Joomla! is an open source CMS (content management system) for websites. Specifically, it is licensed under the GNU/GPL License . If you are unfamiliar the term Open Source, visit my Open Source section.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term CMS, I will now take some to time to explain. A CMS or content management system is software that runs on a webserver to create, modify, organize, and remove (manage!) the content of a website. Unlike a standard HTML website in which the content of your site is saved on the pages that make up the site and must be uploaded, a CMS uses a database to store the content of the website. Also, with a CMS like Joomla! administrators/webmasters are not required to have any knowledge of HTML. If your webhost uses Apache (web server) with PHP and provides you with access to MySQL then I strongly suggest you take a look at Joomla! If your webhost doesn't use Apache and you do not get any MySQL databases, then I both recommend that you choose a new webhost and you take a look at Joomla!

If you do not currently have a webhost, or your current webhost does not use Apache with PHP and does not provide MySQL access, you can do a locall install with JSAS.

JSAS (Joomla! Stand Alone Server) is a WAMP (Windows/apache/mysql/php) stand alone server with Joomla! preinstalled. What this means is that if you are using a Windows computer you can install everything you need to create a local Joomla! site all with one program! JSAS is commonly used by developers to create local Joomla! sites before taking them live.

If the idea of using an open source CMS like Joomla! appeals to you, you may also want to read "How to choose and open source CMS."