So now it’s ok if the Skipper retires to New Mexico far from any isle.  Gilligan found a new best friend: controlled vocabularies.  This “new friend” provides a pattern of information and laying the groundwork for building search functionalities. Gilligan found that controlled vocabularies makes for an easier recovery or in military (jungle warfare) terms, “extraction”.  It’s all about uniformity, handy drop downs and reducing errors; ultimately, finding it-fast, not taking so long that you make a three season series out of it!

Much like a life-ring tossed to a struggling capsized individual the Synonym Ring is used for the purposes of retrieval.  Though the example Gilligan saw was a pentagon he’ll be sure to use the “ring” if needed, but not during the indexing process and only after the search engine created a log where terms searchers were using could be examined. 

Bonus:             Gilligan’s thesaurus entry for ring: circle, loop, hoop, disc, band and his favorite-halo (high altitude low opening).

Thank you for tolerating Gilligan.

          Gilligan’s research is complete, has been analyzed, quantified and qualified.  He’s met with the IA strategy team, the Content Management team and the IT staff.  He knows the organization’s mission and goals (both implicit and explicit), analyzed the content and thought of appropriate schemas, blueprints, wireframes and work-flow charts.  A light and a tone announcing the 160th floor interrupt his inner-dialogue and almost instantly is in the Sheik’s presence. 

After an exchange of cordialities the sheik asks Gilligan in his British accent,

“Do you know what my clients want? Will my staff find what they want and find it fast?  That is what I want. How are you equipping and training my developers? Who do we call when my web development team cannot provide a solution to a problem? Is the content so ‘thick’ that it is more than enough; exceeding expectations?   Are the ‘features’, these bells and whistles all that anyone could want? Will this website, this ‘dah-dahbase’ to do it all for customers and my employees.  And finally, will it represent me and my company accurately?”

            In his mind Gilligan wants to yell, “Skipperrrrrrrrrrr!” Gilligan allows the Sheik to complete his barrage of inquiries.  “Sheik, we’re at the end of the design phase.  The implementation and administration is still to come.  You want it done correctly, your Excellency, I need time.” says Gilligan.

            “Time? How much time? 

            “Whatever it takes.  I told you it will take months.  However, I will have something for you in a week.” Says Gilligan adding, “Your intranet content/media is in various formats and voluminous.” With a burst of confidence Gilligan assures the Sheik, “I know what your users really need and I know they will be beyond satisfied, your Sheikiness.”

          Gilligan knows he shouldn’t have said, “Your Sheikiness.”  Oh, well.  For the next meeting Gilligan will be locked and loaded with his wireframe mock-up to visually demonstrate and communicate the navigation, labeling and organization of content. This will be supported by the taxonomy detailing the navigation path and logical arrangement page by page or click after click.  Gilligan is not too sure if the Sheik and his team would prefer a broad and shallow but Gilligan is going to go with his nautical experience and go narrow and deep.

Gilligan will go ahead and place in his back pocket a work-flow chart for demonstrating the complexity of what an inquiry or request might entail and look like placed upon one of his employees.  The Sheik is going to love it.

-Individuals outside of traditional organizational boundaries uniting or collaborating to innovate, create new knowledge, goods and services and leveraging the best practices of Web 2.0.

-People seeking solutions and people with the solutions or problem solvers coming together in a new web putting these people together.

Other Websites–Stretching boundaries- Flicker, Photobucket, Wikipedia

Library Applications–Libraries have implemented social software paving the way for CI in library website applications. Several librarians already have their own blogs to serve a variety of purposes.  “Bookmarking” and tagging by users and bundling by administrators (if I have it correct) serve as “find it” tool or strategy for patrons or users.  This application allows for input from someone outside of the traditional “cataloger” and metadata specialist for provider other clues, hints and suggestions to finding something, fast-er.

In other sectors, like the gold-diggers (business), he put it out there and someone found it.  It is like a lifeline (or for Gilligan, a life-ring) on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. It’s your Tia having Abuelita’s recipe off the top of her head or in her recipe box.  That’s collective intelligence on a personal level.

