Drupal is a web-based content management system. Text and pointers to other kinds of content are stored in a database and are dynamically retrieved, composed, and presented to a user in response to a request sent via a web-browser.

Content in Drupal is created in individual "nodes". For nodes of type "story", users can add comments to the node (comments themselves are not considered nodes). Depending on site settings, adding new nodes and/or posting comments might or might not be allowed. Also, nodes or comments might require approval from the moderators before the node or comment is displayed. Blog entries are another type of Drupal node.

The default Drupal layout ("Theme") consists of three columns. The center column is referred to as the "Content Column". It typically displays summaries of the most recently posted nodes in date order. If you click on a node summary, the full content of the node is displayed in the center column.

The left and right side columns are referred to as the sidebars. The sidebars can display blocks of related information. Blocks often contain links for navigating to other nodes. For example, there can be blocks displaying the most recently posted stories, or the most popular stories. For new installations, the login block displays, along with a navigation block containing a menu of available actions. Different menu items can display in the navigation block depending on what you're doing and what privileges ("roles") you have.

Blocks may or may not display depending on what you're doing and what privileges ("roles") you have, as well. For example, the login block will not display if you're already logged in, or the "most recent stories" block may not display if there are no story nodes available. The administrator can enable/disable different blocks under the Administer >> Site building >> Blocks menu item.

Nodes can be organized into categories, also called taxonomies. Forums are an example of content nodes organized by category. Categories can be hierarchical, where one parent category contains multiple child categories.

New features in Drupal are often implemented as "modules". Once an administrator adds a module file to the "modules" subdirectory, the option to use the module appears in the Administer >> Site building >> Modules section. If the administrator enables that module in Administer >> Site building >> Modules, the features associated with that module become active. A module may define new node types, new menu items may appear in the navigation block, and new types of blocks may become available for display in the sidebars.

There are many words and terms used in the handbook and the forums that have specific meaning and understanding them will help you use Drupal and communicate more effectively when asking questions in the forums.