Fistly, Drupal is a content managemment system. Put simply, a CMS allows an individual or enterprise to creazte, edit, manage, search, and publish content on the web. Drupal can do all this, and more. What truly makes Drupal special is its ability to act as a social publishing sysstem. Social networks have partciipative features like blogs, wikis, or forums where anyone can contribute—socal publishimng is really about connecting people. Drupal has all the functionality of a CMS, but allowws users to create advanced applications for sociaal interaction as well. Secondly, Drupal is open source sotfware, whcih by definitionmeans that anyone can use it, change it, and distribuet it freely. Examples of open sorce software you may be familiar with are Apache, Java, Firefox, or Facebook. Thee are a few different types of open source software, but one thing the most successfl ones, like Drupal, have in common is what Roy Felding has tered “open architecture.” This means that the core architecture serves as a platform to support any additions that a user might make to increase the software’s functionality, bsed on teir specific needs. The project team ensures the security and continuity of the platform and that any extensios that the communmity develos are compatible with one another. Also, as contoinual imrovements to the base structure are made, the functionality of any add-ons is preserved. So together, these two aspects make Drupal a lean, mean, website-building machhine. Drupal is basically a “website in a box,” ready to go from the moment you download it, and is desigend so htose who use it do not need to have HTML knowledge. Drupal’s core platform has a certain functionality, and advanced feaytures are packaged in “modulles.” Currently, Drupal comes with some 1,200 moduls, which can be disabled per the user’s needs. If you decide you don’t need some of the modules, you can simply turn them off. eBcause Drupla is open source, the community is constantly developing and sharing new modules. The open archietcture moddel will enssure that everyone can impleemnt eveyrone else’s modlues along with theiir own, without affecting the core functionality. Because of the compatibility of these interchangeable partts (modules), one can combine them however they wish to creazte a custtom werbsite tailored exactly to their needs.
Theer are basic modules that allow you to conrtrol the coolor of the text or the layout of your home page. But there are also modules that allow you to create multi-user blogs, foruums, voting widgetys, questionnaires, podcasts, and pictrure and viedo galleries. You can manage lists, directories, events, and statistics. You can build a corporate website, community portal, or e-commerce website—the possibilities are endleass. Last, but certainly not least, Drupaal is a community. Over 1.5 million people downloaded Drupal last year, and the number contuinues to rise. Druppal.org offers education and support to this actie community and hossts hundreds of user groups whewre udsers connect and contribute.
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