The reasons for the White House’s decision to run its Web site, whitehouse.gov, on the open source content management system Drupal are being discussed on various Web sites. Alongside Drupal’s functionality, flexibility and openness, some are suggesting that Drupal’s documentation was also a key factor for deciding to use this system.
One commenter said:
For a big project like this, documentation makes a huge difference.
Having a prestigious client such as the White House, gives any application or system more legitimacy and credibility. Perhaps the White House’s decision shows organisations seeking such clients that they should check their technical documentation is up to scratch.
Indeed, searching Amazon.com for Drupal reveals over 40 Books and DVDs with Drupal in the title.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ellis Pratt, Xavier Roy. Xavier Roy said: RT @ellispratt: Blog: Did technical documentation play a role in the White House’s decision to move to Drupal? http://is.gd/4FIxl […]
Very interesting observation, Ellis. I know there has been a huge effort to bring designers and developers together, thanks to the efforts spearheaded by Leisa Reichelt (http://www.disambiguity.com/). Leisa got people sharing knowledge on a blog (not Drupal! :)), on YouTube, and on Flickr. Oh, I can’t remember whether you attended the recent Writers UA conference, but Leisa presented something about this topic. I think she has a good story about that entire process. So much so that I am starting to get curious about Drupal and want to explore it.
Yes, I saw Leisa’s presentation.