Drupal Case Study for International Sites

We have completed our final report regarding Drupal's effectiveness for international websites. While encompassing many different types of websites, the "international" website profile is served well by current Drupal features and modules. Case studies of five Drupal-based international sites are included in our report.

Crossing Boundaries: Drupal’s Effectiveness for
International Websites

Prepared By:
Hwei Gene Chin
Anthony Gregory

Purdue University
Business Writing
December 6, 2004

Abstract

Offering the flexibility found with other open-source software programs, Drupal is a highly-functional, free website platform program that is able to serve a wide variety of web profile needs. International sites, in particular, may benefit not only from the wide range of general features which Drupal offers, but also from specific functions which enhance Drupal’s effectiveness for international site use. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of Drupal for international websites, we conducted case studies of five, established international-use Drupal sites and utilized a questionnaire to obtain feedback from current Drupal users. By utilizing the results from our study, we are able to evaluate how well Drupal currently serves international site needs, how Drupal could be improved to better serve those needs, and the attractiveness of Drupal to potential international site developers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ii

Executive Summary 1

International Profile 2

Research Methodology 2

Drupal Website Case Study 2

Research Findings 7

Questionnaire Results 9

Recommendations 9

Conclusion 11

Works Cited 12

Executive Summary

Open-source software and programming has attracted much attention to itself due to the many benefits it offers to both users and developers. These benefits include user contribution, customization of programming, enhanced security and the low-cost or, as is usually the case, no-cost of open-source based programs. One dynamic website platform program, Drupal, offers website designers these common benefits of open-source along with several more. Moreover, as the internet’s role of an international means of communication and commerce continues to grow, Drupal is offering international website developers a viable alternative to other, cost-based platforms.

International-based websites offer web users an avenue into another country and culture. Creation of an attractive, highly useful site determines how widely utilized and successful an international-based website is at achieving its mission of reaching its desired audience. Besides Drupal’s general open-source design features, it offers international website designers a multitude of features, including:
- Discussion forum and blog construction
- Design templates
- Event calendar
- Site polls
- News aggregator
- User log-in
- Language translation capabilities

Overall, Drupal serves the five international websites we included into our case study quite well. However, for the majority of the sites, current Drupal features and modules that could enhance the international’s sites usability are either underused or not used at all. Web forums, a site blog, a news aggregator, and the user log-in function were the most heavily utilized Drupal features, while the calendar was typically not used to its full potential. Surprisingly, the language translation feature, considered a hallmark feature in order to attract international site developers, is used sparingly, by only one of the websites evaluated.

Drupal has established itself as an attractive website platform for international website development. However, current international sites could enhance their usability by utilizing current Drupal features and modules to their full potential. Moreover, Drupal must continue to create new modules for international site use in order to establish itself as the best available web platform option for international sites and in order to attract the attention of potential international website developers.

International Website Profile

The category of ‘international website’ spans a wide variety of sites which serve an international audience or are internationally based. The profile of international websites includes corporate-based sites, which are either selling goods or services or simply serving as a portal to a company’s services, community-based sites, and non-profit websites. These three different types of international sites were included in the results of our case study. We were unable to find a sufficient number of personal or aficionado international sites and, therefore, those sites are not profiled in our case study.

Research Methodology

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of Drupal concerning its use with international website development, how well it meets the needs of these sites, and how both Drupal and the sites themselves could improve to better serve the needs of current and future international sites, we conducted case studies of five Drupal-based, international websites. The sites were listed on Drupal.org and cover the three different, aforementioned profile types of international sites. We visited each site and examined its use of Drupal, particularly which specific features were utilized and to what extent. Furthermore, we evaluated what modules were used by the international site and, specifically, if a language translation module was employed. Finally, we made note of what features are currently offered by Drupal that would enhance the site’s effectiveness and some needed features not currently offered by Drupal and how each of those would improve an international site’s use and design.

We also created a questionnaire composed of ten questions which was posted on the Drupal.org site and sent to several international website administrators. The questions ranged from general Drupal questions regarding the technical aspects of the design program to questions which were specific to the international website community. The results from that questionnaire are also employed in this report, serving both a supporting role in our case study evaluations and as a catalyst for our recommendations.

