Publishing Tools for Non-Programmers

Posted March 23, 2004 at 10:13 AM | Tagged as: Computing, Web Stuff, Work | 5 Comments

For my first important blog entry, I have a question. How much freedom should a content publishing tool give a non-Web developer?

Here’s the situation: A new content publishing tool has been developed at my work place. A writer logs in to the tool, selects the type of content they want to publish, and is then presented with a number of form fields. There may be, for example, form fields for a headline, a byline, and a story. Simple, yes? OK.

Let’s assume a writer enters plain text in all fields. When the content is submitted to the CMS and produced as a Web page, all of the necessary markup is inserted (header tags around the headline, paragraph tags around the story, etc.). Excellent!

However, what should happen if the writer enters some HTML in any of the form fields?

Currently, this tool ignores it. Doesn’t care. It doesn’t even check for markup, so naturally anything, good or bad, could be entered. The argument presented by the tool developers is that the writers need to learn more about Web publishing and need to be more responsible for their content — both the stories and the markup.

Now, I’m all for people learning correct markup. And I’m all for people being responsible for their work. However no one is perfect, and mistakes in markup are bound to happen. Right? So what potential solutions are there to this?

• Simple checks for matching tags could be done very easily with JavaScript (the publishing tool has a Web front end) or on the back-end (though it seems like a waste of a server trip).
• Even more ideally, those input fields that potentially allow for markup could be accompanied by a lovely WordPress-like interface.
• The server could just strip all markup, since writers aren’t supposed to be entering any, anyway.

But without any checks in place, markup like this is bound to go live:

<font color=red>My Headline</font>

In fact, it already has… as have some tables (for no apparent reason). When I see irresponsible use of markup in a fairly constrained environment like this, after writers have been given training on the tool, have been told not to write markup, and have been shown the potential results of their misuse and mistakes, that shouts to me, “Don’t let them do that!” Without setting up a process where a bunch of people have to check all of the writers’ work, I see no other way for ensuring the quality of the markup (or the complete lack of it) without something being built into the publishing tool.

Your comments are most welcome on this topic. What additional arguments can you present for or against checks in a publishing tool? What options for markup validation do other publishing/CMS systems offer? And how much freedom should a non-Web developer have with markup?

Paradise Lost

Posted March 21, 2004 at 10:32 PM | Tagged as: Philly | Comments Off

They pav — err, imploded — paradise to put up a parking lot.

Yes, friends, Veterans Stadium, former home of the Phillies and the Eagles, is gone. I only ever attended one Iggles game (versus the Redskins, and we kicked their asses!), but I went to more Phillies games than I can count. I shared the same birthday as the Phillie Phanatic, so for many years I went to games in the hopes that my name would be on the scoreboard (it never was, oh well). It was also the site of oh-so-many great concerts: Paul Mc Cartney’s triumphant return in 1990, the Monkees in 1986, the Rolling Stones… *sigh*

I saw the whole thing from the roof of my building in Center City. A few other residents were up there, too. We said our silent farewells and toasted our old friend as it fell. The local news stations replayed the demolition for hours. I now look out from my building and see emptiness where the Vet once stood. I wonder what it will be like to drive by on I-95 and not see it standing there?

Notes from CSS panel

Posted March 18, 2004 at 3:45 PM | Tagged as: Industry Events, Web Standards | Just 1 Comment

Dave Shea was kind enough to take notes during CSS: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, the SXSW panel in which I participated. Thanks!

Here we go again…

Posted March 18, 2004 at 11:11 AM | Tagged as: Industry Events, Just Sayin, Web Stuff | 6 Comments

For those of you familiar with my previous attempts at having a blog on my site, you’ll recall that those blogs failed miserably. For those not familiar with my previous attempts, I generally posted for one or two days and then never returned. So why would I be trying this again?

I’ve just returned from SXSW Interactive. There I was introduced to many Web luminaries and we discussed various ideas about the Web, Web standards, and other topics. I realized that much of this chit chat continues after SXSW not through e-mail or message boards, but via blogs. However, it wasn’t until Kevin argued for the value of blogs that I began to see the need for me to have one again. So, here I go!

I’ll need everyone’s help in trying to maintain my interest, until I’m really in the swing of using this thing. So if you see that I haven’t published anything lately, please send me an e-mail and harrass me. Or, if you have any ideas to help me out (or just feedback in general), e-mail me or leave a comment. Thanks for your support.