Weekly re.web Podcast: The Oscars at W&M?

Episode 13 of the re.web podcast is called "The Envelope Please."
Links to the re.web content within the W&M on iTunes U site:

• subscribe to podcast (does not require iTunes)


• download the transcript for episode 13 (PDF, does not require iTunes)

posted by Susan Evans

Have we met? An update on the CMS demonstrations

I don't believe we have met before. I apologize, I hope that will change soon. It was a nice turnout at the CMS demonstrations. There were a lot of new faces for me. (So, how much longer can I use the “I am new here” excuse?) Anyway, I am glad we peaked the interest of so many and we were able to collect some great feedback on both Cascade Server and RedDot.

Here's a summary of the feedback we collected.

Those of you who like Cascade...

• found the dashboard clean and intuitive
• liked the folders and the representation of pages in relation to parent, child, and sibling pages
• liked that it reminded you of Dreamweaver and the current WM Web Templates
• preferred the tree view in searching for links and assets
• found the interface more intuitive

The Cons:

• sunrise/sunset of a page limited to a single cycle
• the need to create folders for "children" pages
• can't preview pages you are linking to within the link management window
• cannot upload external graphics “on the fly” (while WYSIWYG editing) (Retraction: You CAN upload graphics while you are editing a page in WYSIWYG)
• workflow creation required XML with hard-coded users/groups (Retraction: It does not require XML, there is a workflow builder, we did not see this in detail)
  
• aggregating news into lists seems complicated

Those of you who liked RedDot ...

• liked it's image manipulation features
• found it easier to create "children" pages
• liked that you can check visually that a page you want to link to is correct
• preferred the internal search for finding links and assets
• liked the “Keyword linking” for aggregating news into lists
• liked how easy workflow creation seemed
• liked that a page can have infinite relationships (parents)
• found the interface more intuitive

The Cons:

• too many pop-up windows within editing
• no viewable folder structure to see relationships of pages
• requires IE for some administration

As far as the “cons,” we are looking into the implementation options of both products to see what we can address. Both Cascade Server and RedDot have some flexibility including plugins and customization options that we were not shown in these short and specific demonstrations.

Unfortunately, web editors, we still have a tough decision to make, and most unfortunate of all some of you may be disappointed. However, we take some solace in the scores we collected on this statement- “With training I think I can learn this product.” Where 5 = strongly agree, across all three of Thursday's sessions both Cascade Server and RedDot received an average between 4.3 and 4.75! We're convinced either of these products will do what we need and please remember whichever way we go, we intend to give you the training you need. So maybe we will meet after all.


posted by Mark Windley

With "Vessels" in the IA

Sandwiched between several CMS demos and meetings attended by the VIMS contingent, a few of us met in the late afternoon last Wednesday to talk about the VIMS web strategy. Voltaire Miran walked through a detailed report with Dave Malmquist, Barb Parcell, Tanya Ward, Newt Munson and me. The small conference room in Blow Hall was bursting with ideas, questions, and suggestions. Truth be told, I had to leave just after five that day because it was my daughter's 17th birthday. The VIMS crew stayed until 5:30PM or so to wrap up the planning for a new VIMS web site with Voltaire.

We are pleased by the work of the mStoner team. I hope Andrew Bauserman won't mind that I quote from an email he sent after reading the VIMS Web Strategy Report:

WOW !!!
mStoner really seems to me to have done their homework, *listened* to what the folks at VIMS had to say, and have put together a consistent IA across a myriad of diverse components.

WOW !!!
They make it look so simple. It's like F=ma is such a simple formula that a high school student can learn it and use it, but it took thousands of years of human civilization before Newton was kind enough to write it down so simply for us. Thankfully, VIMS was not asked to wait thousands of years for the clarity they received today.

It is ... impressive that even the wire frames, which are simple placeholders for the navigation and such, are not mere cut-and-paste jobs off of each other, the Law wire frame, or the original W&M wire frame - but really represent the "weight" placed on key elements (...e.g., the VIMS newsletter signup on their root page...).

I think we selected the right company for the strategy, IA, and design aspects of re.web!

posted by Susan Evans

How a web site isn't like a house...

On Thursday, January 24, members of the School of Education, mStoner and the re.web project team gathered in Dean Virginia McLaughlin's office to discuss the SOE's web strategy. mStoner laid out their carefully-prepared plan and we talked about ideas, revisions, and the next steps in the process. It was an invaluable meeting.

Immediately before the web strategy presentation Ginnie McLaughlin and Tom Ward had had been discussing the School of Education's new building with architects and contractors; making final preparations before construction begins. I was struck by this dichotomy: the permanence of the building project and the constant transformation of the web project.

The re.web project is bringing about many lasting changes (our site's underlying architecture and W&M's model of web governance to name a few). If mistakes are made while creating something out of concrete and steel, those mistakes are going to live on for a very long time. A simple error can cost millions of dollars to fix. And poorly designed buildings pose a health risk to their inhabitants.

Now consider the web. Don't like a certain picture? Delete it. Obsolete font? Change it. A page is inaccurate or wrong? Update it. Naturally we should get things right the first time. Believe me, we are trying very hard to do just that. But it's comforting to know that if we are guilty of an oversight, it won't linger on for decades to come.

It's days like these I'm glad I'm a web developer.

-Posted by Joel Pattison... who believes the School of Education's new building is going to be amazing and completely free of oversights, thanks to the hard work and dedication of its future inhabitants.

Wow, what a turnout!

Great turnout for the CMS Demonstration today - we had nearly one hundred show up for the three sessions. Kevin Zink from Global Image did a great job showing the features of Hannon Hill's Cascade and RedDot CMS.

We're resting ... more once we recover.

Thanks All!!

posted by Susan Evans

Weekly re.web Podcast: Its Time to Choose

Episode twelve of the re.web podcast is called "Good Choices Are Made from Good Options."

Links to the re.web content within the W&M on iTunes U site:

• subscribe to podcast (does not require iTunes)
  


• download episode twelve (does not require iTunes)
  


• download the transcript for episode twelve (PDF, does not require iTunes)
  

posted by Susan Evans

Have you met my sister?

Voltaire Miran from mStoner will be back on campus this week and he'll be bringing his "sister." Global Image is mStoner’s technological right-hand and sister company. To date, we know just the telephone voices of the Global Image team! Because, through a number of conference calls, Michael Burks and Kevin Zink have been involved with our CMS selection for several months.

Michael and Kevin will help us host a series of meetings and demonstrations on Wednesday, January 23 and Thursday, January 24. Many of you are already scheduled to be a part of these events. Your thoughts and impressions during this final review of two content management systems, Hannon Hill's Cascade Server and RedDot CMS, is critical.

posted by Susan Evans