The long road Standards advocacy in large organisations Ben Buchanan http://weblog.200ok.com.au/ Web Directions South, September 2006

Pithy Quote™ "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St Francis of Assisi

"Start by doing what's necessary;

then do what's possible; and suddenly

you are doing the impossible."

St Francis of Assisi

Case study: Griffith University Tag soup to XHTML+CSS Framesets to frameless 20,000 files to about 250,000 files All without a CMS

Tag soup to XHTML+CSS

Framesets to frameless

20,000 files to about 250,000 files

All without a CMS

It took a long time Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we nearly there yet?

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

Are we nearly there yet?

Generation One: c1997

Generation Two: 1998

Generation Three: 2001

Generation Four: 2003

Generation Five: 2006

If it can be done at a university, it can be done in your organisation!

If it can be done at a university,

it can be done in your organisation!

Be prepared You will have to say unpopular things You will have to compromise (sometimes) Know your arguments and statistics – be ready for big meetings

You will have to say unpopular things

You will have to compromise (sometimes)

Know your arguments and statistics – be ready for big meetings

There are stages You may start from “lone voice” Look for allies – get a posse Start with smaller challenges

You may start from “lone voice”

Look for allies – get a posse

Start with smaller challenges

Stay sane – be realistic about what you can achieve at any given stage.

Stay sane – be realistic about what

you can achieve at any given stage.

People to convince You’ll need some level of buy-in from management You’ll need to get coders enthused If you can get your marketing people on side, it really helps

You’ll need some level of buy-in from management

You’ll need to get coders enthused

If you can get your marketing people on side, it really helps

What doesn’t work? The moral highground rarely motivates action Standards don’t enforce themselves Don’t try the biggest fights first

The moral highground rarely motivates action

Standards don’t enforce themselves

Don’t try the biggest fights first

What works? Appeal to things your present audience holds dear Be diplomatic – in every interpretation of the word Show people ways to reduce work and save money

Appeal to things your present audience holds dear

Be diplomatic – in every interpretation of the word

Show people ways to reduce work and save money

What works? Don't talk about standards, talk about outcomes Use analogies – they work! Keep the Big Stick™ as a last resort Make things fun and easy

Don't talk about standards, talk about outcomes

Use analogies – they work!

Keep the Big Stick™ as a last resort

Make things fun and easy

Harness coffee theory Coffee theory : large organisations only survive because people get together to drink coffee.

Coffee theory : large organisations only

survive because people get together

to drink coffee.

And remember… You are not alone , you are part of a worldwide movement. The people here will be online when you get home. This energy does not stop!

You are not alone , you are part of a

worldwide movement.

The people here will be online when

you get home. This energy does not stop!