In this scenario, the same page might have six different variant outputs you publish each variant to a different space. When you publish the page, you can publish a specific variant of the page to a specific space. Through the conditional content macro (part of Scroll Versions), you can associate content with different variants (Trek 7.1 FX versus Gary Fisher City Slicker 2.0, for example). Scroll Versions calls this conditionally processed content a "variant." The Scroll Versions plugin is a nifty plugin that you can add to Confluence (though not with the On-Demand version of Confluence). Probably the easiest way is to apply conditional tags on the content. You could create six separate versions of "Maintaining your brakes," but then you'd have 80% redundant content that is copied and pasted between the six topics. Let's say the section on brakes has the topic "Maintaining your brakes." The content is 80% the same between all the Trek and Fisher models, but the higher end versions of thee bikes have higher end components, so there's some variation in the help content. But how do you re-use content when only part of the topic is the same? If a topic on "Adjusting handlebars" is exactly the same, it might fit nicely into all six spaces. Putting content for different versions into different spaces is one strategy. The following screenshot shows how each version lives in its own space. They publish the latest version always in the same space, but then archive the previous versions into a space that reflects the version number. In Confluence's own documentation, the authors use spaces to accommodate each changing version. If there's a lot of variation between the brands, you could even create six separate spaces that you publish to - a space for each bicycle brand and version. You keep the source documentation space private. You can then push the source content into these other spaces. You then create another space for your Trek content and another space for your Gary Fisher content. In this space, you write the source documentation. One strategy is to create a separate space in Confluence where your source content will live. You also don't want readers to know the parts are the same for both bikes. While a Trek customer might be okay seeing content for 7.1 FX, 7.2, FX, and 7.3 FX model stuffed into the same manual with various notes calling out different versions, the audience won't tolerate documentation for other brands to also be jammed into this same guide. What are your options for content re-use? What strategies do you use? Separate spaces for each versionįirst, you know that your Trek bike customers won't want to see information about Gary Fisher bicycles in the same manual. Let's say you're using Atlassian Confluence, and you're writing for an online format. There are some variations between the topics, sometimes as trivial as simple name changes, other times more substantial, such as entirely different processes. For example, while the Trek and Fisher bikes both have Shimano brakes and derailers, the Fisher bikes have different cranks and pedals than the Trek cranks and pedals. Both have the same tires and wheels, but the Fisher has a different spoke size. Both have similar seat stems, but the Trek is fastened via a bolt while the Fisher is fastened with quick release, and so on. There are approximately 30 sections in your manual, with topics such as maintaining brakes, adjusting handlebars, tightening bottom brackets, greasing chains, inflating tires, and so on. So in total, you have six manuals to produce from roughly the same content. There are three Gary Fisher bike models: City Slicker 2.0, City Slicker 2.1, and City Slicker 2.2. The parts are mostly the same for the Gary Fisher and Trek bikes, except the parts for the Fisher bikes are rebranded with the Gary Fisher brand. There's a 7.1 FX and 7.2 FX model for the Trek bike, which you're also creating online manuals for.Īdditionally, the parts are also pushed into another brand entirely: Gary Fisher. Suppose you're creating a bicycle manual for a Trek 7.3 FX (which happens to be the exact bike I recently bought). In this post, I'll describe a fictitious scenario that resembles an advanced content re-use situation and then explore various strategies for re-use. I've been knee-deep in Atlassian Confluence lately, analyzing the best way to re-use content.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |