TPG Tracks

First, understand there is no such thing as a perfect taxonomy. That said ...

To me, the second list - or a variant of it - makes more sense. The first list is a mixture of specific products (Windows, Netware) with generic subject areas (Infrastructure, Troubleshooting). The second list is purely generic with the relevant products below the major topics.

The second list structure is inherently more stable over the long-term. It nevertheless faciliates additions of new products which are currently niche or even unknown. (Think FireFox one year ago v. today.) It may also facilitate some useful synergies, such articles on making Windows and Linux desktops interoperable.

I think that as long as a TPG is searchable, then the second list makes more sense. Like the other person said, it facilitates adding new products without having to create additional TPGs. I think that it is important to have a GOOD search mechanism in place though so that NetWare articles don't get lost in a sea of Windows articles.

wowjr has the right idea, and he/she can use really big words too;) I think we need a better search engine, try searching for Palm 130 and Outlook. You will never get to any thing close to any answers about the two. We need I hate to say a more like MS search, MS has improved thier search to the point that you can find what you are looking for after a few searches. I like TPG and have used it for years but parts of it still look like 1999.

I don't know if "using services" is the right name. I'm a one-person IT department for a small (30 person) company. I'm looking to off-load as many "utility" IT functions as I can.

For example, we have training events, and send fax broadcasts to previous attendees, and other lists of people who have opted in one way or another. In the past, we have used a networked faxserver, fax software, and four dedicated phone lines. The fax software is not easy to use and several versions out of date; I also have to determine if I need to replace the hardware. I'd rather just use a service, where someone else takes care of the hardware and software, dedupes our lists, keeps track of long distance vs local, and we can get all our faxes out in about half an hour vs 6 to 8 hours or more.

Other categories of things that I have or am looking at purchasing as services: archiving, spam filter, and data wiping prior to equipment disposal.

I can't find anything at TechRepublic or TechProGuild related to how to make the purchased service vs inhouse infrastructure decision for a small company. I also don't see any reviews of the capabilities of potential service providers - ie, fax broadcast services, archive services.

I want to spend my time developing internal IT services directly related to what only an insider would know -- not figuring out if it's time to upgrade a fax server, or buy a new autoloader for the tape backup.

Either way you choose to split the basic categories/areas will be fine. You need to keep that consistent throughout Tech Republic and your menus or it just adds to the confusion.

One area of frustration for me is; as it is now the Troubleshooting section is a complete mix of any and all kinds of Hardware and Software problems.

It really needs a breakdown of what Hardware issues you are listing. Is it networking hardware and what OS is involved or is it printer hardware with what OS/driver? A lot of the Hardware problems stem from the software used to communicate with it.

I rarely even try to look in or search the Troubleshooting section because I will get a couple thousand unrelated search results for whatever I type in.

I know you have already stated that TPG is aware of the Search Limitations. But, like zlito says the search function definitely leaves a lot to be desired.

I agree that the second list of tracks would be better. However, the tracks are really only beneficial when you want to find the most recent articles posted in any particualr category.

Rather than spending time, energy, and money reorganizing the tracks, I'd rather see all that effort focused on improving or totally redoing the TR Search engine, which as we all know is basically useless.

When you consider that the entire TR site is this huge database consisting of an AMAZING amount of awesome IT information, it's really mind boggling to think that the search engine is so awful. What's even more mind boggling is the fact that the "powers that be" seem to know that the search engine is terrible and have not fixed or improved it.

Would you buy a database program and enter all you company data into it, if the program had a lousy search engine?

Would you continue to go back to Google, if the search results were basically scattershot?

Or better yet, imagine this scenerio... An IT person comes to the TR site looking for information. They see that they can get access to even more information by becoming a TPG member. However, before they join up they decide to find out what is available and hit the Search engine. Chances are that when they see the scattershot results, they will point their browser elsewhere.

Another scenerio to consider, an IT person who is looking at a membership renewal notice. If they've been unable to quickly locate helpful information via the search engine in the past, chances are they'll choose to allocate their money elsewhere.

If we really want to make TR the best that it can be, let's put the superficial stuff on the back burner for the time being and focus on the beef.

I'm stepping down from the soapbox now ;-)

Having taken a quick look, and would suggest the following TPG options

Windows Server
NT, 2000, 2003

Current Supported Windows Clients
Win 2000, XP

Grade Win 9x, Me ect
as an alternative subject ? although these are liked and still exist they are not supported by MS

Novell
all things Novell

Linux / Unix
as current

Security
Firewalls, Port Blockers ect ? there will be some that require double entries

Network
as current

Application - broken down
recommend breaking down via functionality / publisher including an MS Office support, SAP ect area ?

Hardware Support
Windows Desktop, Windows Server, Novell, Linux/Unix

As we all know Searching for the information is currently a hit and miss function, where I need to search through the hold DB with often little result, or need to refine the search, with a possibility of finding the right answer after several searches ?

Apologies, for my scattered thoughts, but I'm trying to juggle this prior to attending a meeting ... my theory is to categorise the search whereby the ?reader? is able to select any of the categories, and then qualify the search by OS before entering the search string ?

Example
Topic Subject Search String

Grateful for you thoughts

Arf?s

It may be more useful to consider a management track consisting more of service delivery and service management, rather than "IT Management". Covers more specific, practical ground and something that many of us are being asked to particiapte in.

Zlito in another discussion suggested a Security track option for TPG. Would that fit into a new Track Scheme?

TR uses the following tracks:

> Servers/Networking
> Desktops/Software
> IT Management
> Network Security

> Storage
> Career
> Enterprise Applications
> Software/Web Development

We *could* mimic that, but I'd like to ensure that TPG has a semi-unique feel or aspect to it. Is that necessary?