Re: Content Management

Subject: Re: Content Management
From: "Paul Strasser" <paul -dot- strasser -at- windsor-tech -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 08:38:45 -0600


Geoff Hart briefly touched on the fact that Mubeena has two tasks to perform
in the two-month stint as intern:

1) "The company wants me to prepare technical documents for marketing
purposes
for its products from scratch."

2) "Besides preparing documentation, the company is interested in having a
model devised for content management so that any person looking for
information in the future has access to information easily and readily."

When confronted with these two tasks and two months to complete them, the
most logical and reasonable response from an intern is to laugh.

When the chuckles subside, I suggest you handle the second task first.
Thanks to this listserve, a lot of the grunt work is done. Gather the
various CM posts. Read them, google the concepts, and prepare a paper -
call it a "White Paper" - about CM modelling strategies. Give it to those
in your organization who care about CM. Then contact them once a week to
see if A) they've read it, and B) if they want any more work from you.

Ideally, this task should take a few days (really). Don't make it some huge
document - think of it as a Supermemo. You have the makings of a pretty
decent document from the info you've seen in this forum.

Then there's task #1, which hasn't received much response. They want you to
"prepare technical documents for marketing purposes for its products from
scratch." You are allowed to laugh again before working on it.

First, gather information. You must ask the following questions, and more
like them:

Who is the audience for the docs: Current users, Users you want to upgrade
to a new product, or potential customers (or a combination)?

How technical is the technical stuff, and does the writer (you) have to know
the product inside and out to write an intelligent document? If this is the
case, you better start learning.

Are there any examples of what marketing is currently using (or has used in
the past)? What did they like or dislike about the documents?

What are your company's competitors using? Are there any that the company
is trying to emulate, either in form or concept?

My hope is that you are going to be part of a team who will design and write
the marketing docs. If this is the case, it's a terrific opportunity to see
how different groups can work together, or go down in flames. Offer to do
anything and everything for all members of the group - design, write,
fact-check, copy, get pizza. Learn to use different kinds of document and
design tools. Learn (ASAP) the technical stuff associated with your
company's products.

Remember - you are an intern. You aren't expected to be an expert. You are
expected, however, to show enthusiasm, contribute whatever you can, and be
willing to do work outside your comfort zone.

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Paul Strasser
Windsor Technologies, Inc.
2569 Park Lane, Suite 200
Lafayette, Colorado 80026
Phone: 303-926-1982
FAX: 303-926-1510
E-mail: paul -dot- strasser -at- windsor-tech -dot- com




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References:
Content Management: From: Mubeena I Mutabanna

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