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Over the past few years we’ve worked with dozens of different content management systems with varying levels of usability and workability. In a current engagement with a client we find ourselves having to learn yet another. Although this new system is actually very usable from a content editor’s point of view, it suffers from many of the following pitfalls.

5. Invalid XHTML

Writing valid XHTML enhances accessibility and sets your site up for forward compatibility. It is also the only way to ensure that your site will render correctly in all of today’s browsers and non-traditional devices. All code your developers write should be valid XHTML, expect nothing less from your CMS.

4. Missing or incorrect DOCTYPE

The DOCTYPE part of a document informs the browser what type of code is following and, as a result, how to render the page on the screen. It is not uncommon that a CMS automatically places a seemingly innocent copyright notice on the top of every page. What they may not realize is that unless the DOCTYPE is the very first thing on the page it does not take effect. This means that you could write perfectly valid XHTML code but because the DOCTYPE has been killed by your CMS, your site will not appear correctly in all browsers.

3. No RSS/XML support

XML/RSS is a great way to provide content. It allows users and other applications to pull in the data and use your content elsewhere, all the while linking back to your site. Today’s web is made up of streams in the form of news, events, status updates, etc. Your CMS should be able to participate in this form of sharing information.

2. No Support

A CMS is designed to only cover about 60 to 70% of updates necessary for maintaining a quality website, and even then no CMS is perfect. You will need help, whether it is design or development support for the site as a whole or dealing with the imperfections of your CMS.

1. Messy URLs

Your choice www.dynamit.us/index.php?action=content.display&id=7478&category=1212 or www.dynamit.us/services/web-development. There are tons of good reasons to want clean URLs: more user-friendly when linking, keyword-rich and good for SEO, indicative of a user’s place within a site architecture. The technology is there to make it happen, but your CMS has to be able to handle it.

Want to see what we’re talking about for yourself? Shoot us a note at info@dynamit.us to schedule a walk-through of our dCMS 5.0.

Clients often ask me what technologies and platforms they should invest in when it comes to open information exchange, socialization of business functions and internal and external communication.

This question is a good thing.

1) It means they are thinking about it. It means that they are trying to understand what is important now, and what will be important in the future. They are thinking about the economics of purchase, implementation, training and meaningful use.

2) It means that they are aware of trends and modern web history.There are peaks and valleys when it comes to networks, platforms and technology. MySpace and Friendster were all the rage, and now Facebook and Twitter are top-of-mind (though keep a heads up for MySpace as they begin to evolve).

My advice is always simple: Invest in behavior. All generations (not just those entering the work force) have a thirst for information. Twitter and Facebook are where interaction is taking place right now, but we are seeing status updates, posts and information becoming more independent from these platforms. I can publish an update to Twitter, Facebook, my blog, my Tumblr and LinkedIn in one submission. The behaviors of status reporting, commenting, micro updates and content sharing are not going away. Can anyone really anticipate which network will be hot or what technology will be ‘in’ ? My answer is no. However, what most in the industry can and will agree on is behaviors of updating and expectations of access to real-time information and domain experts is only just beginning.

So, invest in it. Figure out how to foster a culture of information exchange coupled with productivity. Find out how your people work best and how the behaviors described above can positively impact their workflow. Utilize current technologies and platforms, but concentrate on how information and publication/consumption behaviors can be analyzed and perpetuated for the good of your people and your clients.

The technologies will live and die, but the behavior will only become more core to how we all interact with the information economy that is the undercurrent of society.

It’s time to upgrade, folks.

We’re not talking about signing up for Facebook or downloading the latest version of Tweetdeck for your iPhone. We’re not talking about pushing all of your data to the cloud (the city of Los Angeles only did for 30,000+ employees) or replacing your networked tower computer with an iPad.

When we say upgrade, we’re talking about moving into the current decade with the latest and greatest version of your browser.

You know how some people say eyes are the window to the soul? Well your browser is the window to the internet [read: world].

We [dynamIt] and our industry brethren who work days (and nights) to create and deliver efficient, usable, beautiful work to our clients and their clients politely ask [demand] that you upgrade. Now.

Your browser – be it Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Chrome (current usage statistics) – is a tool. Its job is to interpret the code and design that we create and express them to you. In contemporary web, the expression of images and text is coupled with functionality and usability. When you mouse over something, it may move or change color. When you click, things happen. In progressive web applications you may see things happening without the entire page refreshing. Movement, images, video, data collection and distribution – all through cool and attractive interfaces. The capabilities of contemporary web truly are amazing. We [the people who think about and make things for the interwebz] very much want to continue delivering these tools and experiences to you.

However, WE NEED YOUR HELP. You see, the older versions of your browsers weren’t built to help us deliver the experiences we are capable of and that you expect. And, when we can finagle our code to make things work, it greatly increases development time (I’m talking hours and hours and hours to ensure compatibility across all of the different versions and types).

The biggest perp is Internet Explorer 6. Honestly, Microsoft will discontinue support for IE6 (commonly run in corporate and educational environments) in July. It was an Internet Explorer security hole that led to the most recent Google attacks. Google is no longer supporting IE 6 for some of it’s most important applications and websites. We all know and respect Google. Please, follow their lead.

So, please, help us out!

• Beg your IT department to upgrade the browsers on your network.
• Plead with your schools to give you the tools you need to experience and consume information the way it’s intended.
• Insist that your spouse concede to learning a slightly new position for the refresh and home buttons when you jump versions.
• And, contribute to the cause yourself. Fire up your laptop or desktop and (generally) click ‘Help’ in your top menu. Look for updates and download them.

The internet is a great place to interact with information and accomplish both professional and personal tasks. As more tools move to web, we’ll continue to to be sure they are working properly and are easily accessed. All you need to do is be sure you’re ready and able to put them to good use!

Tell us – what’s the reason you (or your company) haven’t upgraded yet?