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Content Management Systems: Examining the Changing Role of Technical Communicators

Content Management Systems: Examining the Changing Role of Technical Communicators. Cathy C. Rumfelt ENGL 8121 July 18, 2007. Common Threads. Question: What recurring themes/ideas appeared in all three articles? Importance of user-centered design Changing role of technical communicators

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Content Management Systems: Examining the Changing Role of Technical Communicators

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  1. Content Management Systems: Examining the Changing Role of Technical Communicators Cathy C. Rumfelt ENGL 8121 July 18, 2007

  2. Common Threads Question: What recurring themes/ideas appeared in all three articles? • Importance of user-centered design • Changing role of technical communicators • Need for critical analysis of XML, CM, and ECM

  3. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work”William Hart-Davidson, Grace Bernhardt, Michael McLeod, Martine Rife, and Jeffrey Grabill Introduction: • Researchers align content management (CM) with phronesis • Phronesis: the ability to think about how and why we should act in order to change things, and especially to change our lives for the better. “Aristotle says that phronesis isn't simply a skill, however, as it involves not only the ability to decide how to achieve a certain end, but also the ability to reflect upon and determine that end…”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phronesis) • Focuses CM “not on the making of texts, but rather on the good of the community for which text making is a central, sustaining activity” (Introduction) • Question: How does the idea of phronesis affect the role of the technical communicator?

  4. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” Introduction, continued: • When organizations come to content management, they don’t always understand what it is • Look at bulleted lists under WHEN ORGANIZATIONS COME TO CM (2nd page) • Question: What is the difference in these two lists? What is revealed about what these authors value?

  5. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” Case Studies: • National professional organization (NPO) and MSU Library websites • Case Study #1: NPO • What can we do to improve our website? • They had ideas about specifics, but couldn’t discuss big picture issues/ideas • Vision: provide an area where members could respond to key issues • Wanted to streamline, but at low cost • Advise the NPO’s web team

  6. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” NPO, continued: • Question: What did the authors discover as they researched the site? • Conventions provided same info, but in a different format • Members were not using the site • Needed to research users and content • Found more than 20 different types of menus • Audience groups shifted roles as they went on the website – one user may have many different roles

  7. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” NPO, continued: • Recommendation from authors: • NPO should revise website to reflect the goals and task of users vs. the structure of the organization • Content should be uniform but customized for the needs of each role • Authors had to see beyond client’s initial problem to the bigger picture • Question: What are the implications for technical communicators?

  8. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” Case Study #2: MSU Libraries • MSU already had a user centered view (users contributed to online resources) • MSU wanted a new content strategy to align with redesign of website • Authors: surveys for users, analysis of existing pages – lots of research • Results: • Users view the site differently than the library • Technologies varied from page to page • 2 distinct types of pages

  9. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” MSU Libraries, con’t: Recommendations for MSU Libraries: • Create user role-based views – “landing pages” • Identified many areas where users could be contributors and indexers and organizers • Allow users to create customized views

  10. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” Their Conclusions: 1. Workplace writing research may be a valuable aid to transforming organizational structures. 2. As the web itself is transforming into enterprise software for small business and non-profit organizations, technical communicators are well-positioned to provide the critical services that usually accompany shifts in new infrastructure.

  11. “Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowledge Work” Questions: • Based on this article, what is “content management as inquiry-driven practice”? • What do these researchers value in content management? • What are the implications of the two case studies presented in the article? • How has the role of the technical communicator shifted, in their view?

