Do I need Contribute Server?

[john_lutz_77]

Hi.
I have recently became aware of the Contribute system. I am trying to figure
out if we need contribute server or just contribute. I am a web designer using
dreamweaver. Occassionally clients will want to edit their webpages on their
own. Usually in the past I have set these websites up with databases and
created forms for them to use. I heard about Contribute and can see that it
would make it easier to let the more savy clients edit the pages themselves.
However, I don't know if you need the contribute server for the system to work.
If not, how does it work just using contribute. Thanks.

John
[email]john@producers-inc.com[/email]

[abryant23]

John,

Based only on your brief description, I'd guess that Contribute alone is all
you need. The server system is for fairly elaborate, complex environments --
none of which have we yet encountered.

My recommendation to you would be to download the demo, and run Contribute
against some of the sites you've created. If your experience is like ours here
(we're a web shop too), you'll likely be suitably impressed.

Most of the sites we build have at least some ASP.NET functionality, and the
way we approach our applications (Visual Studio, code behinds, etc.) means that
Contribute and its ideal use of Dreamweaver templates doesn't always work for
us as well as we'd like. But for the static content portions of such sites, and
for any web site that either has no server-side parts, or uses something
simpler (like inline scriptlets), it's a terrific solution for the vast
majority of customer self-management needs in my view.

While virtually any site can be edited as-is with Contribute, ideally, the
site uses Dreamweaver templates. When posted to the server, Contribute will
utilize the templates to control the regions of the page that are open for user
editing. That allows you to focus end-users in on the "right" types of edits.
Coupled with its powerful role-based configuration capabilities, you can
tightly control things and ensure site design integrity.

In short, I'm a big fan. Set aside the R&D time to give it a good, thorough
shake using the demo version. Or, if you've upgraded to Studio 8, you obviously
already have a copy to play with. A little time spent with the documentation,
and I'm sure you'll like it as much as we do here.

Alan

[Nicky1]

Hi John

I agree with Alan - CT on it's own (i.e. without the server) is all you need
if your clients want to edit content, not code. I use DW with about 30-odd
Contribute 2/3 content providers, and so long as you provide templates to suit,
they (the CT users) seem to be happy, and don't seem to be able to break what
you don't want them to break.

Nicky 1