Thursday, July 24, 2008

phpBB Admin Control Panel (ACM) Login Problems

The phpBB Administration Control Panel works a little differently than other content managment systems, so there can be some confusion when trying to login for the first time. If you attempt to navigate directly to the directory that holds the administrative files , i.e. www.yourwebsite.com/adm, as you would with other open source applications such as Joomla or OsCommerce, you'll run into problems. It will appear that you are engaging in a valid administrative login sequence, but even with the correct credentials, you will be unabale to login.

The problem is that phpBB requires you to login at the front-end, click on the link at the bottom of the page labeled "Administration Control Panel," and then reauthenticate yourself in order to gain access. Once you learn this little secret, login is no problem.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Content Managment Systems

What is a Content Management System or CMS? It is adminstrative software that allows a business to add, edit and delete text and images from their Website without the knowledge of HTML or web programming.

The interface is a lot like a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. There is a learning curve involved, but a Website built on a Content Managment System is perfect for a small business without a technical person on staff, but who wants to keep their Website fresh with new and updated material on a frequent basis.

Good Content Management Systems are database driven, feeding the data into the presentation layer, or user-interface templating system.

There are many good Open Source Content Management Systems out there, which can help you acheive a professional looking and easy to maintain web presence. Let TP Designs help you choose the best Content Management System for your Website.