[Web4lib] Software for Knowledge Base: Your opinions, please?

[Karen Harker]

Personally, I love RoboHelp.  It's much, much easier to use than MS Word (the traditional tool for documentation) and the resulting Web sites are easy to use.  However, it is a client-based software and relatively expensive.  We are trying to get other staff members involved in documenting information about our systems and resources.  Having it installed in only a few locations or paying to have it installed on many users' workstations is just not workable.  
 
We are currently experimenting with using a Wiki, which is both easily available to any one and (currently) free!  My only real concern is a lack of page-level security; there is certain information that we don't want available to all staff members (i.e. usernames/passwords to systems).  
 
I think that if someone were to come up with a Web 2.0 version of RoboHelp (or it's new cousin, MadCap Flare, I'd be very, very interested.  These software programs are great, but they are bloated and cumbersome for many libraries.
 
 
 
Karen R. Harker, MLS
UT Southwestern Medical Library
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX  75390-9049
214-648-8946
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/library/ 

>>> "David Rothman" <david.rothman at gmail.com> 1/23/2007 2:32 PM >>>
Good afternoon!

The standard for making/maintaining intranet knowledge bases at MPOW (a ~400
bed community hospital) is Adobe RoboHelp (
http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelp/).  It is used primarily to provide
web-based manuals for various departments and services throughout the
hospital.

Our CIO has asked me to research and suggest alternatives.  I'm pleased that
he thinks of the library when he has questions about tools for organizing
information. :)

Could you please share your opinions (good OR bad) on products you have used
via email to me at david[DOT]rothman[AT]gmail.com,  I will be pleased to
summarize any responses for the group.

MediaWiki is already on my list of possible applications.  Our CIO really
liked the edit trail and ability to revert to previous versions.

Many thanks in advance,

-David

David L. Rothman
Community General Hospital Medical Library
Syracuse, NY
david[DOT]rothman[AT]gmail.com
http://davidrothman.net ( http://davidrothman.net/ )
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