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Subject:Re: intranet features From:John Posada <JOHN -dot- POSADA -at- EY -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 3 Sep 1997 13:55:22 -0400
My approach to intranets is different than internets.
Just like you don't make employees interesting just so people will look up
their phone number, intranets are for information more than entertainment
rather than an internet where information and entertainment on equal footing.
There is only a specific amount of resources that can be assigned to any one
project in a corporate environment, especially since an intranet is an internal
expense (though a valuable, necessary, required internal expense) that doesn't
have to compete with other intranets rather than an internet being a marketing
instrument that must compete with 50 million other internets. Therefore, if
I'm going to be stretched tight, what do I spend my resources on...cool
entertaining stuff or dry, streamlined, accurate, up-to-date details that helps
the company run efficiently with as little bandwidth overhead as possible. If
I'm going to go for cool stuff, I'll link to it rather than disperse it
throughout the site.
I don't "draw" people to the intranet. I already have a captive audience. Two
things will happen. They will continue to find the information they want and I
won't hear from the users, or the information will be old and outdated and they
will complain. However, where else can they go for the information?
John Posada
john -at- ey -dot- com
To: TECHWR-L @ LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU @ INTERNET
cc:
Subject: Re: intranet features
Sounds pretty boring so far. How about some computer-based training, a
friendly chat-type discussion of what departments do, pictures, phone
numbers, etc.
I agree to all that you have here, but you won't draw the users often
unless it's interesting as well.
Marilynne
At 09:27 AM 9/3/97 -0400, Allyson C. Harris wrote:
>Is anyone out there working on an intranet (an internal corporate web site)
>or have one up and running at their company? I'm curious about what types
>of features are being included on intranets these days.
>
>We are currently designing our company intranet and deciding what content
>to place on it. The only other intranet site I've ever seen is for Silicon
>Graphics.
>
>>From what I've seen and heard, some typical features are:
>
>* Benefits information
>* Employee phone numbers
>* What's New page
>* Company press releases
>* Forms (vacation requests, purchase requests, etc.)
>* Message from the President
>* Online versions of company newsletters
>* Company policies and procedures
>* Descriptive information about various company divisions
>
>We're also planning to put our company's stock price and a "Who to call
>if..." feature on our site.
>
>Has anyone heard of any other popular or unique features? Thanks in advance
>for your feedback.
>
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---------------------------------------------------------------
Marilynne Smith
Writing, Editing, and Online Documentation
---------------------------------------------------------------
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