the many faces of content reuse

The Many Faces of The Many Faces of Content ReuseContent Reuse

Presented by:Presented by:Harry PorthouseHarry Porthouse

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– Provider of content management software and data services backed by 60 years in the information management industry

– The Vasont CMS manages multilingual content as a single source for maximum component-level reuse and multi-channel delivery for publications, including:

• Technical documentation• Training materials and online knowledge

centers• Reference manuals• Catalogs

www.vasont.com

Harry PorthouseEastern Regional Manager

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Topics to Cover:Topics to Cover:

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Content reuse: Recycle, Content reuse: Recycle, consolidate, conserveconsolidate, conserve

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Copy and paste vs. Copy and paste vs. content reusecontent reuse

Content

WARNING: Don’t stick your finger in the electrical outlet.

Website

Help File

User ManualContent

WARNING: Don’t stick your finger in the electrical outlet.

Website

Help File

User Manual

Content

WARNING: Don’t stick your finger in the electrical outlet.

Content

WARNING: Don’t stick your finger in the electrical outlet.

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Tools for reusing contentTools for reusing content

Content management systems provide effective features for reusing content

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AgendaAgenda

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Benefit #1:Benefit #1:Content reuse reduces Content reuse reduces the workloadthe workload

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Benefit #1:Benefit #1:Content reuse reduces Content reuse reduces the workloadthe workload

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Benefit #2:Benefit #2:Content reuse cuts down on Content reuse cuts down on creation timecreation time

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Benefit #2:Benefit #2:Content reuse cuts down on Content reuse cuts down on creation timecreation time

The author is assigned 10 topics to create.Scenario A: The writer creates each topic from scratch.

10 topics X 2 hours/topic = 20 hours creation time

Scenario B: 8 of the 10 topics can be reused from existing content:

2 topics X 2 hours/topic = 4 hours creation time8 topics X 5 minutes/topic = 40 minutes searching & reuse time

4.7 hours total creation time

20 hours – 4.7 hours = 15.3 hours saved with reuse = 77% less creation time

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Benefit #3:Benefit #3:Content reuse keeps messages Content reuse keeps messages in syncin sync

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Benefit #4:Benefit #4:Content reuse reduces revision Content reuse reduces revision effortsefforts

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Benefit #4:Benefit #4:Content reuse reduces revision Content reuse reduces revision effortsefforts

A writer must revise a topic that is used in 10 documents.

Scenario A: The topic was copied and pasted in each document.10 documents X 1 hour/document = 10 hours

Scenario B: The topic was reused in each document.

1 document X 1 hour/document = 1 hour9 documents X 0 hours/document = 0 hours

1 hour total revision time

10 hours – 1 hour = 9 hours saved with reuse = 90% less revision time

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Benefit #5:Benefit #5:Content reuse trims translation Content reuse trims translation costscosts

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AgendaAgenda

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Technique #1:Technique #1:Explicit ReuseExplicit Reuse

– Utilizing the same component in multiple locations as identified by the user

Manual Model C

Manual Model B

Content

To turn on the phone:1. Press and hold the ON button for three seconds.2, The display will light up.

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Technique #2:Technique #2:Clone ReuseClone Reuse

– Taking existing content and using it as a starting point to branch in a different direction

Manual Model A Model AManual Model B

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Technique #3:Technique #3:Variable ReuseVariable Reuse

– Explicit reuse where some conditionality is built in through use of entities and metadata

Content

Your cell phone uses ________ batteries.

Manual Model A

Your cell phone uses AA batteries.

Manual Model B

Your cell phone uses rechargeable batteries.

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Technique #4:Technique #4:Implicit ReuseImplicit Reuse

– System automatically identifies common content to eliminate re-creation

Content

WARNING: Don’t use the phone at a refueling point.

Manual Model A

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Technique #5:Technique #5: Alias RepurposingAlias Repurposing

– Taking a unit of content and reapplying it in a different tag set for use in a different context

Manual Model A

<p>Your cell phone uses AA batteries.</p>

Web site

<faq>Your cell phone uses AA batteries.</faq>

Content

Your cell phone uses AA batteries.

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Technique #6:Technique #6: NormalizationNormalization

– Identifying all the similar content and easily spotting reuse opportunities (and sometimes mistakes) through our unique pure content view

Manual Model A

WARNING: Don’t use the phone at a refueling point.

Manual Model B

WARNING: Switch off the phone at a refueling point.

Normalized

WARNING: Switch off the phone at a refueling point.

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Technique #7:Technique #7: Reuse of Unstructured ContentReuse of Unstructured Content

– Mix and match structured and unstructured content in the database

Content

Manual Model B

Manual Model C

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Technique #8:Technique #8: Translation ReuseTranslation Reuse

– Automatic reuse of multilingual content when base language content is reused

Manual Model A

Manual Model B

Manual Model A Spanish

Manual Model A German

Manual Model AFrench

Manual Model BSpanish

Manual Model BChinese

Manual Model BFrench

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AgendaAgenda

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Best Practice #1:Best Practice #1: Search before you writeSearch before you write

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Best Practice #1:Best Practice #1: Search before you writeSearch before you write

Search A

Search B

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Best Practice #2:Best Practice #2: Write genericallyWrite generically

Too specific for reuse:“With the back of the Blackberry facing you, press and hold the back cover release button. Slide the cover off to remove the battery.”

Reusable!“With the back of the phone facing you, press and hold the back cover release button. Slide the cover off to remove the battery.”

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Best Practice #3:Best Practice #3: Use basic languageUse basic language

Don’t try to be “clever:”“Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”

“Turn it loose” → “Suffer from diarrhea”

Avoid clichés and jargon:“Thin skin” → “Thick-skinned hippopotamus”

Avoid abbreviations:“GPT” → “I’ve farted”

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Best Practice #4:Best Practice #4: Use writing guidelinesUse writing guidelines

Determine editorial style guidelines:“Replacing the battery” vs. “Batteries” for section/topic titles

Manage terminology:Acceptable: “software” Not acceptable: “program” or “application”

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Best Practice #5:Best Practice #5: Store your content in one formatStore your content in one format

WEBSITE

USER MANUAL

HELP FILE

PARTS CATALOG

BULLETIN

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AgendaAgenda

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Analyze documents to Analyze documents to identify potential reuseidentify potential reuse

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Identify sensitive contentIdentify sensitive content

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Determine a logical Determine a logical granularity levelgranularity level

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Organize content into Organize content into “parts bins”“parts bins”

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AgendaAgenda

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

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Pitfall #1:Pitfall #1: Not chunking enoughNot chunking enough

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Pitfall #2: Pitfall #2: Chunking everythingChunking everything

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Pitfall #3:Pitfall #3: Inadequately securing reusable Inadequately securing reusable contentcontent

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Pitfall #4:Pitfall #4: Reusing content with Reusing content with cross-referencescross-references

Model A Manual Model B ManualSection 1- Refer to Section 7

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7 ??????

Section 1- Refer to Section 7

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

REUSE

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RecapRecap

• What is content reuse?• Why is it important?• Content reuse techniques • Best practices for reusing content • Chunking and organizing content for maximum

reuse• Pitfalls to avoid

More informationMore information

www.vasont.com

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