CMS software for blog - or develop my own?

[Frantic Fish]

This is a post I'm making on a number of sites, so apologies about the duplication, but it's important for me to gather as many opinions as I can.

My question is this: is there any benefit to using WordPress or Blogger over and above creating my own blogging software for my site and my clients?

I'm launching a new section on my new site. Part of it will be a blog with the standard topical industry observations. I'll also have articles - some just simple pieces, a few hundred words. Others will be multi-page researched pieces with graphs, comparison charts, data etc. Weighty stuff (at least I hope).

I can get unlimited free programming from a knowledgeable PHP Linux guy (me pops) so I'm leaning towards getting a custom system developed that can be used as a template for client work. Clients I have right now will just be posting simple articles with comments - the classic 'blog'.

Am I right to think that a custom solution would be better?

Advantages I can see are
1) Security
No-one can see what my back-end runs on, hackers will have to work far harder.
2) Cost & Time after rollout
I don't have to get clients to host with WordPress to be fairly secure. If they don't host with WordPress, someone has to check for all patches, updates etc. Billable time (pain for the client) and not something I want to be doing anyway.
3) Lean mean install - not all the extra crap I don't want that comes bundled out of the box, I don't want to have to think about 'hacking the core' as it were.

I really just want
- text / images / links / CSS / doc upload (I use FCK Editor for the WYSIWYG interface in admin area)
- add / order categories for nav
- comments (captcha, pre-approved)
- pagination / archive
- extensionless urls
- search (via tags and detailed for all text)

This is all stuff we've done together before and won't stretch my programmer at all.

So my question is, is there any reason that I should consider pre-built CMS systems - and specifically WordPress or Blogger?

The only one I can think of is the initial time (i.e. cost). Once you've practised a bit can you install and config a system that does what I mention above plus get it styled to match the look of the existing site in a few hours?

Or am I missing something? Is there something else I'm missing about these systems that means I should consider them above a custom one?

Very grateful for comments, observations, opinions, stuff I'm overlooking etc.

[LOS Design UK]

IMHO why re-invent the wheel with a product that may take many months/years to perfect.

I could develop my very own dynamic sites BUT the cost to clients would be prohibitive when you can offer so much more for your dollar with what is around right now AND as it is OS you can hack til you drop.

JMTC

Regards
Daren

[wood1e]

We use FCKEditor...We don't use Blogger/wordpress unless a client wants a blog.

So decide what you want to achieve and go from there.

[LOS Design UK]

We use FCKEditor...We don't use Blogger/wordpress unless a client wants a blog.

So decide what you want to achieve and go from there.

Well said that man, forgot to add that bit

It must match what your client(s) want.

Regards
Daren

[MarkD]

I can't think of any good reason why any small company would want to write their own CMS s/w...

alot of time and effort required with an end product that probably won't compare to the open source competition like blogger, wordpress, drupal (my favourite) or joomla to name a few...

I think security for instance, is an issue whether you write it yourself or use open CMS i.e. you face exactly the same problems.

Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing what you decided...

[alexhughes]

I love wordpress so therefore I admit I am 100% biased.

I find no need to develop my own CMS when as Los said you can use one of these great open source solutions and just adapt the hell of it. Especially when wordpress (and others) have great docs to help you todo so.

Security wise:- I actually think your safer using widely ranged solutions. It enables you to find solutions by other users and find what problems they have had before they occur for you. (if that makes sense).

I personally always recommend wordpress to clients.

But as said, it's all down to what they want!

[Aibu]

My question is this: is there any benefit to using WordPress or Blogger over and above creating my own blogging software for my site and my clients?

You will very probably vastly underestimate the time spent in creating a custom CMS, including debugging and multi-browser compatibility, documentation. This is time you could be spent producing new content, working on SEO etc. Unless you have some very specific requirements that cannot be fulfilled with modules or stylesheets, I'd stay clear of the "Not Invented Here" pattern.

If you want an easy to use content management CMS system then you can easily find one without all the bells and whistles. You don't need to develop your own, and you can take advantage of the experience of everyone who has ever used that CMS.

Advantages I can see are
1) Security
No-one can see what my back-end runs on, hackers will have to work far harder.

Google for 'security through obscurity'.

[RedEvo]

Am I right to think that a custom solution would be better?

Advantages I can see are
1) Security
2) Cost & Time after rollout
3) Lean mean install

1. Proprietary isn't more secure. OS software is tested to death by thousands (probably millions) of users and issues are fixed quickly.

2. Your clients will constantly ask for new features. 9/10 with an OS product someone else will have created it and it will take hardly any time to implement.

3. There are some VERY lean OS systems out there if that's important to you.

I founded Red Evo on the back of a CMS I wrote whilst working for someone else. My plan was to re-write it avoiding the 'mistakes' and take the world by storm. Luckily I did some research first, found some great OS solutions and built my business on the business model of adding value to them instead.

d

[Frantic Fish]

Thanks for all replies guys. I've posted this on a number of forums and it's intersting to see the different opinions. Some are more pro custom, others are more pro Open Source. I am going to spend a week playing around with Blogger and WordPress for a start to see what's possible and what the dbs and code actually look like. I think that even if I do decide to develop my own then I should know at least the two most popular systems fairly well - if nothing else, for inspiration.

I have to say I don't agree with the security comments. No-one can see what my executable files are in a custom system. Even if I get pros to host and patch Open Source Software and it's updated daily, the hackers still have access to the full system code. No way on earth is that as secure as an htaccess locked down back end where they have to guess what the files are called and what the code looks like.

[RedEvo]

I'm not a supporter of the security through obscurity model. But we can agree to disagree

d