Forms are highly structured information containers. They’re used by just about everyone for one thing or another. Unfortunately, neither paper-based nor HTML-forms work as well as they should. Both types lack connectivity with the other applications that utilize form data. Instead, they’re more concerned with presentation than purpose. Thus, the W3C XML specification XForms is a welcome addition to the data collection landscape.
AIIM is an international industry association connecting users and suppliers of enterprise content management (ECM) technologies – tools and methods that help capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver content in support of business processes. Its e-Doc Magazine is one of the best resources for information on subjects including: Content/Document Management, Business Process Management, Enterprise Portals, Knowledge Management, Image Management, Data Warehousing, and Data Mining. AIIM members can participate in the development of industry standards. Over 80 of AIIM’s standards, recommended practices and technical reports have been drafted and approved by Read the full article…
If you’re like most folks, getting a call or an email from a salesperson isn’t the highlight of your day. But, it’s an even more painful experience when the salesperson who calls you has no idea what you’re interested in, but should have. Enter Vignette. A sales rep from the content management software company contacted me within 24 hours after I visited the company web site. She left a phone message saying that she knew I had registered as a new member at their web site, but had no clue Read the full article…
The Office of the Legislative Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives has adopted XML as a data standard for the exchange of legislative documents. Not only will authoring legislation in XML reduce errors, improve productivity, and speed up an overly-bureaucratic process, it may also make it increasingly difficult for politicians to sneak pork barrel provisions into legislation at the last minute. The Homeland Security Act fiasco is an excellent illustration of the problem. Document Type Definitions, Data Dictionaries, Element Descriptions and Content Models are available from the United States Read the full article…
When you share Microsoft Word files with others you may unintentionally leak sensitive corporate or personal information, including, but not limited to, the names of authors and reviewers, text deleted during the revision cycle, private comments, and information from other Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files that were open at the same time.
According to a survey of IT executives conducted by Aberdeen Group’s Technology Forecasting Consortium, 61.4% of those surveyed said they intend to purchase a content/document management system in 2003. Although this makes content management the most sought after solution from an intent-to-purchase perspective, when the survey respondents were asked to prioritize purchases, content/document management dropped to the 23rd spot, indicating that a desire to purchase may be hampered by budgetary constraints. To learn more, see Aberdeen’s Second Quarter 2003 User Buying Intentions Update.
Analysts from CAP Ventures Dynamic Content Software Strategies Consulting Service recently released a white paper entitled Developing An Enterprise Content Strategy: The Blueprint For Universal Content Management. It’s an excellent overview of Enterprise Content Management which includes a useful section dedicated to making the business case for ECM. It’s loaded with statistics, information on the importance of taking an “information inventory”, and advice for selecting ECM software based on its ability to “manage business processes as opposed to simply managing content”. Be forewarned, the last sections of the paper digress Read the full article…
If you’ve been worried you’ll be replaced by overseas competition, think again. You’re biggest competitor may just be a baboon. Humans and higher primates are a lot alike. Not only do we share approximately 97% of the same DNA, we also share the ability to program in Visual Basic. Recent research in primate programming suggests software development is a task that most higher primates can easily perform. Skilled primate labor can allegedly perform code maintenance and report writing for as little as 45 cents (US) per hour. Find out what Read the full article…
One third of all computer users who seek technical support say they never find the solution to their computing snafus. A recent survey by Consumer Reports magazine puts IT technical support among the lowest-ranked services—even lower than the support offered by cell phone vendors! Common gripes include: poorly designed help systems, difficulty obtaining telephone support and technical support specialists who don’t know what they are talking about.
Information architecture consultant Louis Rosenfeld makes the case for abandoning the search for the perfect business title. Many professional titles exist for those whose job it is to make information easier to use. Some call themselves information architects, others experience designers, technical communicators, content strategists, usability consultants, and so on. Rosenfeld writes, in Boxes and Arrows, “I like to think there are more fruitful communal pursuits, such as finding better ways to market ourselves, organizing ever more outstanding conferences, and setting up local professional groups for networking and commiserating.”
Whether you’re currently employed or job-hunting, a blog is a great way to capture and store writing, samples of your work and resources that catch your eye. And even if you’re not currently looking for a position, it can be a good way to network in the technical communication community. Blogging is inexpensive, and you’ll develop new (marketable!) skills while you’re doing it.
If you’re involved in creating, maintaining, publishing or managing content (and who isn’t nowadays), you should be a member of the Society for Technical Communication. STC is the world’s largest professional association for technical communicators with over 150 local chapters on six continents. Members include technical writers, help authors, web content strategists, information architects, graphic artists and illustrators, editors, instructional designers, usability pros, translation specialists, and software programmers. Members receive myriad benefits including subscriptions to Technical Communication and Intercom. Membership application is located here.
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