Nikola as flat-file CMS

[Saša Janiška]

Hello,

I'm happy Nikola user for single-user site(s), but consider it a bit
lacking for multi-user site for our non-profit organization where there
are several non savvy-enough to write content offline using some markup
etc. Idea of Coil CMS is great but it looks it is neither used much by
Nikola users nor actively developed.[1]

That led me to look for some alternatives and few days ago I found out
about Grav (PHP) and Lektor (Python). Although the latter is
Python-powered I have not the best experience with author's
maintainability of the projects in the past and therefore Grav looks
more future-proof.

Today I chatted on Gitter with one of the core Grav developer who shared
some interesting points in regard:

* for me, i created Grav so i wouldn't have to use one platform for
simple sites, and one for more complex sites

* Grav is really fast, so simple sites are nearly as fast as static
ones, but with none of the capability compromises

* i just don't agree you need a web interface to be called a CMS

* it's important to us that the admin is always treated as an optional
plugin

* most CMSes you must use the HTML UI to do most things, in Grav, you
can do everything with just files...and you can do most things with the
admin, keeps things nicely separated, and also means that it's 100%
optional


I tend to agree with all of them and would also like to use same
platform for *all* my sites...by taking look at Grav's features
(https://getgrav.org/features), it's easy to conclude that Nikola shares
most/lots of them - some which are missing could be things like media
support (http://learn.getgrav.org/content/media) for stuff like:

* "Links and Lightboxes" and/or

* "Responsive images"
(http://learn.getgrav.org/content/media#responsive-images)

However, the interesting thing is their Admin
(http://learn.getgrav.org/admin-panel/dashboard) and it's nice to hear
it's an "optional plugin". Coil CMS is one attempt to provide similar
features, but, imho, it lacks both features and polish, so my question
is whether Nikola devs/users consider to move further Nikola development
(more) in the direction towards flat-file CMS (ala Grav) by still
providing cli tools to work with the site(s) or it's simply meant to
stay within the scope of static-site-generators?[2]


Sincerely,
Gour

Footnotes:
[1] I understand Chris is busy with other projects.

[2] There is no lack of SSG - see
https://github.com/bevry/staticsitegenerators-list/blob/master/list.yaml,
while the options of (Python-powered) flat-file CMS-es are quite scarce.

--
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully
engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But
the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior
due to the performers' lack of knowledge.