I think there are some out there that still regard the productization of drupal as something on an anathema; something somehow antidemocratic. The truth is actually the reverse: the ability to pay for drupal provides me with an avenue to contribute to its growth and betterment without having to contribute directly to the framework. It also gives me a voice as a customer invested in the technology that I cannot possibly attain within the community through contribution of time and skills which I do not possess.
The reason to adopt drupal is neither the elegance of its code nor the “humility, encouragement, mentorship, collaboration [and] empowerment” supposedly espoused by its community. No, the reason to adopt drupal is that, both beyond and below a certain scale or particularity, it is rapidly becoming the only game in town, aside from enterprise level systems which you cannot afford in the short term and a grow-your-own solution which you cannot afford in the long term. In other words, its momentum.
When people proclaim the success of drupal by referencing the volume of modules in its library, they neglect the fact that it contains about 50 bricks and around 5,000 assorted Blackbeards.
In fact Drupal is not a solution, it’s a starting point. It’s lacking in both the usability necessary for direct muggle interaction, and the polish necessary to sell it to marketing. Out of the box it’s about as useful as an IKEA flatpack without the instructions and half the bolts.
Out-of-the-box, drupal is responsible for some of the least attractive websites in existence, and rectifying this matter is a costly and time-consuming proposition.
Drupal is the worst possible content management system, apart from all the others.