I talked about how we can use WordPress to develop a product knowledgebase. Being an open source CMS, WorrdPress gives us log of flexibility to plan custom content types, use taxonomy and contextual references, to plan a custom Knowledgebase.
Enhancing Worker Digital Experience: A Hands-on Workshop for Partners
WordPress for Technical Documentation
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Vinish Garg
TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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Prevalence
• Traditional Help Authoring Tools
• Xml Editors
• Others – MS Word, SharePoint, HTML/CSS
Text Vinish Garg TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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Why
• Free, Open Source
• Large Community, Huge Support
• Affordable Prototyping
• Modular Architecture and Hence Scalable
• Advanced Custom Themes
• Collaborative Authoring
• Seamless User Generated Content Options
• More….
Text Vinish Garg TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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WordPress!
– An Opportunity or Misfit?
Requirements!
Basic? Desirable? Luxury?
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The SHIFT Key
TOC, Topics, Search, Index
See Also, Videos, Helpdesk
User Generated Content, Version Control,
Collaborative Authoring, Single Sourcing,
Analytics, Social Media Integration
Basic? Desirable?
Text Vinish Garg TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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Out of Flavor!
Writers. Programmers.
• Automated: TOC, Search, Glossary, Index
• Skills: No Programming
• Zone: Comfort Zone
Text Vinish Garg TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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The WP Flavor! Writers. Not
Programmers
Posts, Content Types, Collaborative Authoring, Taxonomy
Customization, Analysis, User Generated Content, Custom
Theming, Version Control, Social Media Integration
Custom Content Types, Hundreds of Plug-Ins, Advanced
User Statistics (Woopra), Enhanced UX (AJAX for Search),
Integration with Helpdesk (Zendesk)
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Customer Case
• About <U2ME>
• Reference <SKYPE>
Our Documentation
• Platform <WP>
Needs!!!
• WP Architecture
• Knowledgebase UI and UX
• Content
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The Needs: 1-2
Custom Blocks
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The Needs: 3-4-n
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Value
Free Content
Participation
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High Level Requirements
Help Topics, TOC (Categories,
Taxonomy), Global Sections (Top
Rated, Most Viewed), Custom
Design, Standards Compliant,
Advanced UX using AJAX
(Search), Separate Rating (Topics and Videos), User Generated
Content (Open Forums), YouTube API Integration, Database
Integration with Product Database for User Authentication
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Rating
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Videos
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Related Topics
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TOC My Category Order
S
E
Q
U
E
N
C
E
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Search
Enhanced UX using AJAX
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Version Control
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User Generated
Content
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Others (In Scope)
• Custom Theme
• Analytics
• SEO
• Collaborative Authoring (role based CMS access)
• Role Based Access (only authenticated users to contribute)
• Advanced WYSIWYG Editor (custom classes drop-down)
• Instant Control to Seek User Feedback or Comments
• Version Control System
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More (Not In Scope)
• Export to PDF (Standard)
• Export to PDF (Conditional)
• Archive Posts (Obsolete Features)
• Using Variables (Template Parts)
• Advanced Taxonomy
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Limitations
• XML Support and DITA
• Localization
• Importing Project Files (Such as from RoboHelp)
• Single Sourcing
• Security
• Reliance on Programmers’ Support
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A Final Note
Me Too
• No tool or platform is perfect
• WordPress says *me too there*
• Keep options open
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Questions?
• Email: vinish.garg@vhite.com
• Business Website: http://www.vhite.com
• Blog: http://www.enjoytechnicalwriting.com
Vinish Garg • Phone: 91 98550 63463
• Twitter: vingar
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vinishgarg
• Location: Chandigarh, INDIA GMT +5:30
TCWorld India Conference 2013, Bangalore.
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