Slides from my workshop on writing Every Page is Page One topics at ICC2013.

1. Writing Every Page is Page
One Topics
Mark Baker
Intelligent Content 2013

2. What is a topic?

3. A subject?
Noun
1.A matter dealt with in a text, discourse, or conversation; a
subject.
2.That part of a sentence about which something is said, typically
the first major constituent.
Synonyms
subject - theme - matter – text
Dictionary.com

4. A label
Topics are a great way to organize messages around a specific
subject.
To view all messages with a certain topic, click “Topics” and
click on a topic. Alternatively, you can begin typing the tag's
name into the search bar, and a drop-down menu will appear in
which you can select the topic with the up, down, and enter
keys. On the Topics page, you can also view your network's
most popular topics.
Yammer Tech Support

5. A unit of organization?
A discussion forum is hierarchical or tree-like in
structure: a forum can contain a number of
subforums, each of which may have several
topics. Within a forum's topic, each new
discussion started is called a thread, and can be
replied to by as many people as so wish.
Wikipedia: “Internet forum”

6. An abstraction?
A topic map represents information using
• topics, representing any concept, from
people, countries, and organizations to
software modules, individual files, and events,
Wikipedia: Topic Maps

7. Something topical
Trends are determined by an algorithm and are
tailored for you based on who you follow and
your location. This algorithm identifies topics
that are immediately popular, rather than topics
that have been popular for a while or on a daily
basis, to help you discover the hottest emerging
topics of discussion on Twitter that matter most
to you.
Twitter Help Center

8. An essay?
Focusing a research topic is narrowing (or
sometimes broadening) a topic so that you
can demonstrate a good understanding of
it, including enough examples and important
details, within the size limits of the project you
are required to produce. You need to satisfy
both yourself and your teacher that you know
what you are talking about.
CAMBRIDGE RINDGE AND LATIN SCHOOL: Focusing a Research Topic

9. A constrained essay?
For example, the topic "KENYA" is a general
one. If your objective is to write an
overview, this topic is suitable. If your objective
is to write a specific analysis, this topic is too
general. You must narrow it to something like
"Politics in Kenya" or "Kenya's Culture.“
Guide to Writing a Basic Essay http://lklivingston.tripod.com

10. A unit?
A topic is a unit of information with
a title and some form of
content, short enough to be specific
to a single subject or answer a
single question, but long enough to
make sense on its own and be
authored as a unit.
OASIS DITA Version 1.1 Architectural Specification

11. It this a topic?
The Capital of France
The capital of France is Paris.

12. A building block
Topics are written as standalone units of
information. For use in a larger project,
topics need a way to be added to a larger
deliverable. DITA uses the map file to
combine topics in a specific order for
publishing to print (or PDF) output or to
online (or Help) content.
Publishing Smarter: DITA Primer

13. Component or whole?
 Would a “topic” on the economy of
Kenya be
 One topic?
 Built out of many topics?
 Let’s see
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Kenya

14. Information Mapping
 Document
as a “map”
 Consists of
“blocks” of
different
types
 Block=part
 Map=whole

15. IM vs. DITA
IM DITA
Part “Block” “Topic”
Whole “Map” “Map”
Design focus Map Topic
 IM points out that DITA focuses on
topic design, but has no theory about
design of maps.

16. Standalone = part?
 Does a brake caliper stand alone?

17. Standalone = whole?
 It can stand alone
on the parts store
shelf
 But it only
functions
usefully when
attached to a car
Image courtesy of gameanna / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

18. Every Page is Page One Topic
 An Every Page is Page One Topic
functions alone.
 It may or may not be made up of
smaller information blocks.
 It may or may not combine “task”,
“concept”, and “reference”
information.