  12. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML”Filipp Sapienza XML Overview • History of XML: • Developed and endorsed by W3C in Feb. 1998 • Descended from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) • What is XML? • Markup language – allows one to organize and compartmentalize “mixed data types” (surgery example) • Writing documents in XML is called “structured content development” – differs from traditional writing methods that are hierarchical and sequential

  13. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” Question: Why use XML? • Structure “unifies content” – ensures quality control b/c it prescribes a specific model that everyone follows • Content displays more easily on multiple platforms (wireless devices, Web browsers) with different stylesheets • Modularization – allows granules to be queried and reused (pool example, syllabus example)

  14. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” 4 Usability Issues that arise from XML in Content Development Issue 1: Structured Language vs. Traditional Writing • Traditional writing: sequentiality, hierarchy, constraints of a format or genre • XML: ability to generate content for different audience, etc. • Need new evaluative techniques to evaluate usability of structured writing in a modular state • Developer issues • Writer cannot connect to ideas of existing situations b/c she may not know where the module will be used • Research is needed to determine what constitutes a usable module or granule of content

  15. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” Issue 2: “New Culture of Usability” • XML: allows for smaller user tests during development rather than one big test at the end; may cultivate “new culture of usability” • Universal Usability • Easy for all users to use • Aurora – for disabled users; uses XML to vary for different types of users (visually vs. hearing impaired) • ISTE Example • ISTE method assesses usability of manuals • Users reading technical documents usually skip over conceptual and go to constructive procedures • XML templates could give users choices about which view they want • Advantages and Disadvantages

  16. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” Issue #3: User as Developer • Structured documentation blurs the role of developer and user • Traditional model: developer acquires info., and puts forth content • New model: user may be able to customize systems – instead of being a recipient, she can be a co-creator • Will user feel comfortable with this role? • User as Developer Issues • XML – used for adaptable and adaptive systems • Some users like the “malleable tools”, but consistency is still important • Additional research says level of user expertise is linked to how much customization is desirable • More research is needed – could frustrate users

  17. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” Issue #4: “Usability of Interoperability” • Traditional method: develop content for one primary audience, meet needs of other audiences through visual markers • New method: XML allows for different views of the same content from a single source • Yahoo example: DTD for information sharing (news sources) • Similar content can be changed according to preferences (ex. horizontal vs. vertical views, different languages, etc.) • Research is needed to look at how these changes affect reception of content; also research for different technologies, etc.

  18. “Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML” Questions to Consider • How does XML affect the role of the technical communicator? • How does XML affect the role of the user?

  19. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications”Rebekka Andersen Article Summary: Andersen examines the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions that are becoming increasingly popular in business and technology industries. She critically examines five assumptions about ECM technologies, and then calls for technical communicators to take action.

  20. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” • Enterprise Content Management (ECM) – “the technologies, tools, and methods used to capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver content across an enterprise” Questions: • How is ECM different from CM? • Why does Andersen find ECM problematic?

  21. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Five Assumptions about ECM technologies: • they empower and enable workers and end product users; • they increase social interactions and knowledge sharing; • they improve content quality, accuracy, and consistency; • they eliminate need for technical knowledge; • they require worker adoption for success.

  22. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Assumption 1: ECM technologies empower and enable workers and product end users Questions: • What is Andersen’s analysis of this assumption? • Does ECM empower the worker and users? (page 8)

  23. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Assumption 2:ECM technologiesincrease social interactions and knowledge sharing Questions: • What is Andersen’s analysis of this assumption? • Is there increased online social interaction? (pages 9-10)

  24. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Assumption 3: ECM technologies improve content quality, accuracy, and consistency Questions: • What is Andersen’s analysis of this assumption? • Do these technologies improve content? (pages 10-11)

  25. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Assumption 4: ECM technologies eliminate need for technical knowledge Questions: • What is Andersen’s analysis of this assumption? • Is there still a need for technical knowledge? (pages 12-14)

  26. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Assumption 5: ECM technologies require worker adoption for success Questions: • What is Andersen’s analysis of this assumption? • How does “user adoption” affect these technologies? (pages 14-15)

  27. “The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communications” Question: What do you think of Andersen’s conclusions? • Technical communicators must get involved in the business and technology discussions • They cannot remain mere recipients of ECM technologies; they must help shape them • Businesses need the alternative viewpoints • Research must be conducted; ECM technologies must be critically examined

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