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Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Inside Out This
article is an excerpt from Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Inside Out by=
Errin
O’Connor. Errin is a leading expert on SharePoint Products and Tec=
hnologies.
He is a senior information architecture consultant and founder of
EPCGroup.net, a firm focused on SharePoint implementation and application
development. There, Errin concentrates his efforts on planning and execu=
ting
robust content management, intranet, and Internet solutions built on Sha=
rePoint
Products and Technologies and Microsoft .NET Framework–based
applications. He has more than 40 custom implementation projects to his
credit. To buy this book visit Microso=
ft
Learning. |
![3D"Windows](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image001.gif")
![3D"office](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image003.jpg=)
Part 3
Chapter 12
Managing Site Content
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n organization’s Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) sites should contain content that will draw users to them and become an integral part of users’ d= aily activities. For this to happen, the content must stay up to date and relev= ant. It takes only a handful of visits for a user to lose interest in a site or start to feel that it is not relevant if its content is old and out of dat= e.
With Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS 3.0), image= s, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, video, multimedia, drawings, and e= ven e-mail may be contained within a site. This content may be structured or unstructured depending on how and where it was stored. In previous chapter= s, I discussed how important it is to implement a SharePoint governance model w= ithin your organization from day one and make sure that it is followed and conti= nues to evolve with your SharePoint enterprise solution. WSS 3.0 champions collaboration and the creation of content within your organization at an e= xplosive pace. That is why it is key to keep the most current and relevant content = at the fingertips of the sites’ users.
WSS 3.0 gives organizations the advantage of enabling= users to perform content updates within its interface, which contains easy-to-us= e authoring tools for creating content as well as the ability to automate some of the publishing processes if necess= ary.
Prior to SharePoint, many organizations were forced t= o deal with customized anarchy-style intranet Web sites that contained a mixture = of fonts, color schemes, and content that in many cases required the sites’ creators to update content. At first, the content on a majority of these o= ld intranet sites is kept up to date, but then after a short time the content begins to grow stale, and the user base begins to fade. WSS 3.0 enables organizations to use internal tools so that sites are not neglected but wi= ll actually grow and prosper as the hubs for information sharing that they we= re meant to be.
Organizations and departments benefit when they are in charge of their own site content and don’t have to approach IT every time they want to try out= a new initiative or make a change. This empowers your user base to be self-reliant while minimizing IT support calls.
This chapter will discuss best practices around manag= ing a SharePoint site’s content so that the site will stay on the minds of= its user base, and collaboration levels within your department or organization will remain high.
Keeping Content Up to Date and Rel= evant
To ensure that content on your SharePoint site is kep= t up to date, you first need to identify the personnel responsible for performing = this task. Will you be the primary resource for updating your site, or will this task be delegated to others? In large organizations, one individual cannot possibly be responsible for ensuring all SharePoint sites are up to date a= t all times, so power users or content owners must be identified to perform these tasks.
In past SharePoint implementations, I have personally referred to these other individuals in several different ways depending on= the organization or type of business. In some organizations, this person is ca= lled a power user. In others, the title could be a content owner or even a mall manager or store owner depending on the organization’s needs. For example, a store owner might own one subsite within the information techno= logy department’s <= /span>SharePoint site, but the mall manager may ultimately be responsible for the entire top-level information technology site and the content on all of its subsit= es.
In this chapter, I will use the term power user to refer to the person who is in charge of a site or subsite’s content = and its day-to-day activities and design.
Adding the Right Web Parts to Your Page
In previous chapters, I discussed the available out-of-the-box Web Parts that WSS 3.0 makes available to its users. Most s= ites will contain at least one list or library; probably they will contain seve= ral of each. For example, the Team Site template automatically installs a Shar= ed Documents library as well as Announcements, Calendar, Links, and Tasks lis= ts. The site also contains a Team Discussion board. If you open the All Site Content page, shown in Figure 12-1, for a newly created team site, you see these six securable objects. If you open just the team site, you see the Announcements, Calendar, and Lists View Web Parts loaded on the page along= with an Image Web Part, as shown in Figure 12-2.
Will your current siteR= 17;s design meet the needs of your organization or department? You should ask y= ourself these questions:
· What Web Parts would my users like to see o= n the page?