Gilligan has always relied on OI (other’s intelligence), mostly the Professor’s and the Skipper’s.  Maybe someday he can find his own and be a contributor.

-May offer “bit preservation”, where a digital file is carefully preserved exactly original format or what some term as “functional preservation”-the morphing or transformation or applying of new preservation technology to update and ensure accessibility and usability.

-Have the capability to distribute research results quickly research, and supports the mission of the Institute to generate, disseminate, and preserve knowledge

-The feature which arranges, organizes and stores large volumes of digital content/information.

-The ability to share (digital material) with several (consortium) of institutions.

-Offers space from physical-spatial (archive shelves, bricks and mortar) to storage in digital formats.

-Provides accessibility.

-Provides “diversity” (various formats) from multi-media/multi-collections.

Over simplified, a digital repository is a storehouse or warehouse of meticulously arranged digital material.

Relatively easy to use (Good for Gilligan);

Various Layouts (themes) available (Can offer a variety of looks);

Quick and easy to install;

Gilligan can become the administrator;

Ability to give the client almost automatically something to see;

Offers a quick turn-around in applications;

In many cases labeling and navigation —very flexible for editing and changes;

Cost Effective (clients like this)-Pay yourself!

The learning curve varies of course, and in some case you need not to know HTML or PHP.  Gilligan doesn’t know any of this.

If the key to success is understanding and alignment, I am not referring to visiting your chiropractor or your shrink; it sounds like Gilligan should woo or tackle a mal-aligned and misunderstood site and try to work some IA magic.

Ahoy!

Alex had mentioned millions of dollars are wasted in unproductive failed “applications”.  At first I was thinking that this had to be the IA’s fault.  Then I thought there probably wasn’t one.  That was Alex’s point!  This may be due to any number of variables.  Who cares?  Hmm.

On page 20 the authors ask, “Who’s qualified to practice Information Architecture?”  Does anyone else ask?  At first as I mentioned in class the subsequent listing of “applicable” disciplinary backgrounds sounded like a sales pitch and an invitation to join their multi-level marketing scheme.  The more I read and after our f2f weekend this seems not the case. 

I certainly am not qualified to practice anything close to the science and art of IA.  However, I am getting closer to understanding what IA entails.

Morville and Rosenfeld go on to add that there are no certifications for this burgeoning field.  Does this hurt the credibility of the profession?  I ask.  Does anyone care?  There is clear evidence this field is going to grow more and more.   

I would recommend managers, buyers, employers and business owners to orient themselves with a crash course in what it entails to successfully accept a bid and know what and when to expect for results. Who has time for that?   Maybe most importantly what to look for in an IA hire would be a solid reference and the practical tangible application to demonstrate or qualify the person.

Aside from all the technical jargon clients simply want to know:

Can you improve this for me and how, oh yeah and when?  A month?

After we complete this class weather we continue in this field or not we may be one of the most qualified individuals in our outfit to serve on a team or as consultant to the IA working for our library.

Gilligan wants to learn more.

Anatomy of an Acronym:

Organization-Ole-for Old like Old Navy

Labeling-L from Ole

Navigational-Sailors navigate-Navy

Search-S,E,A from search- SEAL, an acronym for Sea Air and Land as in Navy SEAL(Naval Special Warfare Unit)-SEALs search and often destroy

So, Gilligan was a sailor, voila!!!!

Ole’ Navy Seal

Though overwhelmed, the world of IA (Information Architecture) is opening up to me.  Being somewhat technically challenged, the biggest gains for me have come in terminology and in overall grasping the conceptual content. 

One IA pro (Amanda) shared one of her projects with us in some detail.  Some of her points included:

Learn as much about current process;

                Assess known goals/requirements for project-success measures;

                Conduct an Information Inventory;

                Develop user-based functional requirements;

                Wireframe & Prototype Design;

Conduct User Testing;

Revise Prototype;

And Cover the UI Design/Copywriting.

I found Amanda’s detailed description of the wireframe the most intriguing.

One of the most important points I have walked away from this class is the practical and functional priority applying of all the principals.  Simply, it all boils down to can you use it and ultimately can you find it-fast!