The Salus Manifesto

  1. Anyone–anyone–should be able to update a website.

    You, your client, your grandmother. Content creation shouldn't be a headache–it should be easy, rewarding, and yes, fun.

  2. Everything you need to know to get started with a CMS should fit on a single sheet of paper, 8 1/2" x 11", 12-point type.

    While browsing the geek and nerd section of a local bookstore, I noticed a book on a popular CMS; it had the approximate thickness and heft of a New York City phonebook. If you can't explain the essentials on a single sheet of paper, maybe it's time to rethink your concept of essential.

  3. You should never have to choose between easy management and elegant code.

    Content management systems allow end-users to author content, but produce non-validating, non-semantic, ugly code. Manual content formatting produces great results, but is time-consuming and requires a skilled hand. And thus it has always been. But compromise is unnecessary. Content management can and should be easy and produce beautiful, semantic, standards-compliant output.

  4. Don't force developers to learn your template language–let them use what they already know: XHTML, CSS, and a few simple PHP helper functions.

    As a website designer, few things are more irritating than being forced to learn an arcane and proprietary templating language to use a piece of software. You already know the basics of the trade, and that should be enough. The software should serve your strengths, not the other way around.

  5. Managed websites should look and act every bit as rich and dynamic as manually-maintained websites.

    We've all seen it: rigid hierarchical navigation, uninspired layout, bland formatting. The sure signs of CMS use. A content-managed site should be indistinguishable from a hand-coded one. Remove the rigidity from the system, and the site will follow.