Revision of Website Platform: Packaged or Custom? from 2007, February 15 - 9:56am
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We know we want a website. We can talk about what we'd like our website to do. But upon what platform do we build this out?
Packaged
There are many packaged offerings targeting needs similar to our own, as can be seen with a simple web search.
Obviously, a more thorough survey of packaged website options may be wise.
AtHomeNet
AtHomeNet is one such organization that provides these packaged services.
Our current association with AtHomeNet may be a product of our hiring Piedmont Management for management services. Piedmont Management's website is powered by AtHomeNet. AtHomeNet's management company website pricing ("$5 monthly reduction in cost of Management Company web site for every community web site signed up by the Management Company"), may have brought AtHomeNet's pitch to the Windsor's Board.
Our work with them can be seen online.
Custom
Obviously all websites to varying extent are "custom". Here, custom means we the ability to improve our website in any way we'd like.
Example
An example of a custom website for our community can be found online as well.
This custom website is built with Drupal, "a free software package that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website." Drupal requires only the commodity LAMP software stack, so can be hosted by almost any hosting provider.
Differences
Without looking at particular packaged or custom solution, we might note some differences.
| Difference | Packaged | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality, Initial | Some targeted to our needs | Requires some customization |
| Functionality | Fixed | Open to improvement |
| Hosting | Covered by package | Covered by hosting company of our choice |
| Support | Provider | Ourselves |
| Content Creation | Us | Us |
| Vendor Lock-in | Perhaps, depending on how much access the give to their systems | Little, open systems allow us (or hired help) to access our data for migration |
- See, "AtHomeNet vs Custom" for a discussion of the differences between two specific possibilities.
Comments
Better Alternatives to AtHomeNet?
I haven't done a thorough survey or writeup, but did anyone else get the impression that there are better packaged alternatives to AtHomeNet? Some first impressions I had after looking at AtHomeNet:
To my understanding, they're the only option that's even been considered thus far. Based on my light browsing of the field, they would not even rank in my top half.
Even if we decide to stick with a packaged website, I don't feel comfortable choosing AtHomeNet without evaluating other packaged alternatives.