[Zope-CMF] Enforcing Metadata (was: WebDAV, ZPT & CMF)

[Michael R. Bernstein]

seb bacon wrote:
> 
> As Paul pointed out in the oss4lib interview (see link from the news
> section on the dogbowl), everyone uses Word but no-one knows
> File->Properties exists.  Yet the success of a CMF-based application
> depends completely on the entry of metadata, IMO.  There really must
> be some way of enforcing metadata.
> 
> [snip] I'm concerned that having a two stage process will
> act as a barrier to people ever sharing content.  They'll
> save something to the system using webDAV, but then the onus will
> continue to be on them to mark up the content before anyone else can
> see it within the organisation.
> 
> Ideally I'd want webDAV to provide for interacting with a user to
> enforce properites, but I'm not aware that it does so.  Another idea
> might be that people save their articles in some kind of special word
> template, which uses some hideous configuration of VBA and modal
> dialogues to make the user update the document properties.

Nix the client-side solution.

Ok, so you need to encourage people to enter meta-data...
How about showing a blinking icon or some other 'warning'
for items that lack metadata in the person's folder view?

Exclamation marks, little yellow and black diagonal stripes
in a square icon, a stop sign, or various other visual cues
come to mind.

A text warning at the top in bold text (maybe in a box) if
the person has any such 'un-metadata-ed' items could also
work.

If you wanted to be *really* annoying, you could pop-up a
'freindly reminder' using Javascript, but I wouldn't
reccomend it. :-)

The approach you take depends on whether the user could have
legitimate reasons for not adding meta-data, which could
lead them to ignoring the cues.

HTH,

Michael Bernstein.