In a previous blog post, we discussed and compared the Content Management Systems of Drupal, Joomla!, and WordPress. This blog post will now take a look at the importance of keeping that software, and any software for that matter, at an updated level.
Security
Website security is probably the most important reason to update your Drupal, Joomla!, and WordPress systems. When the administrators of these systems send out a new update, it most likely has made changes to protect the structure and keep hackers from taking over your site. Are you using this CMS to build a business presence on the web? If the answer is yes, then keeping your site secure is beyond important.
Better Working Software
Not only do updates to Drupal, Joomla!, and WordPress provide extra security measures, but they also just provide a better functioning system to begin with. Over time and with added use on the market level, small glitches may be discovered that inversely affect performance. Once these issues are fixed, the software may seem cleaner, and maybe even faster performing depending on the fix needed. Furthermore, advances in technology also cause software to be updated and improved.
Advanced Features
With Open Source CMS programs, such as Drupal, Joomla!, and WordPress, many new and advanced features are added in with new updates and versions. Since volunteers and a community support group manage the upkeep of these programs, additions are often those directly specified and requested by the people using them. In this way, performing software updates just make sense because it gives you a better product.
Each of these systems will have updates available on their websites with detailed instructions of how to complete the task. Many times, the admin area will notify the user that the software is currently outdated, much like the following image depicting a Drupal update is needed [found in Status Report in Admin area].
However, before doing any sort of upgrade, it is imperative to run a backup of your existing install and database just in case something does not run properly during the process. For WordPress, the upgrade process can be found at http://codex.wordpress.org/Upgrading_WordPress. Drupal’s upgrade process can be found at http://drupal.org/upgrade/. Finally, Joomla!’s upgrade process is detailed at http://docs.joomla.org/Upgrade_Instructions. If you are using another content management system, updates and instructions are often clearly defined on their websites.
So, CMS users, make sure to update your software in order to have the most recent, best performing, and most secure version in use for your website. It is more than beneficial to do so – It is just plain smart, especially for those wanting to use this software to build a business web presence.
*In this article, we have specified three Content Management Systems – Drupal, Joomla!, and WordPress – but we would like to point out that updating software is important for any CMS, and any software in general.
