Automated management of internet and/or web site content

• US 20020184255A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shore, Thomas Alan, McGuire, Timothy Jerald, Lambert, Terry Charles, Edd, Linda D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,325,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An apparatus, program product, and method manage content from a content-controlled database (e.g., web pages or other files maintained in a web site) using a content management record linked to each content-controlled content item in the database. Each content management record is utilized in conjunction with a multi-stage content management process, where at least one stage is a review stage during which approval of an associated content item for a content management record is obtained. As a result of receiving appropriate approval, such an associated content item may be promoted and made available to users of the content-controlled database, with the content management record updated to reflect such a status of the associated content item. Content management information for a content item may be maintained in a content management record that is separate from the content item. Moreover, content management records may be maintained in a groupware-type environment, whereby collaborative tools such as document sharing and messaging may be used to facilitate the interaction among members of a content creation, development and management team during the various stages of a content management process. Furthermore, content management records may be monitored over time to provide for periodic review of promoted content items to ensure that content in a database is maintained current and accurate. In addition, multiple language and/or country versions of a content item may be linked together, such that changes made to one language/country version of a content item may automatically prompt a review of other versions to ensure that the changes are propagated to the other versions when necessary.

Claims

1. A method of managing content in a content-controlled database, the method comprising:

(a) linking a content management record to a content item to be incorporated into a content-controlled database, the content management record storing content management information associated with the content item;

(b) processing the content item through a plurality of stages of a content management process, including updating the content management information stored in the content management record during each stage of the content management process, wherein the plurality of stages includes at least one review stage during which approval of the content item is obtained; and

(c) promoting the content item as a result of the content management process such that the content item is user accessible from the content-controlled database, including updating the content management information stored in the content management record to indicate that the content item has been promoted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content management record comprises a groupware document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the content management record to the content item includes storing an identifier for the content item in the content management record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the content management record to the content item includes storing an identifier for the content management record in the content item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing content management information from the content management document in the content item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein storing content management information in the content item comprises generating meta data and adding the meta data to the content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content management record is further linked to a second content item in the content-controlled database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content-controlled database comprises a web site accessible via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the content management information stored in the content management record during each stage of the content management process includes updating a status in the content management record that is associated with a current stage of the content management process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes a draft stage during which an author inputs content management information into the content management record.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes a topic review stage during which at least one topic owner associated with a topic reviews the content item based upon such topic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes a legal review stage during which at least one legal entity reviews the content item based upon legal requirements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes a country review stage during which at least one country-related entity reviews the content item based upon country-specific requirements.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes an approval stage during which a content manager having responsibility for all of the content in the content-controlled database reviews the content item.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages includes a develop stage during which the content item is formatted for inclusion in the content-controlled database.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the content item through the content management process includes returning the content item to an earlier stage in the content management process in response to non-approval of the content item during the review stage.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the content management process is performed by a group of entities, wherein selected entities are responsible for various stages of the content management process, and wherein processing the content item through the content management process includes, at each stage in the content management process, notifying the entity responsible for such stage.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein notifying each entity comprises sending such entity an electronic message.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein promoting the content item includes copying the content item to a web server.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein copying the content item to the web server includes copying the content item to a staging server, the method further comprising copying the content item from the staging server to a production server automatically during automatic synchronization of the staging and production servers.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after approval of the content item, deferring promotion of the content item until a predetermined date identified in the content management record.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein deferring promotion of the content item until the predetermined date identified in the content management record includes:

(a) periodically comparing a current date against the predetermined date identified in the content management record after approval of the content item is obtained; and

(b) promoting the content item when the current date matches the predetermined date identified in the content management record.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an update review process after the content item has been promoted.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein initiating the update review process includes notifying an author associated with the content item.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising, after promotion of the content item, periodically comparing a current date with an update review date identified in the content management record, wherein initiating the update review process is performed in response to the current date matching the update review date identified in the content management record.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the update review process includes reminding the author a time period after the update review process has been initiated if the update review process has not yet been completed.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the update review process includes reminding a reviewer a time period after the update review process has been initiated if the update review process has not yet been completed.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the update review process includes initiating demotion of the content item a time period after the update review process has been initiated if the update review process has not yet been completed.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the content item is a parent content item, the method further comprising automatically initiating a review of a child content item linked to the parent content item in response to modification of the parent content item.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the parent content is associated with at least one of a first country, a first region, and a first language, and wherein the child content item is associated with at least one of a second country, a second region, and a second language.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the content management document is a parent content management document, the method further comprising building a child content management document linked to the child content item using at least a portion of the content management information in the parent content management document.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory;

(b) a content management record resident in the memory, the content management record linked to a content item in a content-controlled database, the content management record storing content management information associated with the content item; and

