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CMS or DIY?

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:37 am
by pdxuser
I'd like to create a site centered around a database of political polling data. Users would be able to view the data, as well as edit formulas that would let them personally determine which races are tight, which should be predicted for one candidate or another, etc. I would also like to have custom maps that would visually represent the data in different colors. Is there a CMS like Drupal or Mambo/Joomla out there that could help me, or would you recommend that I create such a site from scratch? I would prefer an open-source solution, but I'm willing to review anything. Are there any other kinds of tools that I should consider?

Also, is anyone familiar with a forum dedicated to CMS discussion?

Thanks!

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:14 am
by Ambush Commander
Sounds like a fairly unique problem to me. The CMS will only get you as far as authentication and user managment, everything else (the formulas, the predictions, the map generation, etc.) would need to be coded by you.

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 2:04 pm
by pdxuser
Pretend the map doesn't exist for a minute. I need a CMS that can display the polling data from the database in chart form, with different types of charts available for the same data. Then, I need the CMS to be able to apply a formula to the data and give me the answer. Then I need users to be able to temporarily edit that formula, maybe using drop-down boxes. And, preferably, those users could then have a link so that they can send people to formula's answer using their particular variables. Is that possible?

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:29 pm
by BDKR
Ambush Commander is right, unless there is a niche specific hunk of code out there. You average CMS only deals with general things. What you are describing isn't included in that.

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:54 pm
by pdxuser
How about I make it even simpler: I just want to be able to display charts that show different data that's in the database. Is there a CMS that's better for that than others? If I'm really lucky, the CMS will let users add data (new polls) to the database. I'll code the maps and formula fun myself.

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:56 pm
by BDKR
Try looking. Google, Freshmeat.net, etc....

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 4:23 pm
by pdxuser
Always sound advice, but every place I've found that lists CMS's either gives me just a list of names -- Drupal, Joomla, Plone, Mambo, Zope and other names formed with the aid of a Scrabble bag -- or, at best, might indicate that one is more efficient, versatile, secure, node-based, etc. If someone knows of (or can find) an actual forum about CMS's, I'd be very grateful. As it is, all I can find are CMS's that support forums, not forums about CMS's.

Perhaps, if nobody can come up with a CMS that can display data from a database (my gosh), there's some sort of open-source collaborative tool that might be used mainly for workgroups that would allow participants to view and add information to a database, even apply a formula to the data? These concepts don't seem THAT esoteric to me.