A lightweight CMS

As used on this website

superMicro CMS is a lightweight content management system I have developed since 2008. It lets anyone make a simple website very simply. Content management system is just a name for something you log into and make web pages. In this instance, simple means single-column without a sidebar, sidebar being a separate box on the side with various things in it such as a list of links and extra bits that don't have much relevance to what the page is about. Everything has to collapse into a single column anyway for mobiles.

The system can be downloaded free as a ZIP file which is then unzipped into a series of files for uploading onto the web space of a web hosting package. FTP, or file transfer protocol, is the way to upload all the files. A domain name is usually needed. It might be possible to manage without a domain name if one comes with the web hosting package but normally, people have one of their own. Anyone can buy a web hosting package and anyone can buy a domain name. They end in .com, .net or whatever. FileZilla is a free FTP program you install on your hard drive which basically opens up as your hard drive file explorer on one side and web space on the other. It's like your web space is actually on your computer. Then it's just a matter of dragging things over.

superMicro CMS has public web pages anyone can view and a separate 'admin' area (sometimes known as a 'backend' or panel) which is a series of private pages you log into using a password. The 'admin' area is where the pages are made. Images can be uploaded in the admin area and everything backed up into a ZIP file just in case.

There are thousands of content management systems but not many are as simple as this. Simple to install, simple to use. The whole focus is on simplicity and usability. It's the same system used on this website.

superMicro CMS does not use a WYSIWYG or any kind of HTML editor. Blocks of text are automatically formatted into HTML paragraphs with the wpautop function from WordPress. Additional HTML can always be entered manually – the best way in my opinion, but just in case, admin includes a copy-and-paste type HTML markup helper.