This is how Microsoft
operates??”every article has a unique code (e.g., 907586) that gives the article a permanent
identity in the knowledgebase database. This code is placed in a prominent position inside
the article??™s web page so that users can note it for future reference.
The second methodology treats the knowledgebase as a traditional library. It becomes
a repository of a variety of document formats, with little or no design continuity between
them, tied together only by the fact that they somehow support the customer. See
Figure 10-3 for an example of a library-style approach.
Figure 10-3. A knowledgebase can take on a library-like feel when it houses a variety
of document types.
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2. http://support.microsoft.com
Neither of these approaches is better than the other??”it depends entirely on the internal
definition of the knowledgebase. A singular format is easier to maintain from a database
point of view as every document will follow the same template for content and metadata,
but there is value in distributing generic help files, PDF documentation, whitepapers, and
more in their natural state.
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