· How would my users like to see them on the = page?
· Which Web Part zones should specific Web Pa= rts go into?
· What should the names of these Web Parts be= ?
· Which of the non–List View Web Parts = would help present the content I want my users to view?
· Which Web Parts would encourage collaborati= on on my site?
· Which Web Parts would lessen the load on my= user base or help them to finish some of their day-to-day tasks and activities?=
![3DF12xx01.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image005.jpg")
Figure 12-1 The All Site Content page shows the objects that
reside in a site.
![3DF12xx02.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image007.jpg")
Figure 12-2 The standard Team Site template prior to customization.
· Should I use the Content Editor Web Part to= show any formatted text, images, or tables that I want to create quickly?
= o How can I use the rich text editor in t= he Content Editor Web Part?
= o How can I use the source editor in the Content Editor Web Part to get my content “just right”?
· What type of toolbar should I use for the W= eb Parts on the page?
For example, if you choose the Summary Toolbar in a W=
eb
Parts tool pane, as shown in Figure 12-3, a user would be able to perform
actions such as adding a new announce=
ment on
the Announcements List View Web Part right on the page, as shown in
Figure 12-4, without having to actually open up the list.=
![3DF12xx03.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image009.jpg")
Figure 12-3 By selecting the Summary Toolbar on the Annou= ncement List View Web Part, you allow users to quickly add new items to the list.
![3DF12xx04.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image011.jpg")
Figure 12-4 With the Summary Toolbar selected, the Announ= cements List View Web Part makes an Add New Item link available to the user.
You want to avoid cluttering the page with too many W= eb Parts or too many “bells and whistles” while still trying to k= eep the sites that you own or manage as consistent in nature as possible. Less= can in fact be more in some cases, and a streamlined page can help prevent use= rs from viewing nonpertinent information. Figure 12-5 shows a site with so ma= ny Web Parts that a user has to scroll down the page to view all of them. This could be considered a site usability issue.
Gathering your site’= s design and functional requirements prior to its actual design will assist you in making sure you take all aspects of your users’ requirements into ac= count prior to rolling it out to the user base and going into production. You wi= ll also want to ask yourself design questions such as:
· How will the site be structured and divided= into a set of subsites?
· How will site users navigate through the si= te?
· How will the site’s information be targeted at specific audiences?
![3DF12xx05.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image013.jpg")
Figure 12-5 Sometimes less is more =
when
too many Web Parts force the user to scroll down the page.
=
![3DF12xx06.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image015.jpg")
Figure 12-6 This site contains an image located in a Cont= ent Editor Web Part that users can click to open a site survey.
Possible Uses for Web Parts
Table 12-1 lists the out-o= f-the-box List View Web Parts in WSS 3.0 and their possible uses.
Table 12-1 WSS 3.0 List View Web Parts and
Possible Uses
|
Web Part |
Possible Uses |
|
Announc=
ements
|
· &nb=
sp;
To let your department or team know abou=
t an
upcoming event · &nb=
sp;
To post important breaking news · &nb=
sp;
To post change management topics about t=
he
site, which is great for letting users know if the site will be down for=
a
specific period of time for maintenance or if there are new features bei=
ng
added to the site · &nb=
sp;
To give accolades to team members for gr=
eat
work they have done · &nb=
sp;
To announce a management or organization=
al
change within the organization · &nb=
sp;
To discuss a facilities issue such as new
construction or parking updates |
|
Calenda=
r |
· &nb=
sp;
To post information about an upcoming me=
eting · &nb=
sp;
To list your organization’s holiday
schedule · &nb=
sp;
To list who is out of the office today · &nb=
sp;
To track upcoming vacation schedules · &nb=
sp;
To track paydays for the organization · &nb=
sp;
To track your organization’s train=
ing
events · &nb=
sp;
To list offsite team building sessions, =
town
hall meetings, and so on |
|
Links |
· &nb=
sp;
To track frequently used links that ever=
yone
in your department may visit, for example: o =
&nbs=
p; News
sites o =
&nbs=
p; Stock
sites o =
&nbs=
p; Partner
sites o =
