XML Content Management: Where to Start?
I want to talk about XML content management. I have spent a good part of my career trying to use, design, implement, and otherwise bend content management systems of various types to my will. It has not, for the most part, been fun or pretty. I've also watched a number of clients dig themselves into very deep holes using various tools that I knew were at best suboptimal, if not downright counterproductive. I've thought very deeply over the years about how to manage systems of hyperdocuments through complex development cycles and I (with my collegues) implemented a system that in fact did what we felt a system needed to do in the way we thought it should do it, only to have that software put on a shelf and tied up in intractable IP webs as a side effect of the sale by DataChannel of ISOGEN to Innodata. Doh.
So I have a lot to say and every time I think about how I'm going to say it I get tangled up in the question of where to start and how long will it take me to get to a coherent explanation of my ideas. I recently finished reading Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, and before that, Collapse. Both of these books present fundamentally simple ideas but Diamond takes great care (and time) to build a solid foundation for his conclusions. I fear I have the same problem: my approach to XML content management is fundamentally simple and in fact leads to fundamentally simple solutions (in the sense that they are easy to describe and understand and no more difficult to implement than they need to be).
In the case of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond contends that all of the current differences in terms of wealth, population density, technological sophistication, and political sophistication between different human populations can ultimately be traced to differences in geography. Having read the book this conclusion seems both obvious and unassailable, but it flies in the face of thousands of years of essentially racist thinking about why, for example, Europeans conquered the New World and not visa versa. Collapse says essentially "Where human populations have risen and then crashed the crash has come just as those populations reached the heights of their progress because, in reaching those heights, they overburdened and ultimately destroyed their environments [Easter Island, Greenland Norse, Haiti]. At the same time, some populations have made the conscious choice to adopt a sustainable life style and have not crashed [Japan, Iceland Norse]. The Earth, like Easter Island, is a closed system that we can choose to destroy or sustain." There, I've saved you reading 1000 pages. Of course, there are a lot of details and not everyone agrees with his reasoning or facts.
In the realm of content management I have similarly simple ideas and principles that I think are both obvious, once presented, and sound. But they to some degree go against at least 20 years of practice and marketing and not everyone agrees with my reasoning or facts. But I don't really have the time or energy to write the Guns, Germs, and Steel of XML content management, which is what I fear I must do to not come off as a naysaying crank.
Excuse me: bitter, naysaying crank.
Another problem is that the scope of the discussion is broad enough that it would take a lot of effort simply to develop a coherent outline of the discussion in order to drive the writing. I do not at this moment have in my head a well-defined sequence of topics that, when presented will lead inexorably to my unassailable conclusions. Rather, I have a lot of thoughts that all connect back to the subject in one way or another and they are all clammoring to be presented first.
So I'm going to try using this forum as a way to do a first draft attempt at writing these things down. Having done that, maybe I can then organize them more formally and carefully into something approaching a coherent book.
So I appologize in advance for what will almost certainly be a wide ranging, often rambling, but hopefully informative exploration of XML content management in all its glory. During this process I encourage you to ask questions, present counter arguments, provide comments (hopefully constructive).
Some of the core ideas I'll talk about here have been presented in various papers at various conferences over the years, especially "SnapCM" (Snap-shot based Content Management). A Google search on my name and on John Heintz should bring you to them fairly quickly. Unfortunately I don't have a reliably persistent online archive of these papers but they are out there.
Another caveat: the company I work for, Innodata Isogen, is partners with most, if not all, commercial vendors of XML content management systems. Most of these systems fail to meet my personal criteria for what a "proper" XML content management system is and does. It is not my intent to impune or criticize any particular tool or company. Rather I want to communicate my considered opinions about how XML content management should be done. To the degree that those opinions are not reflected in a given tool it may come off as criticism of that tool. That is unavoidable in any comparative discussion of technological solutions to complex problems. These are my opinions, not necessarily those of Innodata Isogen.
By the same token, in my professional role as an XML Systems Integrator, if you ask me for my professional opinion about what XML content management tool to choose, you can be assured that that opinion will reflect the ideas to be presented here.
One further note: Innodata Isogen (and ISOGEN before it in its various corporate forms) has always prided itself on being vendor neutral. That is, we do not, as a matter of policy, have exclusive or preferential agreements with any of our partners. This is because we value our ability to make tool recommendations that are based solely on a particular client's requirements and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the tools available at the moment. So if you ask us for a tool recommendation we should, per our policy and practice, make that recommendation based solely on the technical aspects of the case.
