http://tidbits.com/ Thanks to the personal computer and the Internet, anyone can be a publisher today. But while our software may now solve basic visual design problems for us, most people don’t know how to think like a publisher, which results in information that’s poorly designed and conveyed. Adam Engst explains how to do a better job. en-us Copyright 2012 TidBITS Publishing Inc. Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) http://tidbits.com/images/tb_logo_152x55.png http://tidbits.com/ 55 152 TidBITS badge http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16283 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:25:32 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16283 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16274 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:04:02 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16274 ]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16245 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:33:12 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16245
While the site is now being updated regularly, it was designed with a theme that seems to be incompatible with most other things, so trying to update it with calendar integration and other plugins, which I only do in the middle of the night, usually ends up with pages of errors and with me backing out in frustration. At this point, I'm thinking that it might be best to start over. If I do, I'm not so sure I'll be using Joomla...

Now that I'm done ranting, I'll add that this was a great article. I'll be sharing with a bunch of parent groups.
]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16223 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:54:48 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16223
So I wouldn't stress too much, though I would say that any Facebook and Twitter accounts should be monitored, so you can reply to any comments you get there.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16214 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:06:52 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16214
About multiple distribution methods: Say I'm making a TidBits-like news/articles site, aiming to build a community for the site.

I have web articles, RSS feeds, and email newsletters under my belt. But I'm hazy on smart use of social media distribution methods. TidBits, for example, seems to keep the focus on its site, using Facebook and Twitter only to announce new articles. Or is there FB/Twitter-only TidBits content I'm not seeing? Does such content even make sense, as it'd force users to pay attention to the web, FB, *and* Twitter to avoid missing things?

My thought is that my article-based site would announce new web content on FB/Twitter mainly to please folks who want to keep up with new content but don't want newsletters and don't use RSS. However, I have a nagging sense that there's some other Big Thing to be done with social media distribution that I'm not grasping.

The answer to my vague question may be "it depends", but any general advice is appreciated!]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16195 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:00:51 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16195
First is that email lists messages be made accessible to folks who signed up later so they can see any messages they might have missed. A service like Google Groups provides this functionality.

Second, I try hard to ensure any information I hand out (which by definition was important!) is available on the web site. That critical handout Adam mentions with mailing list info has content that belongs on the web site (once you climb through the Catch-22 of how someone finds out about the web site!).

Instructions emailed out are often worth parking at a web site, such as the detailed instructions Adam mentions for using Yogile. (A link in subsequent emails referencing the service would be of special value to newcomers, natch.)

Emailed forms usually also should be available for out-of-band access on a group's web site. (Cool- fewer attachments!) Often forms are not needed when information about them is emailed out so having the forms at the web site allows folks, not just newcomers, to have access to the forms when they actually need them.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16199 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:00:29 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16199 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16185 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 20:42:23 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16185 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16183 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:29:09 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16183 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16164 Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:16:34 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16164
As far as my criticism of Joomla goes, I don't pretend to have personal experience with it, which is why I specifically said that the issues might be with setup mistakes. From what you say, it sounds like the problems may have revolved around setup AND (the lack of) subsequent maintenance.

I can say with assurance though, that those problems are not due to laziness - the simple fact of the matter is that the school district, like many around the country, has been hit tremendously hard by state and federal budget crunches, and with the number of staff having been cut radically, it's most likely that the site hasn't been a priority for the remaining IT resources over other things. Keeping a Web site up to date may not cost much by some counts, but it still requires staff with the appropriate technical chops.

And whether or not current versions of Joomla can be set up to be easy to access and update for completely non-technical users, this one isn't - even the technology teachers find it maddening (and having watched them try to update content, I don't disagree).]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16163 Sun, 14 Oct 2012 02:34:32 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16163 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16162 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:12:45 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16162
But I also agree with Kendall, considering it is a post about content and how it should be current, correct and up to date, how come this post is so badly formatted?

Also you say
"whether it’s due to Joomla’s architecture or setup mistakes, it’s so hard to use that teachers and coaches and administrators either can’t or won’t use it, thus ensuring that the information it contains is incomplete and out-of-date."
How can selecting an article in the article manager, and pressing edit to update an article, then pressing save be too difficult?

To add a new article to Joomla, you simply press NEW, then select the category it is to live in, type in the content to a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) box with a formatting toolbar like using word and press save… nothing more than that.

The main problem is that your website is using Joomla 1.0.12, but as the current version is 3.0.1, means your websiteicsd.k12.ny.us is about 60 versions and 7yrs out of date, that even an 11yr old hacker could walk into your site and do whatever they want.

This is the equivalence of using Windows 3.1 in 2012 and complaining that windows is poor and not as good as other systems.

You cannot blame either the administrator or the CMS on the failings of lazy teachers/IT support, the cost of updating a website is extremely small, it should be done regular to keep up with any security releases.

I find it strange that these important points have been missed by somebody who claims to know so much about the internet and to have been around for so long… to have then blamed the problems of incorrect data on a website on the system or the way the system was setup and not the people who were supposed to be looking after it.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16159 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:44:08 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16159 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16156 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:28:15 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16156 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13317?rss#comments_16153 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:15:30 EDT http://tidbits.com/article/13317#comments_16153
Cheers

Donald]]>