plone on the web host, which will create a generic web site with a default Plone theme. Many website features come pre-installed, such as print-this-page, email-a-friend, and site search.

Additional website features, called “products”, are added after the initial installation. Many products are available to download at no cost, due to Plone’s large global community of developers. If custom functionality is needed, developers can use the Zope application framework to build it.

Next, your unique design is applied so that the site no longer looks like a generic Plone site.

If you would like to learn how Quinn Interactive can help you with your website, give us a call at (415) 296-9000. Or fill out our Free Consultation form and we’ll contact you right away.