As a senior freelance Drupal consultant, solutions engineer, working in NYC and New Jersey, NJ, I've performed work on multiple levels: From front-end (Drupal template/twig design or themer), backend (drupal module developer), and as a project manager (used AGILE as SDLC), a business analyst, and a solutions engineer for MTA, Rutgers and others in the area.

If you are new to Drupal, the first thing is to get familiar with it. Drupal is an open-source web application framework with a content management system (CMS) bolted to it. Drupal has a lot of power that can quickly get out of hand and become unwieldy.  So, whether you're using Drupal or not, I hope to provide you with aggregated information on the different options to convert or migrate to Drupal (a page out of Drupal handbook on migration).

How much will it cost to launch your website?

The answer varies greatly on what kind of website you need. We run a lean operation. We use a website development methodology based on a rapid development model along with open souce Content Management Systems (CMS) to manage cost.

For any person that is interested in developing a website or any piece of software for that matter, they need to check out the oss projects that are scattered all over the net. Check out the leading tags on del.icio.us to get started.

How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft by Charles Ferguson, from Technology Review.com - " With some improvements, the open-source model could even become the dominant global production model for software."