Glossary

Glossary

Not in the sense of hard definitions. Just a means of sharing understanding of terms as they are being used within the group.

Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS is anything that abstracts the layout and interface design requirements away from the user. Or. A CMS is anything that abstracts the layout and interface design requirements away from the user.

Validity

Possibly at variance with 'valid to an XML/SGML' schema. May include expected user functionality, possibly security breach points etc. A much wider definition than SGML

Quality Assurance (vb. to QA)

Checking, for some purpose, that a web page matches [some definition of ] expectations

Please feel free to add your definitions, once the group has started to use them

Some common CMS attributes:

• Aimed at non-technical users
• Allows you to compose a site within an established framework
• Provides a management interface for items of content
• Provides a WYSIWYG editing environment
• Allows you to upload files
• Provides rudimentary analytics

php, rails, coldfusion, node, etc. are platforms that manage content but are more accurately languages in which folk build content management systems.

Standards

[From Marcos]

As a point of entry, one can consider standardisation as a process whereby competing entities and other interested parties collaborate on the creation and ratification of a standard that defines how products are supposed to interact in the form of a specification (Vries, 2006, pp. 9‐13); (Bunsson & Jacobsson, 2000, pp. 1‐15); (Hickson, 2006).

Although many definitions of a standard exist (Vries2006, pp. 3‐5), in this document I will be using the formal definition put forward by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the International Electronic Commission (IEC):

“[A] document, established by consensus and approved by a recognised body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context. Note – Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefit.” (ISO/IEC, 2004) in (Vries, 2006, p. 4).

The W3C defines a specification as a document “that prescribes requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process, or service” (QA Framework: Specification Guidelines, 2005). Poston explains that a specification “states or pictures how software is expected to behave and describes operational characteristics (performance, reliability, and so on) of the software.” …

“It is well known that the production of technical specifications intertwines technological considerations with business, social, interpersonal, political, and ideological aspects.” (Sherif, 2006, p. 129)

Key references:

Bunsson, N., & Jacobsson, B. (2000). The Contemprary Expansion of Standardization. In N. Bunsson, & B. Jacobsson (Eds.), A World Of Standards. New York: Oxford Univesity Press

ISO/IEC. (2004). Standardization and related activities: general vocabulary (8th Edition ed.). Geneva,Switzerland: ISO/IEC

Sherif, M. H. (2006). When is Standardization Slow? In K. Jakobs, Advanced Topics in Information Technology Standards and Standardization Research (p. 128). Hershey: Ideas Group Publishing

Vries, H. J. (2006). IT Standard Topology. In K. Jakobs (Ed.), Advanced Topics In Technology Standards and Standardization Research (Vol. I). Pennsylvania: Idea‐Group

An Adopted Standard is one which is in widespread use with minimal extensions