The world of Content Management Systems is definitely an awkward place to be in, However, I don't think that the notion "The CMS Is Broken" is really justified.
I think the first major problem with CMS' is that people expect them to be the end all be-all solution to their site and content needs. Clients expect them to be an intuitive cheap publishing platform that will magically format, organize and display an endless array of content and content types, while developers expect them to be fast, easy to extend, scaleable, lightweight and fit a theoretical "goldilocks zone" of adhering to conventions but still being flexible.
To fix the client problem, clients need to understand software does not create good content for you. Content needs to be curated and software is there to help with the heavy lifting. Instead of forking out X amount of money on software, spend half that and spend the remaining half on writers, photographers and people to make your content great.
As for the software/development problem, each specific case can require a different platform. Just like one specific programming language is only one tool in the box, one CMS follows the same pattern. Educate yourself about all your tools and explain the pros/cons to the client before making a decision, but in the end, isn't that what were being paid to do?
Sorry if my comment is a little more about the business side of things and not necessarily about the CMS itself, but I feel its a pretty important point on this issue
Yeah, the store on Michigan Ave. in Chicago. Her income from Nordstrom was based on a salary + commission from sales. I said the same thing to her in terms of it not being legal, but they gave her some long winded explanation that I'm sure in one way or another is technically legal.
Maybe she wasn't "required" to work or because she is also paid on commission it somehow doesn't apply to her? I'm really not sure...
The thing that is appalling is that a company that says they are so great to their employees will try to justify these actions and put blame on the ones who are working their butts off and are dedicated to their responsibilities.
The only response she got was from someone in the company who was trying to sympathize with her saying "yeah, well thats why you just don't work more than 40 hours per week"
This is very cool in theory, but my girlfriend just quit her job at Nordstrom after working there for 3+ years and her experience was very different. She is a very hard and dedicated worker and some of the Nordstrom policies are very unfavorable to employees.
Two quick examples: 1, During one of their biggest sales of the year my girlfriend was working close to 80 hours per week, working long hours and in many occasions working overnight to make sure inventory was on the shelves for the next day. She was told by HR that she would be paid time and a half for her overtime hours, which is pretty standard I would assume. After getting her pay check, it looked extremely low and after verifying with HR they told her that she mis-herd what they said and for overtime hours she is only paid half of her normal hourly rate.
2: Nordstroms health insurance for employees working on the sales floor is off/on each month depending on how much you are selling. One moth my girlfriend had insurance and another month she did not. She was not notified when she was/wasn't eligible and had to pay more than expected several times on various medical bills because of this.
Even after this poor employee treatment, my girlfriend was not mad, the most frustrating thing was that Nordstrom preaches how well it treats their employees and how they are known for it. Clearly this is not the case.
I think the first major problem with CMS' is that people expect them to be the end all be-all solution to their site and content needs. Clients expect them to be an intuitive cheap publishing platform that will magically format, organize and display an endless array of content and content types, while developers expect them to be fast, easy to extend, scaleable, lightweight and fit a theoretical "goldilocks zone" of adhering to conventions but still being flexible.
To fix the client problem, clients need to understand software does not create good content for you. Content needs to be curated and software is there to help with the heavy lifting. Instead of forking out X amount of money on software, spend half that and spend the remaining half on writers, photographers and people to make your content great.
As for the software/development problem, each specific case can require a different platform. Just like one specific programming language is only one tool in the box, one CMS follows the same pattern. Educate yourself about all your tools and explain the pros/cons to the client before making a decision, but in the end, isn't that what were being paid to do?
Sorry if my comment is a little more about the business side of things and not necessarily about the CMS itself, but I feel its a pretty important point on this issue