Understanding Drupal

I finally understand Drupal. The various CMS review sites stated that Drupal had a steeper learning curve than most, and that is true. My first lesson was to take the enhancing modules slowly, and one at a time. I was impatient to get my site up and start adding all the content. My biggest disappointment with Drupal is that it requires so much setup and configuration to really function as I expect. Calling it a Content Management System is a misnomer as it really is a Management System With the Added Function of Organizing Content. What does it manage? Its self; its modules. What it can do for the content is limited by your patience and what the module authors feel is best. I have spent hours and hours configuring, troubleshooting and eliminating many modules that offered intriguing features with mediocre results. In the end, I am using the base install, plus:

• Taxonomy Access Control Lite (essential)
• Devel
• Image
• KML Location
• Book Review
• Comment closer
• Comment mover
• Copyright
• Custom Error (not working)
• Download Count
• Find URL Alias
• Greybox
• Google Sitemap (not working)
• Legal
• Links (not exactly what I wanted)
• Meta Tags
• Path Redirect
• Pathauto (essential)
• Quotes
• Recent changes
• Scheduler
• Update Status (essential)
• widgEditor (buggy)
• Views

Drupal is certainly a tech's CMS. I understand enough to move forward my implementation, but I will still keep an eye open for a superior product.