I have to admit that before I started the interviews with people who update profile pages I had a few deep rooted pre-conceptions. One was that most senior admin staff in the University are ladies in their 50's or 60's. The other was that they would be at best unwilling users of technology. The former turned out to be a reasonable assumption, but on the latter - I was completely wrong!
These ladies are not only proficient in shorthand but it turns out that they are equally adept with html. The majority of University websites aren't using any kind of Content Management System so when a new administrator arrives one of their first tasks is to get up to speed on how to update the website - most do this by attending a course at the Computing Service. Those who have taken up the challenge are all happy to be given this task and most seemed reluctant to hand over control of profiles to academics themselves. Some felt it was unfair to ask academics to spend time on something which they could easily do themselves, and others felt that it would lead to half of the profiles being left empty or never updated.
On the subject of Content Management Systems and visual editors opinion was divided. While some saw that it would be beneficial for those who are daunted by the prospect of html others felt it was easy to learn the tasks needed to update a simple html page. The most extreme view I came across was that a CMS was an an illusion, that they "throw a mask over the technology" and give people the impression that they can edit the web without knowing what's underneath.
It will be interesting to see this issue from the perspective of profile holders and how they feel about current editing and updating processes. It's clear that the view from the admin side that this isn't a burdensome task, with few spending more than a few hours a week updating websites. The current system in most departments also gives administrators the opportunity to learn and practice new skills which they value highly.
