Www.sims.monash.edu.au IMS9300 IS/IM Fundamentals Lecture 11 Web content management Structuring information for use Archiving and storage of information.

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IMS9300IS/IM Fundamentals

Lecture 11Web content managementStructuring information for useArchiving and storage of information


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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


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Outline

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


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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• Ensures that materials – are displayed only when they are current, and – removed when they become out-of-date.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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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.


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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


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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


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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


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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.


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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.


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Structuring material

• Based on – user requirements

– Tool functionality [how the Web works]

– Content

– Legal requirements


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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]


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From simple to complex presentation


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Linear

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


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Linear extended

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


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Menu

• Provides for more complex access

• Easily supported in file structure

• Are menus like books or like computer systems or how we think?


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Web structure

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


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Design Principles

• Simplicity• Support• Familiarity• Obviousness• Encouragement• Satisfaction

• Availability• Safety• Versatility• Personalization• Affinity


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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


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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.


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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


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Summary

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

Www.sims.monash.edu.au IMS9300 IS/IM Fundamentals Lecture 11 Web content management Structuring information for use Archiving and storage of information.

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