International Website Case Studies

The Drupal web platform is enabling web users worldwide to create websites that satisfy a variety of needs: personal, commercial, community-related, resource-based, and international, to give several examples. International sites, in particular, have reason to be persuaded to utilize the Drupal platform. Aside from the many benefits that stem from Drupal’s open-source programming background, Drupal offers several features to international sites that other platforms may not be able to offer. In addition to the standard features of community forums, blogs, various modules, and user templates, Drupal offers international sites the ability to use translation programming which translates a website into one of eighteen languages. Moreover, with numerous international Drupal sites already established, potential international sites which choose Drupal as their web platform are joining a widespread, international community of like-minded web users.

While Drupal offers international sites a variety of attractive features, how well do these features serve the needs of international sites and what new features could Drupal incorporate so as to attract the attention of potential international site creators? In order to evaluate this question, we conducted case studies of five international sites which currently utilize Drupal. We aimed to uncover how effectively international websites utilize Drupal to serve their specific needs, how well Drupal meets these needs, and to identify features of Drupal that make it attractive for potential international sites.

The sites we have selected include the following: 4M-Net, I*Proms, Lost Nomads, The Communiqué, and the National Society for Hispanic Professionals. All of the selected sites serve some type of international purpose, whether for non-profit, community, or corporate-based use. Furthermore, each serves a wide range of audiences, from regional interests to worldwide. In order to examine how effectively these sites utilize Drupal we are evaluating several different aspects of the sites including:
- Does the site “resemble” a Drupal-based site in appearance?
- How well and to what extent does a site utilize Drupal’s standard features (forums, blogs, collaborative books, various modules)?
- Does the site utilize a Drupal translation program and could it be improved upon?
- Which Drupal features are successful in a particular international site’s mission/function?
- What limitations, if any, exist due to the site utilizing Drupal as its platform?
- What features could international sites benefit from with Drupal?

Individual case studies for the websites we selected are found below.

4M-Net (http://www.4m-net.org)

4M-Net is a site developed in order to integrate micro and nano-technology research and development initiatives currently ongoing in Europe. The site is recognizable as a Drupal-based site, however it incorporates subtle Drupal design features.

Drupal Features Used

4M’s main role seems to be informative as it does not utilize quite the amount of Drupal features as all of the other sites we evaluated did. A calendar is utilized, but a blog and forums are absent. However, a user log-in feature is available and appears to be open to only those associated with 4M’s organization. Other features become available to users if he or she is able to log-in, including a file sharing service. However, this members-only restriction to many parts of the website hinders an outside user’s ability to gain insight into this organization.

4M-Net Homepage – Notice the lack of Drupal-like appearance

Possible Additions to Site

In order to facilitate communication between site administrators and potential users who are unfamiliar with 4M and its mission, a blog or forum would be useful. Other than that, since 4M-Net seems to serve a mostly informative service, unless one is a partner in the 4M initiative, 4M utilizes a sufficient amount of Drupal features for its purpose.

I*Proms (http://www.iproms.org/)

I*Proms is a European website that addresses the area of production research in an integrated manner in order to reshape the area and overcome its current fragmentation.
The Network integrates the activities of all leading EU research institutions in the field of production research which possess wide-ranging and complementary human and material resources.

Drupal Features Used

One common feature found on I*Proms is the user log-in service. This feature gives access to the user’s profile. The website also uses the blog feature on the main page and the forum is used as a ‘meeting place’ for the user to post different issues. There are links on the left side of the main page for navigation and manufacturing News. A unique feature found in this website is the ‘Who’s Online’ feature which allows user’s to view the number of users or guests that are online.

Possible Additions to Site

A feature that is not used in this website is the translator. The translator would be a very useful feature to attract international users.

Lost Nomads (http://lostnomads.com)

Lost Nomads is an international Drupal site serving a Central Asian travel agency, which specializes in adventure vacations in the region. At first, it was hard to discern if Lost Nomads was an actual travel corporation, however I did find the comapny information on a page in the website. It is fairly easy to recognize Lost Nomads as a Drupal site, as its appearance is comparable to the majority of other sites which employ Drupal as a web platform.

Drupal Features Used

For the most part, Lost Nomads does not utilize many graphics, although pictures of Central Asia serve to grab the attention of users. The majority of the homepage revolves around the site’s blog, with a small navigation and forums menu on one side and links to regional news on the other. Lost Nomad’s international audience is apparent in several areas of the site where text is written in both English and in Kyrgyz. It would be helpful if the site was able to translate the text completely into English so that web viewers are able to read all information on the website. Users are able to create an account and log-in in order to post on the blog and to contribute to a collaborative book, the only website we profiled that has this Drupal feature. Moreover, the site also utilizes Drupal-designed polls and a photo gallery.

