Some of this metadata is shared between both the collections management system and the DAM, but not all of it is in both. Each system has their own specific types of metadata. This sharing can even include the collections management system linking to the images in the DAM and not just data and vice versa (data to the images).

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Our first step was to conduct a thorough content audit of these sites and all other financial aid related content within the Ithaca.edu structure. Once we knew what we had, what we didn’t, and where it lived within our site structure, we spent significant effort doing focus groups, interviews, and usability testing with key audiences (including internal staff). (more…)

The area where metadata is most important, however, is video. That content is locked within formats that are generally inaccessible to search spiders and aggregation bots. There’s no way to know about the insightful perspective captured at a clip’s 2-minute mark or the funny pratfall 45 seconds in. Left unaddressed, most video clips have the discovery prowess of a “DSC0000.jpg” file. (more…)

This wave has two faces. One is the trend towards more minimal, readable designs. The other is the imperative to make content as easily reformattable as possible, separating content from the designs in which it’s initially clothed.

You can see it at work in tools like Instapaper and Readability. You can see it in applications like Flipboard, which filter and reformat news through the lens of your social network. (more…)

Polyhierarchical tags solve two important problems. One tag implies a bunch of related and synonymous tags, so adding tags no longer means racking your brain trying to be complete when summing up related themes for a story. And you can stop wondering whether the tags you’re entering are too specific or too vague. (more…)