What is a CMS?

The letters stand for Content Management System. The CMS allows us to create, publish, and share content (written, photography, video) throughout the website. The CMS also provides the ability to easily create new pages, navigation, and sub navigation on the fly.

Shared content is one of the most recognizable characteristics of a CMS. One piece of content, the admissions requirements for example, can be shared on many different pages but updated in only one spot. The same can be done with global variables. By using global variables we can set tuition at one number and use code to have it show up any where on the site.

The CMS also allows us to publish content that is stored in one of our data systems (peoplesoft, advance, R25) out to the public website. Staff lists, courses, and events are all examples of this functionality. Our ability to integrate data already stored in a campus data system and re-purpose it on the web has been recognized by the software industry as a Codie Award Finalist.

RSS Feeds

Have you have been surfing around on some web pages or receive some e-newsletters and have seen all this talk about RSS Feeds but have no idea what they are or what they accomplish? RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”. RSS is a way to receive constant updates from news sites, online catalogs and blogs without the tedious process of visiting individual sites, wading through outdated content and managing annoying pop-up ads. In its simplest terms a RSS Feed is a way to deliver pieces of content to someone’s computer. Content gets delivered bypassing email blocks and spam filters directly to a user’s desktop via an aggregate reader.

You will have to download an aggregate reader from any number of sites (a Google search returned over one million results). Once an aggregate is downloaded a user can start to receive RSS feeds. Colleges and Universities are using these feeds for any number of outcomes. When new content is posted to the website the feed automatically updates the subscribers to the feed.

The advantages to RSS Feeds are that you are bypassing email blocks and spam filters and delivering content directly to a user’s computer. So the next time you are on a site with an orange RSS feed button download the feed to your aggregate reader and enjoy!