Choosing a Blog Platform
(Adapted from an article by Michael Sebastian on www.myragan.com)
WordPress
WordPress is Open Source blog software and arguably the most popular. Open Source means
someone built the original software and then put it online free for anyone to contribute to and
use. Thousands of programmers worldwide upgrade and maintain Open Source software.
Getting started: It’s quite simple; WordPress walks you through the setup. You will need a
Web site to host your blog. WordPress provides a short form letter to send your IT department to
ask them about hosting. It also offers links to a variety of host options, which will cost about
seven or eight dollars per month. Once that is determined you spend a few minutes downloading
the software.
Benefits: WordPress provides simple and thorough explanation void of any confusing jargon. It’s
easy to use and allows 35 people to blog making it a good choice for an organization.
Downside: There’s little else besides blogging. If you’re looking for software that offers other
Web 2.0 tools, WordPress isn’t your best bet.
Cost: Free.
Drupal
Drupal is another Open Source option with more Web 2.0 tools than WordPress.
Getting started: Drupal’s Web site isn’t as straightforward as WordPress. You start easily
enough by downloading Drupal to your computer or network. However, the lengthy explanation
grows confusing and you’ll likely need IT’s support before you even get started.
Benefits: It offers numerous Web 2.0 tools including blogs and forums. Drupal’s own community
forum, where you and your IT department can find troubleshooting answers, is easily accessible.
Downside: Download process is difficult to understand. There’s tech jargon and confusing
explanations. You will likely rely on IT to download and maintain it.
Cost: Free.
Roller
Roller is Open Source Java-based software. Java is programming language that is very popular
among IT people so it may be preferable in your corporate environment.
Getting started: When you click the “Download” button you’re taken to another Roller site
where the language suddenly becomes IT-speak. Like Drupal, this language is often confusing
and not as easily accessible as WordPress. You will likely need IT’s support.
Benefit: Your IT department might prefer this software because it’s Java and therefore easier to
run on a corporate network. It can support thousands of users and blogs and offers numerous
additional features including robust comment moderation and RSS feeds.
Downside: Like Drupal, the download process is more complicated than WordPress and the
explanation will seem confusing to the non-IT set. Again, you will likely rely on IT.
Cost: Free
Clearspace
Clearspace is enterprise blogging software from Jive Software specifically built for corporate
environments. Enterprise platforms, unlike Open Source, are proprietary blogging software you
purchase. They typically have more features than their Open Source counterparts and provide
technical support when needed.
Getting started: Simply follow the site’s “Download” button, provide information on your
company and begin the process.
Benefits: This is a collaboration tool that handles blogging, forums, a wiki and optional real-time
chat system. “It’s a great all-in-one package for businesses that need a more diverse feature set
and want a real support team to come along with it,” Bakke said. If you have any problems using
or installing Clearspace Jive Software is always there to help. The Web site also offers white
papers and testimonials to help you pitch Clearspace to your bosses.
Downside: It’s not free—a harder sell if you’re working on a shoe string budget.
Cost: US$59 per user or $69 per user for the real time chat.
Snap Interactive
Snap Interactive is an enterprise blogs and forums channel from New Zealand based Snap
Communications. As with all of Snap’s channels, Snap Interactive is built specifically built
employee communications purposes.
Getting started: You will need to get IT to centrally deploy an applet that runs on each
employee’s computer giving them secure access to the channels.
Benefits: This is a channel that is designed for use by Internal Communications teams. The
channels are quick and easy to set up and manage and don’t require IT resource after the initial
applet deployment. Blogs and forums (and read, comment, and view rights) can be targeted
securely to specific employee groups permitting safe discussion around sensitive or confidential
issues. Reporting options such as the total time spend by individuals, user demographics, user
perceived value and content popularity make it easier to measure and demonstrate an ROI.
Downside: It is an internal only channel which means that you will need to use a different tool
for public facing blogs.
Cost: NZ$3 per user per year.
Microsoft Sharepoint
If you are running a SharePoint intranet, talk to your IT team as web 2.0 functionality may
already be available to your organisation. It could just be a matter of enabling features.
A word of caution though – a common complaint seems to be that Sharepoint requires significant
IT input to set up and manage blogs.
Open Source vs. Enterprise: What you should know?
Blog software is available as both Open Source and enterprise. Which one you choose says a lot
about the culture of your organization.
Open Source is free and gives your IT department an opportunity to play with the code; it also
means your IT department—not a vendor—is responsible for the maintenance. Some IT
departments might bristle at that notion.
“If I bring in an application and it’s not working the way I expected—I’m having a hard time
installing it—I won’t want to go on the Internet [and find the solution],” IT consultant Peat Bakke
said. “I want to pick up the phone and talk to an actual company. That’s the distinguishing
feature—the support.”
Enterprise provides that easy support, which is part of the cost. Open Source is free and
therefore support falls on IT.
There is a slight risk to Open Source. No single company is guaranteeing the integrity of the
software so there’s a possibility—however remote—that a rogue coder could inject malicious
material in the software.