doteduguru

Dude, very well said and timely for me to glean some to take to my VP and push for web governance. Keep up the good work.

I work at an institution where the Web staff has, thankfully, grown and currently numbers three full-time positions: two Web developers (coders) and one Web content developer within the Web office. Along with that came a renewed centralization of Web efforts and some vetted access given to the CMS to decentralized individuals who come seeking it.

The existence of two coders gives me comfort in case the proverbial beer truck (if you’re a pessimist) or lottery (if you’re an optimist) comes calling for one of them. The hiring of a content developer, a bona fide writer, has really made the Web site shine beyond the foundation the coders created. Content was reigned in and reorganized, which included scrapping quite a few pages, removing duplicate info (which, typically, is not maintained in-sync) and reincorporating some of the content within a strategically thought-out approach.

I’m amazed what a talented writer dedicated to the Web site has been able to do for our Web site in 18 months. If it is at all possible for an institution to employ someone in this position, even on a two-year contract, the results can be amazing. Chances are that writer will prove his or her value in those two years and will become a permanent part of the staff.

Amen! I’m printing this out on a poster and nailing it to our wall.