Iceberg, Right Ahead Managing Web Site Growth Brian Wold, Web Coordinator Loyola Law School...

Iceberg, Right AheadIceberg, Right Ahead

Managing Web Site Growth

Brian Wold, Web CoordinatorLoyola Law School

Copyright Brian Wold 2003. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

© 2003 Brian Wold, Loyola Law School

What You See Isn’t What You See Isn’t Always What You GetAlways What You Get

What you see…

Here’s the Problem•Maintenance•Organization•Source docs•Growth•Standards•Obsolescence•Clutter•Archiving•Process•Strategy•Biz Integration•Staff Turnover

•Design•Layout•HTML


Welcome to the new Welcome to the new Main StreetMain StreetThe Web browser as Universal Client

Take every document ever published… Add Web enabled applications & forms… Add collaboration and communication… Add public Internet and syndicated

content… Add changes monthly, weekly, daily,

hourly… What do you get when you cross a

library with a gymnasium?


Growing PainsGrowing Pains “I couldn’t find it online, so I gave up.” “I found it, but it looked out of date.” “It’s in two places, and they aren’t the

same.” “I have a question. Whom do I contact?” “It looks easy. It’s easy, right?” “The old paper trail is easier.” “I digitized the video from my Alaskan

vacation. We can put it online, right?”


The Iceberg The Iceberg at LLSat LLS

11 different Web sites1,600 external Web pages2,800 internal and alumni pages> 750,000 Web pages served/mo.


WWWWWW

Course Web PagesCourse Web Pages

Intranet Home

OCSOCS OTROTR LucyLucy

Fall 2001(current)

Fall 2001(current)

Spring 2001(past)

Spring 2001(past)

Fall 2000(past)

Fall 2000(past)

E-Mail

Calendar

Iceberg, Part IIIceberg, Part II

WWWWWW

SISExeter/Oracle


Intranet Home


Summer 2001(current)


Spring 2002(past)

Spring 2002(past)

Fall 2001(past)

Fall 2001(past)

ToolsMajordomo

ChatLessons

E-Mail

Calendar

E-mail (LDAP) UIDPassword


Lucy (SSN) UIDPassword

Oracle (SSN) UIDPassword

Summer 2001(past)

Summer 2001(past)

Spring 2001(past)

Spring 2001(past)

ExternshipsExternshipsPublic InterestLaw

Public InterestLaw CCRCCR

Phone ListsPhone ListsFin AidFin AidTracksTracks

Help DeskHelp Desk ITDITD GraphicsGraphics

In BriefIn Brief

WWWWWW

SISExeter/Oracle


Intranet Home




Spring 2002(past)

Spring 2002(past)

Fall 2001(past)

Fall 2001(past)

ToolsMajordomo

ChatLessons

E-Mail

Calendar



Lucy (SSN) UIDPassword

Oracle (SSN) UIDPassword

Summer 2001(past)

Summer 2001(past)

Spring 2001(past)

Spring 2001(past)

ExternshipsExternshipsPublic InterestLaw

Public InterestLaw CCRCCR

Phone ListsPhone ListsFin AidFin AidTracksTracks

Help DeskHelp Desk ITDITD GraphicsGraphics

…and so on…

In BriefIn Brief


Web Site Life CyclesWeb Site Life Cycles

Stage 1: Basic Content-based Simple design & org Brochureware

Stage 2: Growth Content growth Forms / simple apps Design standards

Stage 3: Intermediate

Dynamic content Business integration Complex apps

Stage 4: Advanced Customized /

personalized Mission critical

But enough But enough complaining…complaining…

“Don’t tell me about my problems.

I know I’ve got problems. What I need is solutions.”


SolutionsSolutionsDon’t worry. You’ll still have a job…

•Maintenance•Organization•Source docs•Growth•Standards•Obsolescence•Clutter•Archiving•Process•Strategy•Biz Integration•Staff Turnover

Strategic Planning

Partnerships

Technology

Training

??


Planning: Be a ManagerPlanning: Be a Manager Plan for growth (and keep planning) [--]

Involve the organization (but don’t give too much away) Bring in experts (learn from others’ mistakes)

Organize the site Site categories = folders OR, content owners = folders Keep it simple & consistent

Organize Content Group dates etc. together Easy to read is also easier to maintain

Manage the life cycle of content Develop repeatable methods Plan for updates, maintenance, expiration Coordinate source documents & versioning

Archive old/unused content [--] Redesigns and advanced projects take time Publishing bottleneck: Centralized vs.

Distributed


Develop PartnershipsDevelop Partnerships Distribute responsibility

Publishing is a clerical function Departments must own content It may be virtual, but it’s still work Update job descriptions

Negotiate change (& reward success) Technology changes faster than people do Teach ‘em to fish… All offers of help appreciated – some more than others Everyone works for me, but some don’t know it yet

Get your steering committee to: Participate in major decisions Align Web goals with business goals Referee disputes Champion the cause Agree with anything you say…


Leverage TechnologyLeverage Technology Enforce standards

Server Side Includes and other design solutions Templates & style guides

Manage sites Link checkers Reports Expiration dates

Consider Publishers, CMS, databases, scripting Cost vs. effort vs. benefit What’s the cost of getting out?

Examples: Publishers: MM Contribute, MS Word, NS Composer Site Managers: Dreamweaver, GoLive, FrontPage CMS: SiteYard, Zope, IIS/MCMS, Interwoven, Red Dot, Stellent,

OmniUpdate [--], etc.


Macromedia ContributeMacromedia Contribute


Provide TrainingProvide Training How to use technology: the least important skill Writing for the Web

The newswriting pyramid Chunking information Using formatting for effectiveness It’s not paper

Styles and usage guides Keep it simple Provide flexibility

Sub-site and file management “Consistent organization helps me.” Sub-site publishers tend to think their main page is THE

home page.


Wearing Different HatsWearing Different Hats Keep an eye on the big picture

What’s most important? (Who’s the audience?) Remember what the Web’s good for – and what it’s not If it doesn’t make life easier, improve service or save

money, why do it? Look for duplication and gaps

Enforce standards / Provide subtle hints Stay visible: Alert execs & report progress Manage outside help

Consultants, volunteers, students Know what to give away – and what to keep

Say “Thank you”

Questions, Problems, Questions, Problems, IssuesIssues

Thanks for your time!Thanks for your time! This presentation is available:This presentation is available:

http://intranet.lls.edu/about/iceberghttp://intranet.lls.edu/about/iceberg//

Contact: [email protected]: [email protected]

Iceberg, Right Ahead Managing Web Site Growth Brian Wold, Web Coordinator Loyola Law School...

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