I just stumbled a great read on Disposable Software, the idea being that as RAD (Rapid Application Development) improves (and it is at such an alarming rate!), developers are provided with the opportunity to easily kick out small applications that curtail to a very simple need. This need is often content based, which brings us to Content Management Systems, which I am somewhat adverse to due to the “one size fits all” mentality.

That article was written on August 16, 2005, but it is just now that content oriented Disposable Software is quickly becoming a reality, mostly do to:

• Dynamic programming languages like Ruby and Python and the respective web frameworks written around them.
• Modules for these frameworks that allow for easy content management.

With Django (python based), we have the admin interface, but since I’m a Ruby guy, there are a couple plugins on the horizon that look interesting:

• Rails AutoAdmin Plugin
• Streamlined
• Rails AutoDB

I bring this up because I am writing a content based system for a Lexington Community Sustainability project here in town, which aims to help network various community focused efforts here in town (bike lane proponents, greenroof proponents, etc …).

So, do I use a styled Wiki? A CMS? Or an application I’ve written from scratch that uses one of the above additions or just Rails scaffolding to edit basic content? Who wins the bout? In this case, I’ve decided to evaluate the above 3 plugins a bit, with basic scaffolding as a fallback. Regardless, here’s to disposable applications! I’ll post more opinions on the above modules after I’ve played with each a bit.