&nbs=
p; Distributors’
sites o =
&nbs=
p; Links
to internal reports such as SQL Reporting o =
&nbs=
p; Links
to other SharePoint sites, libraries, or lists that are not linked on the
Quick Launch or Top Link bar o =
&nbs=
p; Links
to file shares within your organization o =
&nbs=
p; Links
to other intranet sites |
|
Shared =
|
· &nb=
sp;
To place a document library right on the=
page
in a Web Part zone to allow users to quickly view and access specific
documents; works great for documents such as: o =
Policies and procedures o =
&nbs=
p; Human
resource documents o =
Document templates o =
Frequently used forms o =
Meeting agendas o =
Popular reports o =
Time off or vacation requests |
|
Tasks |
· &nb=
sp;
To place a Tasks list right on the page =
in a
Web Part zone to allow users to quickly view and access task information
(doing this can sometimes assist users in getting to tasks more quickly =
if
they realize that the entire department or team knows that a specific ta=
sk is
assigned to them); this also enables project managers to quickly scan a =
site
to see a list of current tasks |
|
Team
Discussions |
· &nb=
sp;
To place a Team Discussions list right o=
n the
page to help promote discussions · &nb=
sp;
To entice users to visit the page so that
they see what the latest discussion topic is within their team or depart=
ment
site (users sometimes like to be the most responsive in their group, so =
this
usage can spark competition within a department as users race to see who=
will
be the first to respond to a certain topic) · &nb=
sp;
To have a Team Discussion List View Web =
Part
on the page for sites that are dedicated to knowledge sharing (knowledge
sharing discussion boards should be prevalent on the page so that users =
are
not forced to do extra clicking and so that usability best practices are
followed) |
Table 12-2 lists the available miscellaneous Web Parts in WSS 3.0 and their possible uses.
Table 12-2Q=
94;WSS
3.0 Miscellaneous Web Parts and Possible Uses
|
Web Par=
t |
Possible
Uses |
|
Form |
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb=
ol;
mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;color:windowtext'>· &nb=
sp;
To filter all employees with the same la=
st
name in a List View Web Part that contains employee data <=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb=
ol;
mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;color:windowtext'>· &nb=
sp;
To create custom option buttons, check b=
oxes,
and text boxes to filter a List View Web Part that contains product
information related to your department or team |
|
Image |
· &nb=
sp;
To place any of the following on the pag=
e: o =
A company logo o =
A departmental- or team-specific image o =
Pictures of team members or possibly the department or
team’s manager o =
A picture of products or services that the team offers=
o =
A fun image to make the page a little less corporate a=
nd a
little more aesthetically pleasing to the user base |
|
Content
Editor |
· &nb=
sp;
To create a table right on the page,
containing multiple · &nb=
sp;
To place an image on the page with text
around it or in a · &nb=
sp;
To render custom HTML content right on t=
he
page in a · &nb=
sp;
To give a quick description about the
department or team site |
|
Page Vi=
ewer |
· &nb=
sp;
To have an external Web site load right =
on
the page along with the department or team’s other content · &nb=
sp;
To display a specific file right on the =
page
in a Web Part zone · &nb=
sp;
To display a folder on a page that the t=
eam
members frequent · &nb=
sp;
To display another SharePoint site right=
on
the page |
|
Relevant
Documents |
· &nb=
sp;
To enable users to always find relevant
documents on a page without having to navigate or search within a site · &nb=
sp;
To increase the usability of a site by
minimizing clicks that a user must follow to find correct content |
|
Sites U=
sers |
· &nb=
sp;
To display the users or groups that have
permissions to the site you are viewing · &nb=
sp;
To assist you in quickly adding users or
groups to a site by |
|
XML Web=
Part |
· &nb=
sp;
To display Extensible Markup Language (X=
ML)
and apply · &nb=
sp;
To display structured data from database
tables or queries, XML-based documents, or XML forms that combine struct=
ured
and unstructured data · &nb=
sp;
To display reports such as weekly status
reports or travel |
WSS 3.0 allows f=
or rich,
Web-based WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing with support
for tables, as well as tools for checking spelling and choosing images. Fi=
gure
12-7 shows the Content E=
ditor
Web Part’s rich text editor’s WYSIWYG editing capabilities.
