Can you Cope

Can you COPE

Towards a content strategy By Derek Moore

Outline

• It’s about the knowledge, stupid– Where we’ve been?

• Write once, run anywhere– What are we learning?

• Content can triumph– How can you cope?

Holy grail of advertising

• “To deliver the right message at

the right time to the right

person”

Holy grail of libraries

• “To deliver the right book (and other material) for the right person at the right time.”

Holy grail for e-learning

• Just the right content, to• Just the right person, at• Just the right time, on• Just the right device, in• Just the right context, in• Just the right way.

Sounds familiar?

• I can’t find the information I need.• The information I’ve found is out of date• Content is horribly inconsistent (categories,

structure, and display) .• I usually go elsewhere to get what I need.

Tablets Smart phones

http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/future_mobile_news

It’s about the knowledge, stupid.

Computing waves

There’s too much content

Computing Waves

SmallerMore distributedMore funLowe barriers to entryLess structured data1 million units

100 million units

1 billion units

10 million units

10 billion units

Data made me do it

“IT WASN’T ME IT WAS THE COMPUTER”

Write once, read anywhere?

What are we learning?

Questions

• Do you have content strategy or are you stuffing communication channels with the same content?

• Is the content you are distributing truly best of breed — meaning that it’s as good or better than anything else available?

• Are you really making an impact on readers with the information you provide?

Content & Container

•We assign value to containers instead of content.•Content management is a process, not a technology•We make our content inflexible

Controlled & Distributed

Open up and communicate honestly and directlyAllow your users to really play with your content,You want people engaging with your content, so don’t make it hard on them to engage.

cloud

databases

aplication

Novels

Scholarly monographs

Journal article

Reference materials

Definitions

• COPE – Create Once, Publish Everywhere. – “If you are going to build it once, let’s make damn

sure you can take it anywhere”• Web Service - a way for applications or

systems to talk to each other and does not usually involve human interaction– API – Application Programmable Interface– RSS - Really Simple Syndication

Flexible content

• Design Agnostic• Good design requires flexibility too• Think about your writing• Don’t put crap out there• People are the glue between the tools and the

content

What is an API

Presentation layerData layer API layer

Data > CMS > XML Web Services

Your web site

Mobile apps

Other university sites

Mash-ups

http://webservices.washington.edu/

API Feeds• Faculty Info• Faculties List• Departments List• Terms List• Exam Info• Exam Schedule• Vending Machines List• Professor• Professor Search• Academic Programs• Programs List• Publications• Recent Dissertations• Dissertation Details• Schedule• Course Schedule• Weather• Wireless Data

• open access to library metadata

• catalog metadata

https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/goose-watch-2013

Content can trump containers

How can you cope?

Content strategy

• “Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content” – Kristina Halvorson

Content strategy is an imperative

• “12 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2014”– CISCO

• If “Any glass is where we will be?” is true, then get your content ready to go anywhere because it’s going to go everywhere.”

Know what before how

• Ask - is sufficient quantity of quality content matter available?

• Can each individual content asset can be easily located, used, adapted, and stored again for future use.

• Know what are they doing with the • Do a content audit

Content Management System

• To systematically do that, it’s imperative that publishers employ what’s (aptly) known as content management systems (CMSs). The most common of kind of which is called a blog.

Do’s & Dont’s

• Don’t build one gigantic system• Distribute information between systems• Distinguish between content management

and presentation layers• Understand the building blocks of your

content• Think “Granularity” and “Re-usibility”

Smart Content

• It is likely that, in the near future, academia will expect “smart content” that is “presentation agnostic” and will want to access information and data anywhere on whatever device they choose. If universities wish to accede to such expectations then their data governors need to think about a comprehensive upfront strategy to bring content, dissemination, technology and context together.

We won’t cope

• Our content may be stolen• How do I introduce an API to my boss• My team does not have capacity • The benefit feel intangible• Not enough Time/Money/Resources• It’s too risky

We want to cope

• Content & Containers are inextricably linked• To Be ‘Findable’ Your Content Should Be Flexible.• Flexible Content needs to embraces COPE• Requires investment, processes and structures• Improves editorial efficiency• In time, drives relevancy• Creates opportunities • Contributes to your tech development

COPE has a precedent

Content has always been more important than its container

Thank - you

References

COPE• http://schedule.sxsw.com/2011/events/event_IAP7331• http://ffeathers.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/flexible-co

ntent-and-future-ready-organisations-at-stc-summit-2013/

• http://book.pressbooks.com/chapter/context-not-container-brian-oleary

• https://www.quora.com/search?q=content+strategyAPI examples• http://university.apievangelist.com/• http://webservices.washington.edu/• https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/goose-watch-201

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