Sent by David Wheeler on 13 January 2004 21:09
On Jan 13, 2004, at 5:38 AM, Ann Rockley wrote:
> You are correct that word processors tend to make authors think
> "paper" as we author while web/HTML editors make us think "web" as we
> author. We really need a third type of editor that lets us think
> content. This doesn't really exist yet. Forms come the closest, but
> they do not work well for complex granular content.
I think that this states the biggest issue with content management
succinctly and precisely. The CMS I work on, Bricolage, uses forms to
enforce the idea that content is just content, independent of
presentation. But we all know the issues inherent with this
approach--and they aren't limited to just those that Ann cites.
I'd be _very_ curious to know if anyone has any ideas about this "third
type of editor." But I think it might require a paradigm shift in the
way people think about content before it could come about. People think
"paper" because that's where they're used to seeing content: in books,
newspapers, magazines, etc. Even for online content, many people will
print out pages of any significant size to read them, rather than read
them on screen.
I think that this paradigm will only come about when Online publishing
is fully integrated into the majority of publishing environments. In
most publishing environments, the online team is full of techies who
convert content from the print side for publication on the Web, rather
than full of editors who simply write content. Until such integration
occurs, until editors are hired to "write content" rather than
"contribute to a [print] magazine or newspaper," I don't think that
this paradigm will come to pass.
Regards,
David
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