Day Two: Gilbane Conference San Francisco

April 12, 2007 Blog No Comments

Yesterday was day two of the Gilbane Conference on Content Management and LISA Forum and busy was the best word to describe our participation in the event. Scott Abel of TheContentWrangler.com moderated a session entitled “The Multi-Site, Multi-Channel User Experience”, featuring panelists Ann Rockley, President, The Rockley Group and Ron van den Broek, VP Sales & Marketing, Tridion. Both speakers provided a high-level overview of the processes needed to manage web content geared toward serving multiple audiences with full regard for improving the user experience.

One contentious issue that has plagued many a web project—how to determine how users actually use the sites we build—may no longer be reliant on our gut feelings, psychic vibrations, or proclamations from so-called usability experts. Sure, usability guidelines are important and necessary. But, they cannot provide us with a picture of how users use the site or why they don’t use some features as much as they do others. Enter TapeFailure.com, an online analytics tool with a Web 2.0 twist: video recordings of how site visitors use a site. The service is still in beta, but offers early adopters special pricing once the service goes full tilt.

The Technology Showcase (vendor exhibition area) included vendors of software products, services, and representatives from membership organizations including the Society for Technical Communication, Localization Industry Standards Association, and Content Management Professionals (CM Pros), among others. CM Pros will host a post-conference event—the CM Pros Spring Summit—Friday, April 13. The theme of this year’s event is Managing Content Management Projects. The Summit is an intimate, one-day intensive educational program designed for 50-100 attendees. Members and non-members alike may attend.

The Summit will kick off with a keynote address by Ben Martin, Senior Analyst with Flatirons Solutions. Ben is an industry-leading expert in content management strategies. He will share advice and insight on managing content management implementations and explore critical success factors impacting content management projects. In addition, the Summit will feature a full day of workshops and interactive roundtable sessions, an industry leaders panel, a “birds of a feather” luncheon, and a networking cocktail reception (sponsored by Crown Peak).

On tap today at Gilbane are sessions on web content management, software as a service, publishing for international audiences, DITA & S1000D, localization, and content syndication. This ought to be a busy yet informative day.