Pirillo wants to create the Ubuntu of Content Management

Chris Pirillo, "Call for Help" guy and all around poster-boy for geekiness, is actually onto something much bigger and much cooler than you'd guess by his relatively unhip track record.

As you can read in this TechCrunch post, Pirillo is basically out to create an Ubuntu for blogger/photogallery/etc. set. He's trying to remove the need for coding or diving into text configuration files in an attempt to generally lower the barriers of entry into creating a decent and functional website.

Debian:Ubuntu::Drupal:Pirillo's Project

He's starting this whole shebang off with a solid base, by using the open-source Drupal content management system. He rightly points out that Drupal's got so much baked-in functionality and so much power that's there and fascinating, but difficult for just anybody to tap into. It's similar to how Linux is stunningly powerful, but it takes someone who cares about facilitating the new user's experience. As he said, "It's not the features, it's the implementation."

'A Noble Idea'

Michael Arrington refers to Pirillo's idea as noble, which to me also mirrors Canonical's take on how Ubuntu is Linux for Humans. The idea is generally to make it easier for people to create and do things they're after, free of cost. He doesn't have Canonical's resources, though, as his announcement is primarily a Call to Action and a request for possible partners and investors, although he's insisted that he's going to keep the project entirely open and community-driven.

Not a bad idea, Pirillo. You've clearly got a good precedent and eventually I bet you'll have a great community built around it and perhaps even a pool of potential investors or partners.

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