Thanks, Jenny
Your response tells me I am not so far behind the game. But as for entry
points, I wonder if it is like Tech Writing was years back. There were no
qualifications and no standard pathway. Promoted secretaries, and sideways
moving trainers and IT geeks all fell into tech writing when they showed an
aptitude. I came from the teaching and then training direction via reference
based training (for which I am still grateful, thankyou Tactics). I wonder
if that is how the content management is now working? A talented admin
person, or TW et al starts to take responsibility for something that is a
mess, and eventually moves sideways into that role.
I might post the question on the Slack "Write the Docs" group and hope I
don't sound too foolish.
Cheers, Christine
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jenny Crotty
Sent: Wednesday, 6 July 2016 12:42 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Content management
Hi Christine,
I can only determine there's possibly a pathway through Knowledge Management
type roles.
In my organisation we are provided with Network drives and a SharePoint site
to store content and this just provides a place for each business unit to
keep their outputs from the use of Microsoft Office suite. In our
documentation team we use a Team Foundation Server to manage our XML files
and will be moving to GIT but this is purely based on the need to back up,
have version history and provide some security to the information we create
and manage. The rest of the IT team here use a product called Service Now
that has a knowledge centre space and people submit articles to build a
library of info for their business unit. Each is responsible for their own
design and organisation. Our Intranet content management is structured by
the application used by the digital team, which for us, is Oracle Webcenter.
Our online help doesn't integrate at all with Webcenter, which is such a
pity.
All of the content management solutions we've ever used end up creating a
big mess because the lack of structure and consistency. Any new
appointments, junior roles or otherwise learn how to manage their team's
content based on existing process. Most people just go with the flow. Big
clean ups are rare because of the time they take. People just learn to work
around it.
Maybe the concept of content management is touched upon in courses related
to the use of these applications? Maybe it just comes down to good old
fashioned common sense and having a logical approach to storing information.
Maybe we've all become dependent on the powerful "Google-like" search tools
in available? I know my Sister is dependent on her iMac's search tool to
find anything and everything in her small business.
I can only dream of the efficiencies we would gain if there was proper
content management in our organisation.
Don't know if that's what you were looking for but I hope it was useful.
Cheers
Jenny
Jenny Crotty
Technical Writer
ITS Business Engagement
Bunnings Group Limited
126 Pilbara Street, Welshpool WA 6106
Locked Bag 20, Welshpool DC WA 6985
Phone : (08) 9365-1568
Fax : (08) 9451-5754
E-mail : <mailto:jcrotty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> jcrotty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Website : <http://www.bunnings.com.au> www.bunnings.com.au
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Christine Kent
Sent: Wednesday, 6 July 2016 8:54 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Content management
We all know "content management" by some name or another (the whole "Write
the Docs" thingy) is an emerging area for writers, but does anyone know what
the pathway is into it?
I am currently writing some TAFE courses, and , on the whole, the VET sector
has not grasped that the whole of the business world has been disrupted. The
training very much represents the past state, not the future state, so where
I can, I introduce more up to date information. However, I am also falling
behind and whilst I can see the new state from afar, I do not always know
the mechanics of how it works.
I decided to add the concept of Intranet/Internet content management in a
low level "Organise Workplace Information" course, and put a note explaining
how someone can specialise in this. I do this for other skills skimmed over
in the Unit like communication skills, where I referred the students to more
detailed courses on specialist topics.
I scanned every business course and could find nothing that seemed to bear
any relationship to what I am calling "content management" - nothing on
intranets, SharePoint, Lotus notes etc - for non IT people. That includes
data storage and management systems in modern organisations that are NOT
either databases or Office documents, but that can, nonetheless, involve
junior staff in their creation or management. The term XML does not appear
anywhere in any course, but surely junior staff are going to become involved
in tagging and managing XML files etc, or creating files for Intranet
distribution other than PDF? (Even managing PDF files does not come up in
these courses.)
Do junior staff get involved in any aspects of "content management" as I am
defining it above. I need some insight on this one as I have not worked in a
modern large corporate environment for a few years now. Is the area
monopolised by IT graduates or is there a pathway in for the newly recruited
junior office person?
Cheers, Christine
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