![3DF12xx07.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image017.jpg")
Figure 12-7 The rich text editor of the Content Editor We=
b Part
is a great WYSIWYG editing tool.
Delegating Site Management to Power Users
Power users are key to the success of your organization’s SharePoint implementation. Site update tasks must be assigned to a specific power user or users so that site content stays up to date and relevant. A power user should be very familiar with how WSS 3.0 w= orks and have either Full Control or Design permissions (or their equivalent), = as shown in Figure 12-8, for the site they will manage. In addition, they sho= uld belong to a power users SharePoint group.
![3DF12xx08.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image019.jpg")
Figure 12-8 The Full Control or Design permissions that p=
ower
users need.
Managing Your Site Content
The key to managing your site content is to make sure= that you always have your users’ experience in mind at all times. You want your users to have a great experience with the site each and every time th= ey visit it. You need to make sure that you do not inundate your users with t= oo many Web Parts on the page while still making sure you have the right ones there f= or them. Make sure that the content on your site has a clear and specific pur= pose. It may be useful to have a short introduction or description of the site’s purpose in a Content Editor Web Part at the top of the page.<= /p>
The content on your site should enable users to get t= heir jobs done in an efficient manner and make that work easily accessible to those who need it. Navigati= on to the content should be concise. If specific content on a site is frequently accessed, it should be right there on the page in clear sight. In some cas= es, though, less can in fact be more, and it is OK to have a comprehensive lis= t of links on the Quick Launch to specific content so that the main page is not cluttered, as shown in Figure 12-9.
![3DF12xx09.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image021.jpg")
Figure 12-9 This site has a comprehensive list of links o= n the Quick Launch to all of the lists and libraries on the site.
Graphics on the site should be used appropriately but=
can be
a powerful tool to communicate with y=
our
user audience. Graphics should always be relevant to the site’s purp=
ose.
Planning Content Administration
Your organization= ’s power users should be empowered and proactive about a site’s content administration. Pr= oper content administration planning can drastically reduce the time and cost involved in site content administration. If you c= an count on your power users to manage the majority of user requests a= nd keep site content up to date, you will have a much more efficient and successful SharePoint environment wi= thin your organization. Power users will also decrease the number of requests to an organization’s help desk, allowing IT to focus on sup= porting other systems within your organization.
SharePoint administrators should give the power users a clear set of objectives regar= ding content administration and overall site support. One of the main goals for power users s= hould be to not only manage and update a site’s content, but also to make = sure the power users handle as many of the administrative requests for their si= te as possible without having to get IT involved.
If at all possible, administration tasks for a site&#= 8217;s content should be performed on a daily basis. A dedicated power user shoul= d be assigned to every site, and this user should be tasked with performing con= tent administration tasks each day alongside other assigned duties.
If a power user is going to be out of the office or unavailable, a backup power user should be assigned to each SharePoint sit= e. Figure 12-10 shows a custom SharePoint list that was created to track an organization’s power users, the sites they own, and their backup pow= er user resources.
![3DF12xx10.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image023.jpg")
Figure 12-10 A custom SharePoint list created to track the
organization’s SharePoint power users.
The following tasks should= be performed either daily or as frequently as possible for each and every SharePoint site within your organization:
· Review the content in the Web Parts that are within your site’s Web Part zones.
· Review the documents in each library to make sure they are relevant to the site.
· Review the items in each list on the site.<= /p>
· Make sure that all old or expired content no longer displays on your site.
· Review the users and groups on the site and their associated permissions levels.
· Review any open requests that users have submitted about the site.
· To give the site an updated look, update any graphics on the site that may be old or no longer appropriate.
Keeping Your Site Relevant
SharePoint is often so pop= ular within organizations that it is important to keep your site relevant, beca= use there will likely be a large number of SharePoint sites competing with it = for attention. Some users will use their team or department’s site becau= se it is dedicated to their work and daily duties, but you’ll still want to keep all users interested in your site’s content—even those wh= o must use the site. To promote collaboration, you need to keep your site relevan= t, current, and as interesting as you possibly can.
Site users should easily u= nderstand your site’s architecture. Users who must search through multiple pag= es or click multiple links to find the information they’re looking for won’t be site visitors much longer. A clear idea of what your site is about should be apparent immediately. To keep your site relevant, you shou= ld:
· Update the site frequently.