Unfortunately, many of our clients come to use having already chosen a system. This is usually where the pain part of our jobs comes in....
So enough prolog and preamble (or is that preramble?). Next up: diving right in to XML content management the Dr. Macro way.
So I have a lot to say and every time I think about how I'm going to say it I get tangled up in the question of where to start and how long will it take me to get to a coherent explanation of my ideas. I recently finished reading Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, and before that, Collapse. Both of these books present fundamentally simple ideas but Diamond takes great care (and time) to build a solid foundation for his conclusions. I fear I have the same problem: my approach to XML content management is fundamentally simple and in fact leads to fundamentally simple solutions (in the sense that they are easy to describe and understand and no more difficult to implement than they need to be).
In the case of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond contends that all of the current differences in terms of wealth, population density, technological sophistication, and political sophistication between different human populations can ultimately be traced to differences in geography. Having read the book this conclusion seems both obvious and unassailable, but it flies in the face of thousands of years of essentially racist thinking about why, for example, Europeans conquered the New World and not visa versa. Collapse says essentially "Where human populations have risen and then crashed the crash has come just as those populations reached the heights of their progress because, in reaching those heights, they overburdened and ultimately destroyed their environments [Easter Island, Greenland Norse, Haiti]. At the same time, some populations have made the conscious choice to adopt a sustainable life style and have not crashed [Japan, Iceland Norse]. The Earth, like Easter Island, is a closed system that we can choose to destroy or sustain." There, I've saved you reading 1000 pages. Of course, there are a lot of details and not everyone agrees with his reasoning or facts.
In the realm of content management I have similarly simple ideas and principles that I think are both obvious, once presented, and sound. But they to some degree go against at least 20 years of practice and marketing and not everyone agrees with my reasoning or facts. But I don't really have the time or energy to write the Guns, Germs, and Steel of XML content management, which is what I fear I must do to not come off as a naysaying crank.
Excuse me: bitter, naysaying crank.
Another problem is that the scope of the discussion is broad enough that it would take a lot of effort simply to develop a coherent outline of the discussion in order to drive the writing. I do not at this moment have in my head a well-defined sequence of topics that, when presented will lead inexorably to my unassailable conclusions. Rather, I have a lot of thoughts that all connect back to the subject in one way or another and they are all clammoring to be presented first.
So I'm going to try using this forum as a way to do a first draft attempt at writing these things down. Having done that, maybe I can then organize them more formally and carefully into something approaching a coherent book.
So I appologize in advance for what will almost certainly be a wide ranging, often rambling, but hopefully informative exploration of XML content management in all its glory. During this process I encourage you to ask questions, present counter arguments, provide comments (hopefully constructive).
Some of the core ideas I'll talk about here have been presented in various papers at various conferences over the years, especially "SnapCM" (Snap-shot based Content Management). A Google search on my name and on John Heintz should bring you to them fairly quickly. Unfortunately I don't have a reliably persistent online archive of these papers but they are out there.
Another caveat: the company I work for, Innodata Isogen, is partners with most, if not all, commercial vendors of XML content management systems. Most of these systems fail to meet my personal criteria for what a "proper" XML content management system is and does. It is not my intent to impune or criticize any particular tool or company. Rather I want to communicate my considered opinions about how XML content management should be done. To the degree that those opinions are not reflected in a given tool it may come off as criticism of that tool. That is unavoidable in any comparative discussion of technological solutions to complex problems. These are my opinions, not necessarily those of Innodata Isogen.
By the same token, in my professional role as an XML Systems Integrator, if you ask me for my professional opinion about what XML content management tool to choose, you can be assured that that opinion will reflect the ideas to be presented here.
One further note: Innodata Isogen (and ISOGEN before it in its various corporate forms) has always prided itself on being vendor neutral. That is, we do not, as a matter of policy, have exclusive or preferential agreements with any of our partners. This is because we value our ability to make tool recommendations that are based solely on a particular client's requirements and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the tools available at the moment. So if you ask us for a tool recommendation we should, per our policy and practice, make that recommendation based solely on the technical aspects of the case.
Unfortunately, many of our clients come to use having already chosen a system. This is usually where the pain part of our jobs comes in....
So enough prolog and preamble (or is that preramble?). Next up: diving right in to XML content management the Dr. Macro way.
Labels: XCMTDMW "xml content management"
posted by Eliot Kimber at 6:09 AM
18 Comments:
sounds excellent. I hope you cover indexing and search for large xml document sets?
