Cross between a Blog and a File Management System
I suppose in some ways, Manila is a cross between a blog and a file/document management system because it allows for the uploading of files, which someone can then point to from a blog entry, but I have something much more sophisticated in mind. Does anyone know if something like this exists?
As I’ve been reflecting on the many, many cool and wonderful ways I could use a blog in my real job, it occured to me that having one with very good file/document management abilities would make it an amazing tool for many reasons.
In many work environments, often a needed document sits on someone’s computer. Without knowing whom to ask or access to that person’s computer, it’s like that document doesn’t exist at all. Or sometimes, different people work on different aspects of the some project. Pieces of that project get scattered all over the organization. Sure, there are communal file servers, but they often don’t offer an appropriate space for storage, organization, and retrieval of some files. And some servers are locked down, so users must be on the office’s network to use them.
Being able to use text to identify and/or describe a file and to point to it while it’s in a location accessible by multiple people could be really powerful. Sure, some document management systems do that kind of thing in database format. We used one in the office for a while, but it didn’t go over very well. Adding this component to a blog would mean people wouldn’t have to necessarily load another program to find files they’re looking for; it would enable the timely and convenient sharing of files; theoretically, the files would then become part of a central repository; and people can take advantages of blog features like feeds, e-mail notification, categories, and comments. In lots of environments, something like this would be more appropriate as a system on an intranet than a blog for an external Web site.
Addendum: I was wondering why I got some many comments on this post. Dave Winer suggested adding an organization-level search engine into the mix on Scripting News.
August 27th, 2004 at 10:33 am
I think the best approach is having a shared file repository via WebDAV, then blog/wiki to point to that URL.
The problem with file uploading is that as versions change there’s rarely (not sure about Manila) a way to overwrite the file. So you just fill up disk space with old versions of files you really don’t want anyone to mistakingly use.
Since WebDAV has been baked into the Windows Explorer interface since win2k, most people can just use it like any other folder (after the initial setup).
August 27th, 2004 at 11:34 am
Jessica,
Professionally, this is called “records management” and the archivists and records managers are only just beginning to discover weblogs…so this may take a while to make happen. Or not.
Just as the IT departments stole our definition of “archives” (it doesn’t simply mean “all of that old stuff”), they are subverting the idea of records management as increasingly institutions business processes are digital in nature, with the result that they are determining how we access our records.
Any solutions that are dependent upon the features that are platform- and application-specific are going to be problematic. all the buzz about “knowledge management” tools is an indication of this. The solution is less technical than social in nature.
If “war is too important to be left to the generals”, then information is too important to be left to the IT departments; librarians, archivists, and records managers need to seize the opportunity.
(I know, I know…I’m preaching to the choir)
August 27th, 2004 at 1:14 pm
You might think about a wiki. Most (including openwiki, the one I use) have a facility for uploading files, and either embedding the link in the wiki page, or appending a table of links to referenced documents at the end of the page. The uploads are version-controlled just like the rest of the wiki, so you can replace a document with a newer version. The wiki page can contain copious annotations about the document, and the pages themselves are full-text-searchable and categorizable, but no format is imposed.
August 27th, 2004 at 2:25 pm
I have been looking at a commercial wiki called SocialText that does a lot of what you are talking about, much in the way Manila does.
http://www.socialtext.com
30 day free trial, then $995 a year.
August 27th, 2004 at 2:47 pm
Nice try, guys, but I am not replacing my blog with a wiki. I play on several already. From what I can tell, they have the same problems with file management that Manila and other blog platforms have. For the rest of what I would want to do with the whatchamacallit, a wiki wouldn’t work, but a blog would.
I’m looking for something melded together, not separate pieces.
Some IT folks actually read some of my posts, so I’m hoping to get some of them thinking about the file/records management function of their programs better by having this discussion. It’s one very tiny way I as a librarian might have some smidge of influence.
August 28th, 2004 at 10:58 am
Jessica,
YES! I think this is definitely the approach to take. LARMs (Librarians/Archivists/Records Managers) are, and have been for the past 5,000 years…it started in Assyria) the original Knowledge Management Professionals and the smart thing to do is to engage the IT folks in what they do best, i.e., design systems that build on the social structures/processses that are already there.
I am presently struggling with a situation where our IT deprtment DOESN’T do the kind of R&D to develop the kind of systems that would allow what you’re talking about. At the same time I am collaborating with another local institution that has realized the usefullness of having an IT person workly directly with the library staff. Result? Well, they’re developing some very cool resources and we’re struggling to catch up…
Before I got back in to the LARM world, I was working for an un-named consulting company out of Michigan…one of the projects we were looking at was to devise a system much as you’ve described, but without the ‘blog compnent. That is, tha we would be able to identify and retrieve “information” (documents, spreadsheets, code, whatever) across the internal network. I actually got them to buy a copy of Frontier to build a blog that would be linked to an Inktomi search engine to locate the non-blog materials…mind you, this was about 8 months before Manilla came out…the concept was lost on them, though, partly through a corporate mind-set. They didn’t see the value of knowledge-sharing throughout the office, nor did they have any appreciation of records management. Show me a corporation that doesn’t have a LARM component and I’ll show you a failure in the making…
What you seem to be suggesting is, I belive, imminently doable. If the “search and index” capability withinFrontier were able, that should provide a seamless environment from within which Manilla/Radio could function to do what you’re asking…IS DAVE LISTENING? 8-} (maybe he’s too busy playing Spielberg, now that he’s discovered making movies on his “walkabout”…)
Ta!
August 29th, 2004 at 2:11 am
I like this topic – seems like there could be significant benefits to providing blog and file system integration.
Deeper thoughts – http://myst-technology.com/mysmartchannels/public/item/54437
– bf