2021 in Review: Top Trends and Topics

There’s much about 2021 that did not play out as planned. The list is longer for some than others, but despite big-picture setbacks, 2021 proved to be a year of powerful momentum within the Open Source Community. 

With Drupal 8 having reached end-of-life status on Nov. 2, 2021, and Drupal 7 headed for decommissioning on Nov. 28 of this year, migration to Drupal 9 was and will continue to be a top-of-mind topic. Other leading areas of interest include big leaps forward in content editing capabilities, the ever-present question of WordPress or Drupal, along with deeper dives into the why and how of Drupal for state and local government sites.

As has been the case in years past, our blog readership stats serve as a leader indicator of topics that matter most to the Open Source Communities that we serve. So with a 360 degree perspective on 2021, here's a look back at the posts that grabbed the most attention last year. 

1. A Comprehensive Guide to Drupal Migration Resources

As a service to the Drupal Community, during a year when migrations were either a work-in-progress or high on the to-do list, Promet set out to provide a solid overview of Drupal migration resources. The post covered a wide range of perspectives, planners, plug-ins, checklists, modules and more. The resource resonated and emerged as the top viewed post of 2021.

Read: A Comprehensive Guide to Drupal Migration Resources

2.  How to Optimize a Drupal 7 to 9 Migration

Migration to the most up-to-date version of Drupal is the ideal opportunity to take stock of a website and to pursue major, strategic steps forward. This post presents eight essential steps to help streamline and reap the greatest advantage from the migration journey.

Read: How to Optimize a Drupal 7 to 9 Migration

3. Toward an Optimal Content Editor Experience in Drupal

The days of relying on IT departments or web development agencies to keep a site updated and brand aligned are giving way to easy-to-manage, drag-and-drop flexibility for creating original pages that serve specific purposes beyond the limitations of standard templates. This year's readership stats confirm a high level of interest in new capabilities that are empowering marketers and content editors to efficiently and effectively take ownership of their sites. 

Read: Toward an Optimal Content Editor Experience in Drupal

4.  What Makes a Good Government Website?

More so than ever before, the public sector is relying on websites to handle a a lot of heavy lifting—serving as a central information hub, providing a venue for taking care of official business, advancing civic pride, alerting citizens to weather and public health emergencies, and a lot more. In the current environment, government websites present distinct challenges and opportunities. This post looks at key differences between government and private sector sites, focusing on the essential objectives that the state and local government websites achieve for constituents.

Read: What Makes a Good Government Website

5. Drupal vs. WordPress: Key Strengths of the Top CMSs

A frequent question in the Open Source CMS world is variation of: “Which is better, Drupal or WordPress?” While many have a strong bias towards one content management system or the other, staunch opinions on the subject are often based on a few cursory facts or outdated information.

Both WordPress and Drupal have evolved a lot since their introductions in the early 2000s. In some ways, this evolution has brought them into closer alignment with each other, in other ways, it has clarified distinctions. For an unbiased, side-by-side analysis of the two, read Drupal vs. WordPress: Key Strengths of the Top CMSs

While we can't begin to predict what 2022 has in store, we at Promet Source are committed to staying connected and sharing thought leadership, top trends, best practices, and in-the-trenches how-tos to help you stay informed, engaged, and aware of what's new and next. We're always open to hearing your ideas and digging into the topics that matter most to you. Let us know what we can do for you, and all of our best wishes for a powerful step forward into 2022.