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Smarter Content in Weird Places

Presented by: Bill Swallow, Director of Operations at Scriptorium

Contributed by: Sandra Dekoum

Overview

Presenter Bill Swallow discusses smart content, which is essentially XML or structured content that has metadata as a component. This smart content allows a more creative way of writing, managing, and using content. The focal point of the presentation was a discussion of content as an asset rather than just a final product. According to Swallow, when content is viewed as an asset, developers can then find smarter ways to create, manage, and deliver content.

What makes content smart?

  • Unconventional structures—not traditional topics-based authoring approach to content development
  • Innovative approach to metadata—moves beyond traditional approaches to metadata such as audience or method of delivery towards more meaningful definitions that allow content to be used in an equally meaningful way
  • Engineering with content—authoring content to maximize current and future needs

What is the history of smart content and where is it now?

Swallow provides a brief historical overview of how smart content came to be with efficiency being the key motivator. Early on, content developers began exploring:

  • Separation of content and form
  • Single-sourcing
  • Topic-based authoring
  • Content reuse

Presently, there is a shift away from this emphasis on efficiency towards content as an asset and how it can be maximized, personalized with metadata, and ultimately how its delivered. In this way, smarter content becomes more valuable due to its ability to be used in a variety of applications.

What are some weird applications of smart content?

While smart content has traditionally been used to develop technical content, groups outside of technical communication are applying smart content in different ways, using meaningful metadata to maximize their content.

  • IT departments—system integration of content and real-time information exchange
  • Marketing—content authoring in portals or centralized repositories and structured content for rebranding
  • Educational content—eLearning deliverables, instructor and training manuals, assessments, reference guides
  • Product development—electronics, machinery labeling and machine touch interfaces, everyday products
  • Chatbots—metadata used as “food for the bots” to meet specific user needs

Key Takeaways & Reflection

"The perception of content as a valued asset that has countless applications is not limited to just tech."

As the presentation highlighted, the use of smarter content is not limited to the field of technical communication or even to technology for that matter. Smarter content is expanding into areas such as healthcare, insurance, finance and accounting. To keep up with this expansion, technical communicators should adopt a view of content as an asset, authoring it in a way that maximizes its potential use in these varied arenas. This connects with lessons learned in WRIT 5662 in terms of having a critical eye for how content is authored for use and reuse. It extends these lessons learned in WRIT 5662 in terms of the application of content into areas outside of the technical communication.