This is a rant. I rarely write rants, but here is one. It is based on one of my largest pet peeves in the technology industry. It is about a commonly accepted term and not about the people who use it.
It is about “CMS”. This is a term that for many is synonymous with Web Content Management. This just gives me the screaming heebie jeebies. Let me illustrate.
For several months, I’ve been tinkering with an idea in my head. I’ve watched as EMC and other large ECM vendors fell further behind in the WCM space. For every advancement that has been made, there were losses to the market. It is at the point that if you aren’t deploying massive websites to server farms, you wouldn’t even look at the larger vendors.
And yet, nothing changes. The large vendors keep taking one step for every two that the market makes. I think there will be a change, and CMS Watch, in their excellent 2010 Predictions, made a prediction similar to my thought process:
1) Enterprise Content Management and Document Management will go their separate ways
When you read the description, it is clear that they are seeing the same things, but they appear to be throwing the emphasis in the wrong direction.
Okay, let’s be clear. I didn’t travel around with CMIS all day. On the other hand, CMIS got me to the AIIM Expo this year, opened a few doors, and started many a conversation. It is amazing what standing on a soapbox for a year and a half can accomplish. It was an interesting day that was well spent and I wish I had two days at the conference. I was always rushing trying to get to see everyone and talk to everyone, and I failed. I did accomplish my primary objective, and that was a success.
A while back, CMS Watch came out with an updated vendor map, which is designed as a subway map. While it does serve as a quick checklist of a vendors capabilities, it is just more fun to look at it. Here is a copy of the 2008 version, but you can download it on their site and get some options.
This year they are offering swag in their store with images of the map as the pretty graphic. No interest for me there, at first. I then saw this line:
Regarding the latter, perhaps you already own your fill of mugs and mousepads, but can you ever have enough beer steins? Bring it to the next event where we’re speaking and we’ll fill it up with the closest available brew. 😉
Alas, none of the events are coming to any events I plan on attending. I would buy the beer stein for a chance to get it filled up. After all, that is makes it a beer stein and not just another piece of swag. Plus Tony is always fun and interesting to talk to, with or without a frosty beverage.
I went to the monthly meeting of the Web Content Mavens last night. They were featuring a panel speaking on about 7 different Open Source Web Content Management systems. Some of the vendors present, like Alfresco, do more than web content, but web content was the focus. It was moderately interesting. I would have loved to see more interaction among the panelists, but it was good to hear their spin on what they each do best and to talk with them afterwards.
Before I say anything else, the highlight for me was when one of the panelist, a primary contributor to DotNetNuke, Antonio Chagoury, said,
You get what you pay for.
Word of Pie 