Edit on GitHub
Jump to docs navigation

Other / The Bolt Manifesto

Note: You are currently reading the documentation for Bolt 3.7. Looking for the documentation for Bolt 5.2 instead?

Bolt is a CMS that is steadily growing in popularity, and with that popularity comes an influx of new users and developers. This document is our Manifesto: It outlines the goals of Bolt, our motto and our values. This document also describes how we intend to make sure we will adhere to these self-imposed rules.

  • Our slogan is "Simple, sophisticated and straightforward1". This embodies everything we strive to do with Bolt: It is as simple as possible, but not simpler. It uses sophisticated technology to achieve this, and use of the system should be straightforward and evident.
  • Bolt aims at three groups of users: Editors (content writers and editorial staff), Frontend developers (HTML/CSS specialists and implementers) and Backend developers (coders, devops and sysops). All three are equally important.
  • We recognize that Bolt is best suited for medium-sized websites. By keeping this in mind, we will make sure that we do not spread ourselves too thin.
  • We will never add new features, if they detract from any of the points mentioned above. If a proposed feature makes the system harder to use, it will not be accepted. If a proposed feature is for the benefit of one of our groups of users, but disadvantageous to another, it will not be accepted.
  • We will prevent feature creep: Functionality not essential to Bolt, should be implemented as separate extensions.
  • Bolt is Open Source software and it will always be Open Source software. We will never intentionally 'cripple' the system, in order to sell extensions.
  • Our code should be clean, well-organised and legible. For more information, read about our coding standards.
  • We welcome all types of contributions by our users: be it code, documentation or helping out with support for the community.
  • We (the developers and users of Bolt) will always promote and maintain a welcoming and inclusive community. This means that harassment or prejudice of any kind, including but not limited to; sexism, homophobia, and discrimination on religious or political beliefs, will not be tolerated in any form.

1: Sometimes people comment on this saying "But, isn’t Simple and Sophisticated a contradiction?" No, it is not. Simple is not to be confused with 'Simplistic'. Or, you could compare it to a car engine: What it does might seem simple, but a modern car engine is a very distinguished and complex piece of machinery, no matter how easy it is to use.



Edit this page on GitHub
Couldn't find what you were looking for? We are happy to help you in the forum, on Slack or on Github.