Firerift – A CMS That’s Easy.. Really
Every content management system (CMS) on the market says it’s easy to use. That’s generally the whole point of CMS, really. To make managing Web content easy. Most fall into one of three categories: glorified word processors, overly-complex systems that rival Windows for size, and the ones that actually work.
Firerift falls into the latter category and is one of the best systems I’ve seen. It’s very slick, well-made, and is actually easy to use. Unlike many CMS builds I’ve seen.
The app has been three years in the making and is the current incarnation of the old PHP-based Cobalt that many may be familiar with. The biggest difference is the interfaces, the fact that it now runs in a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and Titan build.
This proves to be a good combination for delivering fast page loads and server access while making it easy for the non-script savvy to still make great HTML and CSS in a more point-and-click way.
Like some of the other great CMS systems (such as WordPress, which has evolved from a simple blogging platform), everything in Firerift can be customized: templates, codes, etc. Few CMS systems really do that.
Most everything you expect from a quality CMS are there: blogging, extensive multi-media support, and ease of use. It’s main weakness is its having a hard time supporting Internet Explorer (in some renditions) and it’s price tag of $49. Other CMS systems are free or come as part of a hosting package, which can make them more likely to be chosen by the user. Of course, being a professional suite, Firerift isn’t really aiming for those offhand CMS users, but is looking for the more pro types.
You can try Firerift for free, so it’s worth taking for a spin to see how you like it.
