You have given up on your old, static website and decided to go dynamic. Updates will be a lot easier, and your site will always have an attractive, professional appearance even though you no longer need a full-time webmaster. How is this possible? You can thank the open-source movement.

Your dynamic website will be powered by open-source software such as Drupal, Word Press or Joomla. Unlike proprietary programs that are owned by a single company and its on-staff developers, open-source software is built and maintained by hundreds or thousands of independent programmers around the world. If there’s a need for a new feature or a security update, you don’t have to wait for the company to release the next version. Instead, someone on the project makes the change himself and shares it with everyone.

The driving belief behind the open-source movement is that the masses can create better software than any single company. Besides content management systems like Drupal, Word Press and Joomla, open-source developers have built the Firefox Web browser, the Linux operating system and the foundation of Apple’s Mac OS X. Sometimes companies such as Apple or TiVo base proprietary products on open-source projects. They contribute code back to the projects according to the open-source license.

Here are some common questions and answers about open-source software:

Isn’t all this sharing of code among developers a recipe for disaster?
No. Every open-source project has a well-defined project plan. Larger projects, including those responsible for popular content-management systems, use many of the same development tools as companies that develop proprietary software. Consider the Firefox Web browser. For years, it was faster and more secure than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, a proprietary program.

I’ve never heard of Joomla, Drupal or WordPress. How do I know if they’re the best platform?
Look no further than your favorite blogs and websites – many of them are powered by these programs. Joomla, especially, has taken off as the engine of choice for many companies and organizations. You may never have heard of Joomla, but you’ve probably heard of Kellogg’s, the Guggenheim Museum or IHOP. If you’ve visited their sites, you’ve used Joomla.

All this talk about source code makes me queasy. Will I have to learn to program in order to update my site?
No. The availability of source code means there are thousands of people already taking care of the programming. They’re developing easy-to-use screens that simplify the administration of dynamic websites. In addition, they are constantly coming up with ways to simplify the backend while at the same time building better templates for more sophisticated layouts. What’s more, if you ever need or want to build something that’s not supported, there’s a built-in community of developers available to help you out.

How secure are open-source content management systems?
Sure, the source code is freely available and while that means bad guys can see the holes, it also means many more eyes are looking for vulnerabilities and coming up with ways to fix them. Compare that with proprietary software whose source code is kept under lock and key and only the company’s programmers are allowed to review it. Plus, the free access to source code means that any discovered vulnerabilities are fixed more quickly than they are in proprietary software.

If open source is free, why should I pay to convert to a dynamic site?
It can be tricky configuring a website and optimizing its performance. It’s also unlikely your web host will let you make changes on its servers. Why not hire us to take care of everything for you?

We’ll provide the server, make all the configurations and update the platform when the latest updates are available. All you need to worry about is generating and posting the content via the simple-to-use forms.

Contact us
If you would like further information or to order a new website or a website upgrade then email us at
info@website-design-company.net or please complete our free enquiry form.