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The Way to Drupal Answers Isn't Always Clear; Here's How to Find It

They say “everyone starts as a beginner,” but that’s not quite true. Pianists easily apply their training to transition into conducting or composing; carpenters and stonemasons become sculptors. Likewise, former programmers intuit Drupal's inner workings on sight. Some beginners simply start out “more equal than others” — leaving the rest of us scrambling to catch up.

Commercial software incorporates the cost of training, documentation, and support into the product’s price: Without an easy “on-ramp,” the product will fail to gain new adherents and, eventually, fade away. Core Drupal, as a free, open source product, lacks this support-system advantage, so help must come either from volunteers or from the third-party market. Alas, volunteers are sometimes unreliable — or unavailable when needed — and the third-party market requires money. And so a “knowledge gap” has developed between those who hold information and those who need it.

But it's not hopeless, because the Drupal ecosystem has grown and diversified so much that those two sources of help can now serve just about everyone, including you — if you know where to look.

Getting Answers Fast

When problems grind your project to a halt, speed is of the essence. Your best bet for free, emergency support is the #drupal-support channel of Internet Relay Chat (IRC), staffed by helpful volunteers. Sadly, the demand for help there far outstrips the supply, so many questions go unanswered.

More reliable are the commercial offerings. These are sometimes provided as part of a subscription program, the best-known of which is the Acquia Network, where direct, ticket-based support starts at $2,500 per year. (Forum-based support is available as part of cheaper packages.) But Acquia is far from the only player, and http://drupal.org/drupal-services lists over 100 companies that offer some form of support.

Tom Geller

Tom Geller has been online for twenty-five years and building Web sites for fifteen. He switched to Drupal in 2007 and has since created eight video courses for lynda.com, written the book "Drupal 7: Visual QuickStart Guide", and consulted on communications for Drupal companies. His home is in Oberlin, Ohio; he's online at tomgeller.com.