By andycosta68 on

I am not a programmer, but I want to start developing some sites on my own and it seems like Drupal is the way to go.

My question is: is it worth the trouble (and time) to learn Drupal or would it make more sense to pay someone to do it for me?

For a non-programmer, does it make sense for me to pay someone to teach me the basics??

Andre

Comments

cybermalandro’s picture

cybermalandro commented

Drupal provides an easy way to learn PHP if you are a new comer. Drupal's hook functions allows anyone without any hard core PHP skills to get up to speed quickly. Drupal also provides most of the functionality required nowdays in most websites like account management, the ability to send emails, user tracking, themeing and on and on and on. Check the list of websites that run Drupal and check the Drupal handbooks and ask yourself the question.

rszrama’s picture

rszrama commented

Andre, I bet with some careful reading and question asking you can figure out Drupal on your own. It doesn't require programming skill to use, just problem solving and an eye for documentation. There are plenty of videos and audiocasts out there that show you how to use the various Drupal features... I'd start there. One place to look might be the Drupal Dojo - http://groups.drupal.org/drupal-dojo. There's always good stuff floating around http://www.lullabot.com, too. You can search the articles and podcasts there. Search for more... there's plenty of info. Even a link to an intro video on the front page here at drupal.org.

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Current Drupal project: http://www.ubercart.org

andycosta68’s picture

andycosta68 commented

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I will start watching the videos and audiocasts on Drupal. I actually started to read all the links provided on Drupal (in sequence, as listed on the site) and it seemed a little overwhelming; that's why I posted this question to everybody.

I will give it a try. I always think it is worth it to learn a new skill.

Andre

jonathanchris’s picture

jonathanchris commented

I started working w/ drupal about 2 month ago, when I started I knew only a little html and css (I also knew C++ and Java, but they don't have much to do with drupal). After working with it for a while I now am quite comfortable with php and the drupal style. For me it was worth it, but I was able to get paid to work with it for my company. I personally love drupal and I'm glad I was able to work with it.

If this is for a hobby then definitely spend the time! However, if you need to produce something within the next two weeks you might want someone else to do it. I love drupal but for some things it will require a little bit of time to develope.

For a simple site though, you can get up and running in a couple hours, that part is easy. It's the customization that can soak up a bunch of time.

Either way good luck!