· Make sure that it is easy to use.
· Test the site’s search to make sure i= t is giving users the results they are looking for.
· Review the site’s usage to make sure = it is being accessed frequently.
· Make sure that site navigation is the best = that it possibly can be.
· Ask your users to complete periodic feedback surveys about the site.
· Add content that could be useful to your us= ers.
· Make sure the contact information for power users or SharePoint administrators that support the site is readily availa= ble on the site.
· Test all links on the site as frequently as possible.
· Review what other sites within your organiz= ation are doing so that you can get new ideas.
· Keep your users informed about what is goin= g on within your team, department, or organization.
· Provide a possible anchor application for y= our site to draw users to the site every day. This could be a list of today= 217;s birthdays, today’s employee hire–date anniversaries, or a department contact list.
Managing Subsites
In WSS 3.0, you will have top-level Web sites and sub= sites to help you divide site content into distinct and separately manageable si= tes. Your top-level Web sites can have multiple subsites, and subsites themselv= es can have multiple subsites down as many levels as your users need. For exa= mple, an IT department’s site may have several subsites such as Help Desk,= Development, Database, Network Security, Active Directory, and Hardware Support.
This type of site hierarchy allows for a main site fo= r the entire team, and individual sites and shared sites for projects or specific initiatives. When you create a subsite, you can determine whether the site= is displayed on the Quick Launch of the parent site and whether the site should inherit the Top Link bar of the parent, as shown in Figure= 12-11. If you choose not to inherit= the Top Link bar of the parent, the subsite will be named Home on the Top Link= bar.
![3DF12xx11.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image025.jpg")
Figure 12-11 When creating a subsite, you can choose wheth=
er to
inherit the navigation elements of the parent site.
Permissions for a Subsite
In WSS 3.0, you can configure a subsite either to inh= erit permissions from a parent site or to b= reak the inheritance and create unique permissions for the site, as shown in Fi= gure 12-12. In most cas= es, you will want to inherit permissions for a subsite because that is the easiest= way to manage a group of SharePoint sites. The site owners of subsites that in= herit permissions from a parent site can edit the permissions of the parent site. Therefore, you must ensure that any changes you make to the permissions on= the parent site are appropriate for the parent site and all subsites that inhe= rit those security permissions. subsites will have lists and libraries that ca= n be individually securable objects. By default, these securable objects automa= tically inherit permissions from their parent. For example, a list or library inhe= rits permissions from the site, and list items and documents inherit permissions from the list, library, or folder that contains them.
![3DF12xx12.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image027.jpg")
Figure 12-12 A site can use the same permissions as the pa=
rent
site, or it can have
unique permissions.
WSS 3.0 enables you to break this inheritance at any = point in the hierarchy and assign unique permissions to any of these securable objects, as shown in Figure 12-13. When you break the inheritance from the parent, the securable object from which you broke the inheritance receives= a copy of the parent site’s permissions. You can then edit those permissions to be unique for the securable object, and they will not affect the parent site.
![3DF12xx13.jpg](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image029.jpg")
Figure 12-13 Permissions can be broken so that a securable=
object
no longer inherits permissions from its parent.
In most cases, it is best to manage permissions at th= e site level and design your organization’s site hierarchy in a way that allows y= ou to assign site permissions that are appropriate to all securable objects. Whe= n you decide to give unique permissions to securable objects in your site hierar= chy, you must document and track these unique objects so that they do not cause security loopholes in your overall SharePoint security model.
In Summary…
This chapter explained how your organization can mana= ge the content within your SharePoint environment so that it is kept up to date a= nd relevant to your user base.
It also discussed how your organization can utilize p= ower users to lessen the burden on the IT department. Power users can also cham= pion their SharePoint sites’ content and keep users coming back to their = sites frequently. It also discussed subsite management and how permissions and navigational elements can be either inherited from the parent or uniquely managed.
The next chapter will discuss how to install WSS 3.0 = and the preparation that must be undertaken for that task.
![3D"office](3D"file:///C:/695ACF33/InsideOutchap12_AF10344283_files/image030.jpg")