So, what is an open source content management system? It's a software program that is adaptable to all websites that helps to organize the content on the website. It doesn't matter if it is text, video, music, pictures, or whatever, your content will be organized. It doesn't take someone who is skilled to operate these systems either. Someone who has little knowledge or few computer skills could easily operate the open source content management systems because it pretty much does all of the work for you.

Joomla is a perfect example of an open source CMS. It actually is the most popular CMS on the market today. It doesn't matter how big or how small the website is, Joomla can handle it. Large corporations use it for intranet and internet communications, and it works as well for the small family website. Because of its popularity, Joomla looks like it will be around for a long time, so getting support for the software in the future, should prove to be no problem at all. Joomla provides the basic framework for software applications, but because it is an open source code, anyone can develop a module that will take the basics to unlimited dimensions. Because of this, the possibilities for add on programs are endless. Most modules are available for free from downloads on the creator's websites; however, you could have modules developed for which a developer could charge you. Modules available are Rss feeds, polls and the like. There are so many endless opportunities with Joomla software.

WordPress is another example of an open source content management system. It is also a blog publishing system. The Wordpress CMS have proven to have some vulnerability when it comes to security. Even though they register as less critical, security could be at risk when you use WordPress CMS. WordPress will support only one web blog per application. Themes and widgets are highly popular with the WordPress CMS. It also supports the pingback and trackback features that are so popular today.

Drupal is used as a back end content management system, whether it is for large scale political websites or small accounts. It is able to support multiple user accounts, customizable layouts, Rss feeds, flexible account privileges, internet forums and the like. It is written in PHP and can run from any computing platform that supports both a web server and a database. It was designed to allow third parties to add applications and for this reason it is often referred to as a content management framework. Core modules include comments, forums, polls, multi-level menu systems, advanced search functions, user profiles, multi-site support, multiple user content editing and creation and openID support. Drupal has a lot to offer its users.

No matter which open content management system you decide to use, just make sure you choose the right one. Each CMS offers different functions and uses and has different modules available at present. (You can always have modules developed if needed.)