Chapter 1 Summary - Managing Enterprise Content (Haupt)
Ann Rockley, Pamela Kostur and Steve Manning have identified possibly the largest documentation problem facing major enterprises today - silos of information. They seek to eliminate these silos through a "Unified Content Strategy". The problem is easy to identify and difficult to eliminate.
The typical large corporation has multiple document management systems, each containing specific types of documentation. Furthermore, these disparate systems are rarely compatible with each other, resulting in an inability to integrate them one to another. Compounding the problem is that the companies also employ web-based content management systems - designed to automate the management of internet and intranet-based documentation.
Admittedly, there exist enterprise-wide applications designed to extract knowledge from the entire organization's digital resources. A good example is Autonomy (http://www.autonomy.com/). But such a solution is very expensive and also intrusive. These types of programs can spider an enterprise-wide network, using Bayesian logic to find relationships between seemingly unrelated pieces of documentation. In other words, these programs find the context of the documents.
The authors maintain that the solution to the problem isn't just technological. It can be solved, they argue, by learning and implementing a strict methodological approach to the creation and management of enterprise-wide documentation. As far as technology is concerned, the authors advocate the use of reusable content modules - commonly referred to as "elements" in the world of XML and SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). These elements can be reused simultaneously in multiple documents. No longer are documents created as standalone pieces. Rather, reusable elements are combined on demand to create virtual documents.
I look forward to reading the entire book and learning how the authors feel they can manage enterprise-wide content management systems, XML, SGML, DITA, legacy documentation applications, and the people who contribute documentation to them.
The typical large corporation has multiple document management systems, each containing specific types of documentation. Furthermore, these disparate systems are rarely compatible with each other, resulting in an inability to integrate them one to another. Compounding the problem is that the companies also employ web-based content management systems - designed to automate the management of internet and intranet-based documentation.
Admittedly, there exist enterprise-wide applications designed to extract knowledge from the entire organization's digital resources. A good example is Autonomy (http://www.autonomy.com/). But such a solution is very expensive and also intrusive. These types of programs can spider an enterprise-wide network, using Bayesian logic to find relationships between seemingly unrelated pieces of documentation. In other words, these programs find the context of the documents.
The authors maintain that the solution to the problem isn't just technological. It can be solved, they argue, by learning and implementing a strict methodological approach to the creation and management of enterprise-wide documentation. As far as technology is concerned, the authors advocate the use of reusable content modules - commonly referred to as "elements" in the world of XML and SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). These elements can be reused simultaneously in multiple documents. No longer are documents created as standalone pieces. Rather, reusable elements are combined on demand to create virtual documents.
I look forward to reading the entire book and learning how the authors feel they can manage enterprise-wide content management systems, XML, SGML, DITA, legacy documentation applications, and the people who contribute documentation to them.
posted by Carl Haupt | 9:54 AM
4 Comments:
I like your style of being very forward and blunt with criticism of the author and the text. Because you have been actively working in the field for many years, your insight into the process of documentation creation will be valuable. I am familiar with Boolean logic, but might you possibly offer a brief explanation of Bayesian logic?
In the classes I have taken here, the focus has tended toward “single sourcing.” Is this another term for “Unified Content Strategy?” Can documents be easily compartmentalized so portions can be manipulated and placed into whatever application the author chooses? Can an author use a tool such as FrameMaker to easily move from paper to web? If you can, would you tell us about your experiences with such a creature?
As I said in Anne’s post, the silo mentality scared me. Reading about the Unified Content Strategy that Rockley outlines sounds very good. The ideas of having an organized process, management, and reusable information sounds like it would be a godsend in this condition. I only had one problem: nothing was said on HOW to implement these ideas! I’m going to bring this up in class this week, but I would have liked more information on how Rockley suggests we implement these ideas. How do we establish management? How do we make elements reusable for everyone in the company? How do we do all this? I’d like to know!
I have to start by saying that I haven't recieved my copy of this text yet (darn mailing system!); however, the comments and summaries posted so far have been very informational and useful to me. Good job so far to everybody for that.
I would like to ask the same question Larry asked earlier: is single-sourcing the same thing or similar to a unified content strategy? Or, if not, is single-sourcing one means of creating a unified content strategy?
I realize this semester we will be experimenting with a single-sourcing program (AuthorIT), and we will be collaborating with docs.google, and it seems like these two programs could be considered tools for putting together a unified content strategy. Is this correct?
I guess I have a hard time following along with all of the acronyms but I liked the way you somewhat simplified the message. I guess it's only logical that it would be beneficial for the industry to have a unified method across the board. Maybe this is a too simplistic way of thinking but, I wonder why there was ever language created that couldn't be universal? Maybe it has something to do with technology in the present and the lack of resources in the past.
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