> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phil Bradley [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 11:41 AM
> To: Richard King
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Consultants - Information architecture
>
> I always tend to focus on 3 things - what do you want to say,
> who do you want to say it to, and how do you want to say it?
>
This is a good and universal way of approaching the problem. The IEEE
certainly thinks so and the new standard IEEE 2001-2002 Web site Engineering
places this quite high up the list of priorities for planning a project (at
least according to its chairman who was speaking at a workshop I attended
last week). These standards are due to be publishewd soon and much of it is
very sensible stuff including items on version control, relevance and
accessibility. Jim Isaak (the chair of the committee) is pushing to make
this standard avaiaable under the W3C model (as opposed to the IEEE model)
of publication)so that developers will adopt good practice.
Of course, the problem of managers taking more notice of outside consultants
is annoying but (speaking as a tech) I can understand why. Opinions from
inside are generally laced with some kind of internal agenda. At least (in
theory) the outsider has no axe to grind and can recommend a relatively
objective course. This of course makes no allowances for the consultant's
own prejudices but, well...
Darren
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