I eagerly await your first installment! I think one of the biggest hurdles in XML Content Management is shifting the mindset of authors from presentational styling to contextual structured markup. The other major limitation of CMS tools I think is workflow. With better authoring tools and easier workflow, XML content mangagement will ease the bitterness :-)
Argh. Wish I could modify earlier comments. I meant to say: Better authoring tools and easier workflow would certainly ease the bitterness of XML content management!
I will definitely get to indexing and search over large document sets at some point.
As for workflow, I find that to be an interesting topic for the simple reason that I have yet to observe an environment where anything more sophisticated than simply applying metadata to objects that reflect their stage in a simple sequential workflow is required. Thus I have yet to see any real need for more sophisticated workflow systems.
This is in the context of typical technical documentation support systems where the typical workflow is "draft review draft review publish archive".
I have yet to implement a system where workflow was initially identified as a requirement where we ever ended up getting around to implementing workflow.
But my experience is by no means definitive or necessarily representative.
There is not an ultimate advice because everyone interprets odors in their own way, and the same fragrance can smell totally different considering type of skin, hair color, temperament and even the season of a year. There are important nuances if you do not want to seem vulgar or lacking of taste.
Since ages, chocolate is loved by all people due to its special taste. Many experts have noted that chocolates are unhealthy
and continuous eating often results in tooth decay. Some medical experts have stated that chocolates contain sugar
substances and thus add calories to the body and increase the sugar levels in the blood. But, it has been recently found
that chocolates are good for our health as they have a lot of advantages. Chocolates contain antioxidants. Therefore they
kill the free radicals and obstruct the oxidization of lipids into our body. The antioxidants are a concentrated form of
flavonoids.
Currently, most of us are using mobile phones. True to our nature, we have used the different features of these sophisticated gadgets to put a smile on our faces and that of others. We are sending text messages that are really humorous and listening to ring tones that would tickle our funny bones, every time the phone rings.
At present, a multitude of ring tones are easily available and can be downloaded in different models of mobile phone handsets. Mobile phone users can choose from monophonic ring tones, polyphonic ring tones, true tones, real tones, SMS ring tones, buddy name tones, caller id tunes, etc., according to their specific requirements. With the technological advances achieved in this sector, a high degree of customization of ring tones has also become possible. Users of mobile phones can give vent to their creativity and design some witty and humorous ring tones in many of the latest models of handsets. For instance, users are free to use their own voices or any other sound to create a number of personalized ring tones! Depending on their intelligence, wit and comic timing, they would be able to create some hilarious ring tones that are guaranteed to put a smile on the lips of anyone who happens to hear them.
Fair Trade Coffee is an organization that protects the laborers who work hard to bring you great coffee. Fair Trade Coffee
is produced a bit differently from regular beans, but still ensures that the beans are of the highest caliber.
In the United States people drink a lot of coffee, from cappuccino to espresso. Most people couldn't face a day without
their morning cup, but most people have no clue how coffee is made. Fair Trade Coffee helps bring information on this
process to the many coffee drinkers in the U.S.
The recipe I am going to share with you today is about 350 years old! A great favourite from the Cape where the first brandy
from Cape grapes were distilled in 1672! We have come a very long way since then when it comes to the quality of our brandy,
but still, Cape Brandy Pudding remains an old time favourite :) Growing up in South Africa is great fun with all the recipes
your mother makes and teaches you during your younger years!
Here's how to make delicious chocolate covered strawberries. First of all ensure that the strawberries you are intending to use are dry, then allow them to be room temperature warm prior to making them. After the strawberries have been covered in chocolate, put them in your refrigerator to cool, but do not store them in the fridge. Consume within 1-2 days.
Here's how to make delicious chocolate covered strawberries. First of all ensure that the strawberries you are intending to use are dry, then allow them to be room temperature warm prior to making them. After the strawberries have been covered in chocolate, put them in your refrigerator to cool, but do not store them in the fridge. Consume within 1-2 days.
Are you in search of a good amplifier? Then I would suggest you check out the JL car audio 500/1 amplifier. This amplifier is very efficient and will give little, if any, reason to worry. Here is something more about this product.
It is a class D amplifier. What does this mean? It means that it belongs to the class of highly efficient amplifiers that are up to 90% power efficient. This is a great advantage as it means your battery will not be easily run down. It makes the most efficient use of power when compared to other amplifier classes. And for your car, this is an invaluable feature.
This amplifier features a 12 inch polymer-coated subwoofer and a 12 inch polymer-coated passive radiator. These two are responsible for providing ample bass.
