[Sigia-l] what are best practices (was OT: Library Thing)

[Louise Hewitt]

Hi List,

Won't quote as I think we're all pretty familiar with this thread by
now, but I do think there's a point worth making about this issue
(sorry if someone already has, but there's a whole lotta talk on this
one).

Perhaps the value of the guidelines and principles we refer to as Best
Practices is a bit lost on the professionals who create them, but of
enormous comfort and worth to lesser mortals who are stuck doing this
IA thing on their own.

Of course the best 'best practice' would be to hire an IA consultant
for every web project, page or service that gets built, but many site
owners are left struggling with these issues alone. In my experience,
they find great consolation in having a 'best practice' to follow,
safe in the knowledge that someone else has been there before and come
up with an effective and widely used solution.

Let's face it, it is a bit of fashion label. I first came across 'best
practice' working in the government and thought it was a cosy label
(like 'joined-up', 'toolkit', and 'talkshop'). It'll die a death soon
and be replaced by something else, perhaps 'key method' or some other
such jargon. But for now, I'm happy that lesser web bods than our good
selves can find our 'best practices' and follow them when they are
looking for solutions.

For the record - I'm not against non-IAs innovating IA solutions, in
fact I'm all for it. I just think that they shouldn't be forced to if
they don't have the time/budget/will for it.

Until the next bee in my bonnet...

Lou.