WebGUI is an open source content management system developed under the GNU General Public License. WebGUI was first released to the public in the summer of 2001 by creator JT Smith. The release of WebGUI corresponded with the debut of WebGUI's parent company, Plain Black Corporation. WebGUI is developed by community contributors, as well as Plain Black staff. JT Smith vets all contributions to WebGUI's core.
The WebGUI community website provides free documentation in the form of forums, a community maintained wiki, and a video library. Visitors to the site can also find information regarding how to become active and contribute to the community. WebGUI's user community operates on a “karma” economy. Community members are awarded for their activity on the site with karma points, which can then be spent in various ways. For example, karma can be spent on the WebGUI Request for Enhancement board to increase the chances of a requested feature being implemented, or spent as currency to purchase goods in Plain Black's store. WebGUI's website also has a Bazaar, which acts as a marketplace for community contributed applications, themes and more.
WebGUI users can purchase commercial services from Plain Black, which offers professional development, design, support, training, and hosting packages. A free beginner's guide, the WebGUI Primer, is available for download on Plain Black's website, and the company also hosts a free weekly introductory webinar to WebGUI.