Fair Trade Coffee is an organization that protects the laborers who work hard to bring you great coffee. Fair Trade Coffee is produced a bit differently from regular beans, but still ensures that the beans are of the highest caliber.
In the United States people drink a lot of coffee, from cappuccino to espresso. Most people couldn't face a day without their morning cup, but most people have no clue how coffee is made. Fair Trade Coffee helps bring information on this process to the many coffee drinkers in the U.S.
A few years ago, it was difficult to find synthetic motor oils, and equally difficult to find someone who admitted to using them. Nowadays, however, you can find synthetic motor oils on the shelves of Wal-Mart, and other retailers, and the number of people turning to synthetic motor oils, particularly in light of the recent events affecting fuel prices, has risen greatly.
So why do people use synthetic motor oils rather than sticking with the old petroleum based stand-bys which are admittedly cheaper?
1. Let's start with the cost per quart issue. Synthetic motor oils ARE more expensive at purchase. However, these oils last longer, requiring fewer oil changes. As a synthetic motor oil outlasts several changes of petroleum based lubricants, the ultimate out-of-pocket cost of the lubricant is less. This cost savings becomes even greater if you have someone else change your oil for you rather than doing it yourself!
The history of perfume goes back to Egypt, although it was prevalent in East Asia as well. Early perfumes were based on incense, not chemicals, so aromas were passed around through fumes. The Roman and Islamic cultures further refined the harvesting and manufacturing of perfumery processes to include other aromatic ingredients.
Thus, the ancient Islamic culture marked the history of modern perfumery with the introduction of spices and herbs. Fragrances and other exotic substances, such as Jasmine and Citruses, were adapted to be harvested in climates outside of their indigenous Asia.
Brew low cost beer. The amount of time you spend on brewing beer makes the small difference in cost between "just OK"
ingredients and top quality ingredients a minor point. Either way, the cost of brewing a 5 gallon batch is much cheaper
than buying a couple of cases of beer in the store.
Beer is made of cheap ingredients, so it doesn't hurt to buy the best. Surprisingly, the cheapest way to brew beer gives
you the best results: all grain brewing is the cheapest way to brew when grain is bought in bulk.
You do need a grain mill and a mash tun, so there is a small investment in equipment needed. But you should be able to brew
excellent quality beer for less than $2 per gallon, and you could brew a mild ale for as little as $1 per gallon, or less
than 10 cents per bottle (one gallon is about 10-1/2 12oz bottles). Most of my pilsners are about $1.50 a gallon brews.
Other ways to reduce the cost of your beer are by growing your own hops and reusing yeast from the fermenter. Easy to do,
and it means that I don't have to buy yeast more than once every half year or so. The hops should last e through most of
the winter brews. So all you need is grain, which is about $0.70 per pound in a bulk purchase (much of the cost is in
shipping).
Beer Brewing Equipment Basic, simple, cheap equipment that gets the job done. Sometimes it adds to the challenge. But
through the mystique of brewing and remember that illiterate alewives brewed for centuries using tried and true recipes and
procedures before the dawn of kegerators, ph meters or hydrometers.
Beer Keg Brewing. After using bottles for years, you can jump to the corny keg (Cornelius keg). This is an important step
because it makes brewing so much easier. You can still bottle, but just a few bottles per batch, and use a corny keg to
fill the bottles. You can use corny kegs as secondary fermenting vessels. You can try out method where you leave the beer
in the primary for about two weeks until it clears nicely, and then upi carefully siphon it over to a corny, avoiding
transferring any trub.
If you are interested in wine making then you need to do a little homework before you get started. Wine making is not something that you can just plunge into and learn along the way, you need to do some research so that you know that you are not missing any vital wine making steps or processes. If you do miss these wine making your wine could very well turn out tasting like anything but wine.
Wine making is a something fun that you can do in your spare time and at the end you will have a glorious result. Wine making is something that people tend to get hooked on because the very first batch is not usually perfect, it may taste delicious but it will not be perfect. As you learn about wine making and as you get the wine making experience behind you your wine will get better and better. You will undoubtedly pick up tips and tricks to help you improve your wine making capabilities.
What makes an ingredient natural? More and more leading make-up companies are responding to the demands of today's educated market and offering their customers make-up containing natural and organic ingredients. Women - and more and more men - are realizing the benefits of leaving behind the man-made ingredients used in cheaper cosmetics and looking for the quality and results that come from natural make up. Cosmetics that have been made using quality ingredients - natural products close to the original state, and, whenever possible, organic certified.
Post a Comment
<< Home