Decoding Searcher Intent: Is “MS” Microsoft Or Multiple Sclerosis? is a great post from searchengineland.com.
Although focused on user behavior, as a guide to optimizing content for search engines, the same analysis is relevant for construction of topic maps.
A topic map for software help files is very unlikely to treat “MS” as anything other than Microsoft.
Even if those files might contain a references to Multiple Sclerosis, written as “MS.”
Why?
Because every topic map will concentrate its identification of subjects and relationships between subjects where there is the greatest return on investment.
Just as we have documentation rot now, there will be topic map rot as some subjects near the boundary of what is being maintained.
And some subjects won’t be identified or maintained at all.
Perhaps another class of digital have-nots.
Questions:
- Read the post and prepare a one page summary of its main points.
- What other log analysis would you use in designing a topic map? (3-5 pages, citations)
- Should a majority of user behavior/expectations drive topic map design? (3-5 pages, no citations)