How is this site organized?
Siteframe is the software that powers this site and it is based on some fairly common concepts, e.g. folders and pages are the main containers of information on the site. However, I am finding that what name an object has may confuse some people. So, here is how the organization works:
Folders are just like the folders on your desktop - they are meant to hold general categories of information. They are the top-level in our organizational structure. When you create a member account on the site you will have a folder named after your username. This personal folder is for your use - stuff whatever you want in there - treat it like a blog if you want.
Subfolders are the next level below folders. It is yet to be determined if we really need subfolders. Why? You ask. I'll get to that in the Tags section.
Pages are held inside of folders. When you create a page you are asked in which folder you want to place the page. Just choose the one that makes the most sense or put it in your personal folder. A page can have a file associated with it by choosing an attachment.
Files are held inside of pages. They can be images: jpegs, png, gif. Or they can be something like a PDF or text document. The software will automagically determine what you are trying to upload and display it accordingly. After you save the page the software will upload your file and if it's an image you will see a thumbnail, or if it's a PDF or other type of file you will see it is available for users to download. A couple notes on putting text with your images: Keep your caption short (like a descriptive title) and use the body to get long-winded. The last thing to do before you hit Save is to make sure you have added Tags
Tags are keywords associated with a page. Tags (keywords) are becoming a very popular way to help manage large collections of content on the web. If you are using Bridge, Lightroom, iPhoto, or just about any other photo management software you will already know how important keywords can be. If you go to an online stock agency you should be able to search by keywords; tags are the same thing. So, make sure you add a few tags that represent the main intent of the page. I could go in-depth about what tags you should use, but I think you will find that as our collection grows that the tags will begin to self-organize. That's my theory anyway. If that just confused you not to worry - just click on any of my pages and see how I am using them. And there is really no right or wrong, just degrees of accuracy. Please keep in mind that Tags do not care about what folder a page is in, so if you click on a Tag you will get pages that have the same tag from every/any folder on the site. Try going to the Tags page and clicking on a few to see what pops up.
Have Fun, Coby
Thanks for the explanations Coby.
And I just found a good use for a subfolder in my personal folder. Perhaps the best way to go is to allow subfolders inside of personal folders but nowhere else? Hmmm.....
The debate for/against subfolders really gets into usability issues. How many clicks/ways to get to something counts. I like to think of it as flat (no subfolders) or deep (subfolders). Flat works best I think, but how flat? Perhaps one level of subfolders is not too much. Anyway, it's really up to ya'll now.