Build, Buy, or Rent?

A triple-barreled question facing many enterprises today is whether to use an application-building tool or 'framework' to build a content management system (CMS); to buy one of the many out-of-the-box finished products in use by major Web sites; or to simply rent a CMS from an application service provider (ASP) and avoid the headache of running an application server in the enterprise's data center.

Doyle, Bob. EContent (2004). Articles>Content Management>Software

CMS Faceted Product Directory

A state-of-the-art knowledge base with a user-controlled faceted classification scheme. Most web directories (DMOZ ODP, Google, Yahoo) hard wire their category hierarchy. Here you can select the facet you want at the top of the hierarchy, then another facet for the next layer in the hierarchy, etc. A do-it-yourself taxonomy of content management systems.

Doyle, Bob. CMS Review (2003). Resources>Directories>Content Management

Fifteen Steps to Select a Content Management System

These are suggested steps to research Content Management System options for your organization, large or small. They can take you from knowing nothing about CMS to final vendor and product selection. Even if you are replacing a CMS with a new tool, you should follow these steps in the CMS lifecycle.

Doyle, Bob. CMS Review (2004). Articles>Content Management>Assessment

Myths About Technical Writing

When you start working with DITA, there are some things that you may feel you need for traditional reasons that you won't find in DITA. Before you try to modify or specialize DITA, it may be worthwhile to rethink some technical writing practices that are outdated and not recommended today.

Doyle, Bob. XML.org (2008). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>DITA

Selecting a Content Management System  

Learn about what a content management system (CMS) does and the different types of systems available in order to better understand how to select a new system or replace an existing one with a CMS that will be more effective for your organization.

Doyle, Bob. Intercom (2007). Articles>Content Management>Assessment

What's a CMS Lite?

What are we to think when so many products are being marketed these days as a CMS? For starters, content management seems to have won the day over many management software paradigms in the last decade or so. Companies that once did document management, knowledge management, information management, or--dare we remember--data management, all herald their products today as content management software.

Doyle, Bob. EContent (2005). Articles>Content Management

DITA Tools from A to Z  

Introduces readers to the major DITA tools for editing, content and translation management, and publishing.

Doyle, Bob. Intercom (2008). Articles>Software>XML>DITA

Lovely DITA, Meta Maid, Ready-made Metadata

Since adaptation and reuse are core ideas of DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture), perhaps we'll be forgiven if we adapt and reuse old Beatles standards to explain the newest XML standards (hey, maybe it's the only way to make XML sound catchy). DITA is an IBM gift to the technical documentation community that was approved as a standard this spring by OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards), the hosts for many XML interchange standards such as ebXML. Ever since, tech writers have been buzzing about an easier way to get into structured topic-based writing with DITA XML and asking XML Editor vendors to add support for DITA.

Doyle, Bob. EContent (2005). Articles>Information Design>XML>DITA

Introduction to the DITA Maturity Model

One of DITA’s most attractive features is its support for incremental adoption: you can adopt DITA quickly and easily using a subset of its capabilities, and then add investment over time as your content strategy evolves and expands. However, this incremental continuum has also resulted in confusion, as communities at different stages of adoption claim radically different numbers for cost of migration and return on investment. The DITA Maturity Model addresses this confusion by dividing DITA adoption into six levels, each with its own required investment and associated return on investment. You can assess your own capabilities and goals relative to the model and choose the appropriate initial adoption level for your needs and schedule.

Doyle, Bob. XML.org (2009). Articles>Information Design>Planning>DITA

Painless XML Authoring?: How DITA Simplifies XML

Structured writing requires an analysis of content and a reorganization into the smallest possible coherent topics.

Doyle, Bob. SlideShare (2007). Presentations>Content Management>XML>DITA