Possible Additions to Site

Besides two contacts for more information about arranging travel with Lost Nomads, it is relatively ambiguous that the site is for a Central Asian travel agency. The site could, possibly, utilize Drupal’s E-Commerce module to market their travel packages online, potentially opening up a huge market for international travelers. Furthermore, an events calendar could be employed to inform site visitors of upcoming events in the countries which Lost Nomads serves. Overall, Drupal serves Lost Nomads adequately for its intended purpose, while Lost Nomads could improve its utilization of Drupal’s full range of features. Also, as mentioned before, a full, not partial, translation program would be extremely helpful.

The Communiqué (http://www.teledyn.com/)

The Communiqué is a website about how people use computers as a medium to communicate. The website covers mostly about telepresence, social software, free software and a free internet. This website is chosen because it has a wide target of audiences. The Communiqué is designed in an organized way for the convenience of the users with the different links on both sides of the webpage.

Drupal Features used

A common feature employed by this site is the user log-in service. This is an extremely important feature because it gives access to the user’s profile. This function allows the website creator to keep track with the users that registered on the website.
The different links used by The Communiqué on the right side of the website enables users to access to other navigational links with just one click from the front page. The topics are already listed on the sides and the only thing that the users have to do is to click on the links without taking the fuss to browse through every single topic. Another feature being used in The Communiqué is in the blog section where users are allowed to post information regarding the website. It also has a comment section where other users are allowed to post comments without having to go through the registering process.

The Communiqué uses the language translator module to translate the website into several different languages. This feature makes the webpage more accessible to other users who are non-English speakers. The translation buttons on the website are very convenient because as the users click on the translation button, the website will transform into the particular language chosen. Only some languages, such as Spanish, are translated completely. Other languages, such as Chinese, are only translated on the blog in the main page but not on the links at the sides of the page.

Possible Additions to Site

The Communique has most of the standard Drupal features in the website. However, an addition of the calendar would make the website more organized because users only have to click on the calendar to view events on the particular dates. The calendar makes the website more organized.

National Society for Hispanic Professionals (http://www.nshp.org)

The National Society for Hispanic Professionals (NSHP) is a relatively young not-for-profit site dedicated towards establishing lines of communication between professionals of Hispanic heritage. Immediately recognizable as a Drupal-based site due to its appearance, the site utilizes a wide range of Drupal features and modules.

Drupal Features Used

As with the majority of Drupal-based sites we evaluated in our case study, NSHP offers users the ability to log-onto the site. In order to create a post in one of NSHP forum’s or on the site blog, users must be registered and logged in. The homepage is dominated by the site blog and news aggregator features. Unique to this website was the useful ability to separate news by topic (education, health, business, music, etc.). A calendar is prevalent and appears heavily utilized, bringing visitors and users of the site up-to-speed on the latest NSHP events. A poll is also included addressing NSHP issues. Finally, an innovative link to a job database was developed as module for this site, adding to the sites usefulness and attractiveness to potential users. The site definitely has the appearance of a Drupal template, with the different modules listed at the top, followed by two navigation borders, on the left and right, directing users to desired site locations.

NSHP’s Homepage

Possible Additions to Site

NSHP utilized many Drupal features and modules to their full extent. NSHP is a very professional and extremely informative site, owing somewhat to its effective use of Drupal. If needed, Drupal’s language translator module could be adapted to the site in order to broaden the audience of NSHP to include non-English speaking countries which have a large Hispanic population.

Research Findings

From the websites investigated, it was found that the most popular modules being used in International websites are the blog, forum, log-in and news aggregator.

Log-in

The user log-in in feature is a systematic feature used by almost all of the Drupal websites for the user’s registration process. This is an interesting feature to keep the records of the users’ profiles.

Blog

The Blog is used to post up ideas and discussions in the websites. The majority of the websites profiled used this feature.

News Aggregator

The News Aggregator allows direct connection to other websites from the domain website. News headlines are downloaded for viewing from another site and it allows users to view other websites just by clicking the links on the main website.

Forum

The forum module is widely used by most site developers because it serves as a medium for the users to initiate discussion. It is a form of electronic communication between all of the users in the website. Another fascinating feature included in most of the forums is the comment area where other users could post up comments without having to register into the website.

Calendar

Another feature used by some of the websites is the calendar. The calendar is a feature where users can just click on the dates on the calendar to view the events on that particular day. This feature makes the websites more organized and more convenient for the users to search for events on those particular dates.

Polls

The poll is an interesting feature to conduct surveys on the users. Most of the websites used this feature but it is not very effective in getting the respond from other the users.

