As of Wednesday, July 28, we have replaced the Resource Groups application with our new feature, Content Blocks.
Resource Groups allowed you to create groups consisting of a title, an optional text area, and any number of optional associated resources, which could be documents (uploaded files), pages, or links (manually created and maintained links to any URL), which could then be added as a group to a page in the CHSSWeb system.
Content Blocks allow users to accomplish these tasks more simply, expand the immediate options available, and open the door to other exciting new features.
Flexible, Sustainable
Content Blocks allow the direct association of these types of content:
- Pages
- Documents
- Links
- Programs
- People
This greatly reduces the need to create link content pointing to internal CHSSWeb content. Also, because Content Blocks are associated directly with these types of content, there is no need to update a Link to reflect that a person has changed their name or left Mason, or that a new catalog release has changed the status of a program. If a person or program is changed, related information will appear correctly in all associated Content Blocks... on all pages on which those blocks appear. If a person leaves Mason and an editor unpublishes their information, they will no longer appear in the related Content Blocks.
Easier to Use
Content Blocks mark the first step on our plan to overhaul the CHSSWeb management tools to require fewer page loads and fewer clicks of "update" buttons. Once you create a block, any changes you make to the block happen in real time without requiring the multiple steps of making the change then hitting the save button for the block. The same applies to associating blocks with pages, sorting them on pages, and changing their column settings. As we continue with this overhaul of the tools, we plan to take this further and allow the creation, association, and management of blocks by editors without ever leaving the context of a page's edit form.
With Resource Groups, the interface for associating resources with a group and groups with a page required you to know that a resource or group existed, what kind of thing it was, and on what site it originated. With Content Blocks, we now use flexible content searches to find content to put into a block or blocks to put on a page. The process is faster, more flexible, and encourages editors to share and reuse each other's content.
Future Possibilities
For the moment, the Content Blocks on your site look just like the Resource Groups they are replacing. This will change as you begin to use the blocks and explore the new options they offer. But we also have exciting plans for adding new features.
Just to pick one fun example, we hope to add the concept of variants. When you associate a person with a block, you will be able to choose the default appearance of the person within the group—first and last name—or a variant approach, such as their photo, name, and research interests.
Talk With Us
Please let us know if you would like to discuss how you might use Content Blocks on your site. Also, we would love to provide a training session if site editors are interested.
August 03, 2021
