Content Not One Dimensional
April 11, 2011
In the digital age that we live in it is no longer possible to simply advertise your content through a traditional media outlet such as newspaper or radio. In order for your content to be used and your message to be heard you have to utilize many different types of channels. In order to expand digital awareness and offerings many content providers are looking to recycle already existing content in order to create new products. The result of such recycling is a “mash-up” of many different content retrieval systems. This “mash-up” of systems when done correctly can create consistency between the
outlets that utilize the information. This is where XML comes in.
XML stands for extensible markup language and functions somewhat like html but while html can display data, xml is designed to carry data and must have defined user tags that are self-descriptive. While XML doesn’t actually DO anything it is definitely a useful tool for storing and transporting information for widespread use and as a compliment to HTML.
Now you may be wondering why you should care about something as small as XML, well, here’s the answer; XML combined with HTML is what makes the mash up of existing content possible. Without well-structured XML protocols it is impossible to transfer information from one platform, such as an eReader to another platform like a cell phone application.
XML makes it possible to transfer PDF’s to your design software such as InDesign and Quark and it is what allows you to utilize your Kindle or Nook to download books in an instant and it’s what makes the information you seek on a Google search engine return the correct queries. XML is a cross directional language that makes it easier for users to access the product and let’s face it…the easier and more accessible a product is, the more money it is going to generate and let’s face it, that’s what you really want to know…isn’t it?
Stephen E Arnold, April 11 2011
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2 Responses to “Content Not One Dimensional”
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Nice to see a clear explanation of XML. The technology has been with us for some time, but I find myself still having to explain the benefits and purpose of it.
Our Web Extractor (http://www.30digits.com/web-extractor/) delivers content from sites of all different kinds of complexities structuring and normalizing them for MashUps and the like. I still get requests for data in CSV which we do support, but XML is always my recommendation particularly that the content can then be used on multiple platforms.
Maybe you could do a quick explanation of normalization now as well.
this is absolutely true, but without vendor support it becomes a closed system, for example Amazon and their kindle platform is incredibly closed and so their ebooks can only be read on kindle’s and not anything else. (http://www.liquid-technologies.com/xml-editor.aspx)