IMS9300 IS/IM Fundamentals

1. IMS9300IS/IM Fundamentals Lecture 11 Web content management Structuring information for use Archiving and storage of information

2. InformationAustralia • A pilot portal project that the National Library of Australia is involved in with 5 public libraries. • Lynette Lewis, Yarra Plenty Library will be talking about/demonstrating InformationAustralia to our classes (IMS5016/IMS3616) on Monday, May 24 at 1pm in B2.15. • All most welcome

3. Outline • Web content management • Structuring information for use • Archiving and storage of information

4. Features of a CMS • Delivers up-to-date, accurate, and personalized content to various target audiences. • Supports content providers in • regularly making changes, • adding new content or • updating existing material. • Ensures that materials • are displayed only when they are current, and • removed when they become out-of-date. • Supports fast approval of content for timely delivery • Enables personalized content to match the needs, interests, and language of the individual user

5. Efficient, self-service authoring for non-technical content providers • Content authors should be able to • quickly create materials using standard desktop applications, as well as image, video, and other types of media files. • After materials have been developed, content providers should be able post them to the Web using pre-built design templates that provide the proper formatting and corporate branding elements. • Creating new content, or revising existing materials, should not require the involvement of scarce technical resources. • Non-technical content authors should be empowered to keep content up-to-date and be able to directly post content to either a staging environment or a live Web site.

6. Support for worldwide content authoring • Browser-based authoring permits contributors to work from any location. • This also simplifies support logistics since a Web authoring client eliminates the need to install and maintain software in remote locations. • Global marketing requires a multi-lingual site. That requires support for all major languages. • Time zone synchronization ensures that content is presented at the right time, regardless of the author's location

7. Automated scheduling for both content publishing and archiving • Calendaring should allow content providers to determine when content is presented on the site and when it is removed. • Automating this process ensures that date-sensitive information is available only while relevant. • And no one in the organization has to remember when to post or eliminate site content.

8. An integrated workflow process to automate content approval • Routing of materials for approval should follow a predictable process. • Non-automated processes are subject to human error, resulting in the omission of essential reviewers. • Often when such a mistake is discovered, several employees must take time to remove and replace the erroneously posted material. • More importantly, the posting of inaccurate Web content can impact the organization's credibility or even its income.

9. Component architecture • Separates content from the presentation format • The same information can be delivered using various formats, depending upon the site user’s needs and interests. • Dynamic serving of content builds pages on-the-fly as they are requested

10. Version archiving and an audit trail • Provides a record of site changes • Time and effort can be saved if authors can refer back to a previous version of a Web page • Cutting and pasting copy from an earlier version can speed the creative process, or quickly correct an error • Webmaster is able to determine who has made which changes on the site • Full site audit for legal reasons

11. Template-based Web content publishing • Templates ensure • Consistency of look and feel • logical organization of the site's content • Content providers create materials in common desktop applications then copy and paste into a design template. • System will automatically handle content using pre-defined site rules. • A system will have problems if content providers have to • remember rules, • follow non-automated procedures, or • voluntarily comply with design standards

12. Centralized control of site design elements • Designers should design • Authors should develop content • When a site design team controls decisions about page layout, colors, fonts, navigation, and graphical elements, branding consistency is assured. • More adherence to other corporate standards. • Important when content providers are located in remote offices.

13. Dynamic Web pages • Content is easily served up in formats appropriate to various browsing devises when it is stored separately from its format. • Pages can be compiled on the fly when they are requested. • Separating content and presentation ensures that your site will look right, regardless of the device a used to access it.

14. Structuring material • Based on • user requirements • Tool functionality [how the Web works] • Content • Legal requirements

15. Sequencing material • Linear • Linear with small sidetracks • Menu • Web • [These are all dependent on the hypertext fundamentals of the Web, with increasing degrees of complexity]

16. From simple to complex presentation

17. Linear • Screens are sequenced directly and simply • Users can navigate easily • Not suited to complex material

18. Linear extended • Allows for diversion to more complex content • Still fairly simple • Links to supporting [external] materials

19. Menu • Provides for more complex access • Easily supported in file structure • Are menus like books or like computer systems or how we think?

20. Web structure • This is what the Web is good at • Is this what humans are good at? • Suited to complex material

21. Simplicity Support Familiarity Obviousness Encouragement Satisfaction Availability Safety Versatility Personalization Affinity Design Principles

22. Clarity and Simplicity • Subtractive design • Keep it simple • Visual hierarchy • Relative position and importance of visual objects • Affordance • Objects are immediately understandable and usable • Visual scheme mapped to the user model • The presentation of the material coincides with the model

23. Accessibility • Not all users have full use of all senses • How can the blind and visually handicapped make better use of the Web? • A legal requirement for some sites • e.g. government sites in USA, Australia, UK etc.

24. Archiving and Storage • Keys are • Content [what to preserve] • Medium [on what] • Hardware [accessible how?] • Challenges are • Volume of material • Loss of information in conversion at any stage • Unknown longevity of media and techniques

25. Summary • Web content management • Structuring information for use • Archiving and storage of information