netstepinc wrote:
I don't want another CMS.
I need SIMPLICITY for my customers...not another layer of complexity making Joomla an even bigger pain in the butt.
You're in luck, then, because adding another CMS doesn't do anything at all to Gantry's complexity. In the case of our next CMS addition, Grav, it's actually a very simple flat-file CMS (developed by our team) that is about as simple and easy as it gets. However, the fact that Gantry supports it doesn't change anything for your user's experience on Joomla.
netstepinc wrote:
Moreover, this bumpy ride getting jacked around by a proprietary framework has discouraged me from weaving RT further into my projects.
I wish to become less dependent on any one company...because if you guys change your minds, I'm screwed again.
We're not changing our minds, and here's why: Gantry 4 has a base that is over 5 years old and while it is still quite good, Gantry 5 is capable of doing a lot more, a lot easier. We built Gantry 5 for the future, and have a development plan that is solid, and publicized throughout its documentation, our blog, etc.
You say you want to reduce complexity for your users, well, a drag-and-drop user interface versus the slider system we had in Gantry 4's layout manager is one way this is achieved.
netstepinc wrote:
Do the G5 templates include RokNavMenu or an equivalent?
YES! The Menu editor is baked in to the framework. It replaces RokNavMenu and does a LOT more. For example, you can rearrange menu items, inject modules and particles, assign CSS classses directly to menu items, edit submenus with drag-and-drop ease, etc.netstepinc wrote:
I don't want a separate G5 menu.
You won't have one. G5 takes your existing menus and enhances them before passing them through to the front end. G5 doesn't change the menu at all as far as Joomla is concerned, it just makes style changes to it before it renders, all saved separately from Joomla so it doesn't interfere. But the menus themselves are the same Joomla menus.
netstepinc wrote:
I realize G5 is in a constant state of evolution, but I can't shift my whole business while trying to hit a moving target.
G5 is evolving, but the evolution from this point forward is incremental and not something you'd have to change your business around. Here's the thing: Gantry 5's development is in your control. You actually have the ability to directly affect development decisions. Just submit an issue to the GitHub project, or join us on Gitter chat.
Pardon my assumption but it seems like you haven't spent much time with Gantry 5, and we'd be happy to help you get to know it. We have some videos available on YouTube (which are embedded directly in the Gantry 5 documentation).
I know I didn't answer all of your questions. I'm not a member of the development team so I'll leave the rest to them.
Speaking as a non-developer... Gantry 5 is far easier for me to pick up and understand than Gantry 4 was. We believe your clients will agree, and appreciate the modern, simple UX while you enjoy a more flexible and powerful framework.