Translator

The most beneficial feature for international websites would be the translator. The translator is an important feature in an international website and is highly recommended to the new websites.

The most successful features being used in most Drupal websites are the forums and the blogs. Most of the standards modules such as the log-in and blogs were fully utilized by most of the websites except for the translator modules. There are no limitations exist due to the site utilizing Drupal because Drupal was designed to be multi-platform.

The table to the right shows the types of modules being used in the websites investigated:

Most Popular Modules Used
• Log-in
• Blog
• News Aggregator

Least Popular Modules Used
• Translator

Other Modules
• Calendar
• Poll
• Forum

Questionnaire Results

The questionnaire we developed and posted in one of Drupal.org’s forums included both global questions, which tended to focus on the general use and functionality of Drupal, and specific questions targeted towards the use of Drupal when administering or developing an international website. We received only one response to the posting. However, due to its thoroughness and the author being an international site administrator himself, we decided to include the results.

Overall, Drupal was summarized as being an organizational website that can act as the following:
- An information resource
- An online community
- A collaboration tool
- A marketing or publicity tool
- A management tool

The author of the response to our post described Drupal’s advantages as being “feature rich, fast, maintained, and in a big community.” Drupal disadvantages were listed as it having a “frequently changing api, and some usability issues.” With respect to international websites specifically, the author expressed expectations of promising language translator developments and stressed the ability of Drupal to utilize “localization,” allowing international sites to focus on several audiences separated by a language barrier.

Recommendations

Drupal is a user friendly web platform that is specially designed for the convenience of the users. The step-by-step guidelines prepared in the website are easy to follow and make it convenient for the users.

Log-in

The user log-in is important and is recommended in all of the International Sites because it allows access to the user’s profile. This is a good way of managing and maintaining the users in the websites.

Blog and Forum

The blog is actually a function where users can post ideas onto the website. The forum serves as a medium of discussion where blogs on certain topics are posted. The blog and the forum are said to be site dependant because they are related to each other.

News Aggregator

The news aggregator enables the users to subscribe to feeds from other sites and display their content on their websites. This feature is extremely useful because users are directly connected to other related websites.

Calendar

The calendar is a very useful tool in the websites because users can click on the calendar to view events on the particular dates. The calendar on the NSHP website is very interesting because the only highlighted dates are the dates with events. The calendar on the 4M website can only be accessed with the authorization by the organization. Thus, only partners of the organization are able to view the events organize by the members and partners of 4M.

Poll

Out of the five websites being investigated, three of the websites used the polls in the main page of the websites. Polls are a good way to conduct survey by getting the votes from users but how effective is it? There are not many votes in most of the polls in the websites. The polls seem to fail in getting the responds from the users. It is hard to conclude the results of the survey base on little votes. The polls are not necessary because it takes a lot of space.

Translator

One very interesting feature that Drupal provides is the translation feature. Surprisingly, there are not many websites that use this service. This is a highly recommended feature because it broadens the variety of users with different languages other than the English language. The translator used in The Communiqe website is very effective. The users just need to click on the particular language that they want to view on the website and the website will transform into that language chosen in a short period of time.

Conclusion

Drupal is a dynamic web platform that has the capacity to serve international sites of several different profile types (i.e. corporate, community-based, and non-profit) quite well. Drupal offers current web administrators and potential international site web developers the combination of expected open-source benefits along with several specific features that shape the attractiveness of the Drupal platform. Features such as forum and blog construction, a news aggregator, and event calendar are all examples of modules which Drupal offers for use to sites. Attractive to international websites, developing a site utilizing Drupal allows the use of a language translator module with eighteen applicable languages currently and, through open-source initiatives by users, is expected to expand as the platform’s popularity grows.

Ultimately, the success of an international website choosing to utilize Drupal is dependent upon the site developer’s ability and desire to use all of Drupal’s available features and modules efficiently and to the extent needed. The ineffectiveness of some websites could be caused by not utilizing current, available Drupal modules to their full extent. However, while the current modules provide ample opportunity to create an effective international website, Drupal must continue to develop new and enhanced current modules in order to attract the use by potential international website developers. Drupal is effective as it stands today, yet the innovation of Drupal tomorrow will determine its use as an international website platform in the future.

Works Cited

4M-Net. 2004. November 16 2004.

Communique. November 18 2004.

I*Proms. 2004. November 15 2004.

Lost Nomads. 2004. Oct 26 2004.

National Society for Hispanic Professionals. 2004. November 11 2004.