I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on creating a competitive knowledgebase.

Here are the details:

#1. This is for my marketing group (about 15 users)

#2. It will hold web clipping, word docs, excel sheets, powerpoints, pdfs & jpg.

#3. The idea is to have the marketing group add content, assign categories/key words and search.

#4. I know (and have used) several "standalone" apps with good success (i.e. OmeoPro, UltraRecall...) but none work well with a shared database on the web or server.

#5. I came close with a product called "Web Research" (http://www.macropool.com/en/index.html The weakness it that it does not index documents, only web clipping. FYI I know many of you use Surfulater... You should checkout Web Research, it really in a great product!

Thanks for your help in this matter!!!


-jj

JJ,

You should definitely look at OneNote 2007... It is supposed to work great with shared documents. It indexes, and you can store most anything within it. You can't imbed an OLE spreadsheet, but the spreadsheet file can be stored within it. You can also "print" any document to OneNote, and make it searchable.

Steve Z.

JJ,

Look at MyBase server edition, at www.wjjsoft.com . [Coincidence ???] I use the single-person edition. (See my posting here on MyBase & Surfulator.)

-c

JJ

Try General Knowledge Base including the Server add-on:
http://www.baltsoft.com/server.asp


Dominik

I am setting up something along similar lines in te social services agency where I work.

Initially I have used MyInfo because of its user-friendly GUI, the availability of columns, the elegance of the elegance of the user-defined keyword process, and the fact that if someone other than myself is going to use it (a probability) to get material into it, that it has to be real easy with minimal learning curve. This latter point is important b/c a lot of people in this group are not computer types, and question whether what I am doing will ultimately have value for them.

I question it also, but having read a paper put out several years ago by USAF on managing knowledge bases, I believe it is worth trying.

Daly

JJ wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on creating a competitive
knowledgebase.

Here are the details:

#1. This is for my marketing group (about 15
users)

#2. It will hold web clipping, word docs, excel sheets, powerpoints, pdfs &
jpg.

#3. The idea is to have the marketing group add content, assign categories/key
words and search.

#4. I know (and have used) several "standalone" apps with good
success (i.e. OmeoPro, UltraRecall...) but none work well with a shared database on
the web or server.

#5. I came close with a product called "Web Research"
(http://www.macropool.com/en/index.html The weakness it that it does not index
documents, only web clipping. FYI I know many of you use Surfulater... You should
checkout Web Research, it really in a great product!

Thanks for your help in this
matter!!!


-jj

Dominik, this is a program we don't talk about, and that there doesn't seem to be much buzz about on the web. I have looked at it a few times, have it on my system (CRIMP, of course), but have wondered about its overall value.

I am curious to know why you recommend it as opposed to other programs? Is it because of the server option?

Thanks.

Daly

Dominik Holenstein wrote:

JJ

Try General Knowledge Base including the Server
add-on:
http://www.baltsoft.com/server.asp


Dominik

I also am wondering whether Surfulater might be a good approach.

For a complex knowledge base where people wanted to slice and dice their info, MDE InfoHandler could be ideal.

One question I have is what all is necessary to be in a KB?

For our group conceivable it could be everything there is to know about work with FASD kids in foster care, etc., but then we have the whole WWW for that.

So I am trying to focus more on anecdotal learning -- the knowledge pieces people experience, create, or realize they already know as they go about their work, as well as identification of things that they would like to know about.

There is also a conscious morale building aspect so people can celebrate how much more gifted and learned than they realize, and thus have greater motivation to keep on doing in a good way what they are already doing so well.

Daly

JJ wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on creating a competitive
knowledgebase.

Here are the details:

#1. This is for my marketing group (about 15
users)

#2. It will hold web clipping, word docs, excel sheets, powerpoints, pdfs &
jpg.

#3. The idea is to have the marketing group add content, assign categories/key
words and search.

#4. I know (and have used) several "standalone" apps with good
success (i.e. OmeoPro, UltraRecall...) but none work well with a shared database on
the web or server.

#5. I came close with a product called "Web Research"
(http://www.macropool.com/en/index.html The weakness it that it does not index
documents, only web clipping. FYI I know many of you use Surfulater... You should
checkout Web Research, it really in a great product!

Thanks for your help in this
matter!!!


-jj

Daly,

"I am curious to know why you recommend it as opposed to other programs? Is it because of the server option?"

Yes! You get 100 points.
I don't know the application well but I think it is ok for for a system where several users are entering and retrieving data.

Dominik

Thanks to all for your ideas!

I've downloaded them & checking them out.

Daly..... I just found out that WebResearch from Macropool COULD be the answer for both of use.

It turns out that the network version includes the MS SQL free server.... This allows for the full indexing of documents. When you couple this with the powerful tools in WebResearch (i.e. snippets, capturing web pages, adding comments/notes, indexing, categories....) This COULD represent a complete solution.

I recommend you take a look at the product.

The developer seems to be very responsive. Here is his reply to my inquiry:

All points you mentioned are possible with the Web Research Network add-on.
By using it WR stores its data with the help of MS SQL Server which has indexing features built-in.
It is faster and multi-user capable. You can have one central store for alls users.

How to test and install it:
Verify that you have the most recent WR (2.7.3508)
Install MS SQL Server 2005 Express (free) on one PC (Mabe you have server in your office)
Install Web Research Network Add-on 2.7
Create a network collection

All downloads and more infos are available here:
http://www.macropool.com/en/download/webresearch/extensions/network.html

Martin

Hope this works!!!!


-jj

Daly,

One more thing....

I received a reply from Neville from Surfulater and he said the current product is not network-able and does not index files yet.

-jj

JJ,

"WebResearch from Macropool"

I once used an older version and I liked it.
So I think it is a good decision.
I don't use it anymore because I don't want to have to many applications on my pc.

Dominik

Dominik Holenstein wrote:

JJ,

"WebResearch from Macropool"

I once used an older version and I liked it.
So I
think it is a good decision.
I don't use it anymore because I don't want to have to many
applications on my pc.

Dominik

Dominik

I agree with you... "Less is More"

But I've become very comfortable with WebResearch. Martin (the developer) has really done a nice job with the product. It's clean, light, easy to use, integrates nicely into browsers, organizes info, fully indexed... Plus a lot more

I'm hoping that I can consolidate & use UR to handle the task of WebResearch.... time will tell.

-jj

JJ,

Have a look at this post on the UR forum:
http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=00feb3681308ca1e12ec56f2473820db&threadid=2459

I have added (as 'nisced') a description on how to create hierarchical categories and then how to retrieve the data with searches.

Good luck!

Dominik