19. Why “Every Page is Page One?”
 On the Web, readers arrive at content
 Via a Google search
 Via a recommendation in a social
network
 Via a link from another page
 There is no continuity from where
they were before.
 Every link leads to a new page one

20. But …
 Not every page works well as page
one
 The page is in the middle of
something
 It does not function alone
 An EPPO topic works well no matter
where you come to it from

21. Why it matters
“We seem to be making a cultural
choice---with our new infrastructure's
thumb heavily on the scale---to prefer
to start with abundance rather than
curation. Include it all. Filter it
afterward. Even then, the filters do
not remove anything; they filter
forward, not out.”
David Weinberger: To Big to Know

22. Individual journey
 Readers make their individual journey
through a Web of information
 Our content is one resource they may
visit on that journey
 But wherever they enter our content,
it should act as page one

23. How I got here

24. Shared vehicles; unique trips
 Many different vehicles
 Each functions independently
 I chose the sequence to create a
unique journey
 The airplane design does not depend
on my arriving by taxi
 The BART works the same if I take
the stairs, not the escalator

25. No guided tour
 Readers are self directed
 We have always known most readers
don’t take the guided tour
 They skip and scan and look stuff up
 Now they can self direct across the
entire web
 To serve them, provide EPPO topics

26. The book model
 Books provide the guided tour as
primary means
 Linear book
 Support self-guided as secondary
means
 Scanable subheads
 Index

27. The EPPO model
 EPPO topics support self-guided as
primary means
 Every pages works as page one
 Works with search, social curation
 Works with external resources
 Can still provide a guided tour as a
secondary means
 Ordered topic collections
 Can include external resources

28. EXAMPLES

29. Evaluating the examples
 Is the example an Every Page is Page
One topic?
 What are the key characteristics of an
Every Page is Page One topic?

30. Recipe
 Black Forest
Ham and
Gruyère Frittata

31. Car review
 Subaru Forrester
2003-2008
review

32. Documentation
 Creating
Overrides

33. Technical article
 Create REST
applications with
the Slim micro-
framework

34. Documentation
 Getting Started
with VMware
Workstation

35. Ornithology
 Blue-footed
Booby

36. Documentation
 Post-Migration
Tasks

37. Documentation
 Viewing Profile
Information

38. Encyclopedia article
 Ottawa

39. Documentation
 Introduction

40. Documentation
 QVTOML/Exampl
es/InvokeInJava

41. Technical Article
 Introducing
MicroXML, Part
1: Explore the
basic principles
of MicroXML

42. Stack Overflow
 Python shelve
OutOfMemory
error

43. Documentation
 Exporting Image
Versions

44. Technical Article
 Push, Pull, Next!

45. Magazine Article
 The 10 Best
Wireless Routers

46. Self Contained
 No linear dependencies
 Never assumes you have read X
 May assume you know X
 May require different types of
information “blocks”
 Narrative minim
 Narrative necessary to understanding
 Can be constructed at different lengths

47. Establish Context
 Reader may arrive from anywhere
 Search and links may be imprecise
 Allow the reader to get their bearings
quickly
 Navigable context
 If they are a little off, help them get
where they should be

48. Specific Limited Purpose
 Must have a clear idea of the purpose
it fulfills for the reader
 Purpose must be specific
 Can’t be self contained or establish
context if purpose not specific
 Purpose must be limited
 One vehicle in a network the reader
navigates for themselves
 Do one thing; do it well

49. Stay on one level
 Books tend to change levels
 Topics support readers choosing their
own path
 Readers decide when they want big
picture or gritty detail
 Readers change levels by changing
topics
 Topics stay on one level

50. Conform to type
 Topics on a common subject tend to
have a similar pattern
 Recipes
 Encyclopedia articles on cities
 Car reviews
 Ornithology
 Product comparisons
 Technical articles 1 2 3 4

51. Assume reader is qualified
 Books designed as sole source for
diverse audience
 Write for the least qualified reader
 Often annoying for experienced reader
 Topics are one stop in reader’s self-
directed journey
 If reader is not qualified, they can
choose other topics to get qualified

52. Link Richly
 Books are designed for linear reading
 Links may be considered a distraction
 Allow reader to deviate from writer’s
planned course
 Topics are for self directed readers
 Make context navigable
 Enable reader to qualify themselves
 Enable switching levels
 Enable onward journey

53. Topics and Topic Sets
 Need many topics to cover a large
subject area
 Create topic sets, not books
 Support random entry
 Establish type to ensure completeness
and conformance to purpose
 Support reader choice within your set
 Make them work on the Web

54. Questions?
 Contact information
 Mark Baker
 Analecta Communications Inc.
 mbaker@analecta.com
 Twitter: @mbakeranalecta
 http://analecta.com
 http://everypageispageone.com