(c) a program configured to process the content item through a plurality of stages of a content management process that includes at least one review stage during which approval of the content item is obtained, and to update the content management information stored in the content management record during each stage of the content management process, wherein the program is further configured to promote the content item as a result of the content management process such that the content item is user accessible from the content-controlled database, and to update the content management information stored in the content management record to indicate that the content item has been promoted.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the content management record comprises a groupware document, and wherein the program comprises a groupware application.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is configured to link the content management record to the content item by storing an identifier for at least one of the content item and content management record in the other of the content item and content management record, and wherein the program is configured to store content management information from the content management document in the content item.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the content-controlled database comprises a web site accessible via the Internet, the apparatus further comprising a content management database within which is stored the content management record, the content management database having resident therein a plurality of content management records, each of which linked to at least one content item from the content-controlled database.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is configured to update the content management information stored in the content management record during each stage of the content management process by updating a status in the content management record that is associated with a current stage of the content management process.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the plurality of stages includes at least one of a draft stage, an approval stage and a develop stage, wherein during the draft stage an author inputs content management information into the content management record, during the approval stage a content manager having responsibility for all of the content in the content-controlled database reviews the content item, and during the develop stage the content item is formatted for inclusion in the content-controlled database.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the plurality of stages includes at least one of a topic review stage, a legal review stage, and a country review stage, wherein during the topic review stage at least one topic owner associated with a topic reviews the content item based upon such topic, during the legal review stage at least one legal entity reviews the content item based upon legal requirements, and during the country review stage at least one country-related entity reviews the content item based upon country-specific requirements.

39. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is configured to process the content item through the content management process by returning the content item to an earlier stage in the content management process in response to non-approval of the content item during the review stage.

40. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the content management process is performed by a group of entities, wherein selected entities are responsible for various stages of the content management process, and wherein the program is configured to process the content item through the content management process by, at each stage in the content management process, notifying the entity responsible for such stage by sending the entity an electronic message.

41. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is further configured to, after approval of the content item, defer promotion of the content item until a predetermined date identified in the content management record.

42. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is configured to defer promotion of the content item by periodically comparing a current date against the predetermined date identified in the content management record after approval of the content item is obtained and promoting the content item when the current date matches the predetermined date identified in the content management record.

43. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is further configured to initiate an update review process after the content item has been promoted by notifying an author associated with the content item.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the program is further configured to, after promotion of the content item, periodically compare a current date with an update review date identified in the content management record, and to initiate the update review process in response to the current date matching the update review date identified in the content management record.

45. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is further configured to remind at least one of the author and a reviewer a time period after the update review process has been initiated if the update review process has not yet been completed.

46. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the program is further configured to initiate demotion of the content item a time period after the update review process has been initiated if the update review process has not yet been completed.

47. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the content item is a parent content item, and wherein the program is further configured to automatically initiate a review of a child content item linked to the parent content item in response to modification of the parent content item.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the parent content is associated with at least one of a first country, a first region, and a first language, and wherein the child content item is associated with at least one of a second country, a second region, and a second language.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the content management document is a parent content management document, and wherein the program is further configured to build a child content management document linked to the child content item using at least a portion of the content management information in the parent content management document.

50. A program product, comprising:

(a) a program configured to process a content item from a content-controlled database by processing the content item through a plurality of stages of a content management process that includes at least one review stage during which approval of the content item is obtained, and updating content management information associated with the content item and stored in a content management record linked to the content item during each stage of the content management process, wherein the program is further configured to promote the content item as a result of the content management process such that the content item is user accessible from the content-controlled database, and to update the content management information stored in the content management record to indicate that the content item has been promoted; and

(b) a signal bearing medium bearing the program.

51. The program product of claim 50, wherein the signal bearing medium includes at least one of a recordable medium and a transmission medium.

52. A method of managing content in a content-controlled database, the method comprising:

(a) detecting a modification made to a first country version of a content item in the content-controlled database; and

(b) automatically initiating a review of a second country version of the content item in the content-controlled database in response to detecting the modification of the first country version.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the first and second country versions of the content item are respectively linked to first and second content management records, each of which including content management information associated with the country version of the content item linked thereto, wherein detecting the modification is performed during processing of the first country version of the content item through a plurality of stages of a content management process, wherein the content management information stored in the first content management record is updated during each stage of the content management process.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein automatically initiating the review of the second country version includes demoting the second country version to restrict the content item from being user accessible from the content-controlled database.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein automatically initiating the review of the second country version includes notifying an entity responsible for the second country version of the content item.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the first and second country versions of the content item differ in terms of at least one of language, country and region.

57. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 52.

58. A program product comprising a program configured to perform the method of claim 52, and a signal bearing medium bearing the program.