Podcast Posted: Interview with Barry Schaeffer

This month's interview is with a legend in the industry: Barry Schaeffer. Anyone who's been in the SGML/XML industry for any length of time knows Barry Schaeffer. Barry is a frequent speaker and contributor on subjects related to information and content management. His work with structured information began in 1979 with SGML, and with XML at its initial publication as a standard in 1996.

I met Barry very early on. I always looked forward to seeing him at industry events and reading the articles he published.  Barry was always a frequent speaker and contributor on subjects related to information and content management.

Barry was Founder and President of X.Systems.Inc., a system development and consulting firm specializing in the conception and design of text-based information systems, with industrial, legal/judicial and publishing clients among the Fortune 500, non-profit organizations and government agencies, until it’s acquisition by XyEnterprise in 2008. His work with structured information began in 1979 with SGML, and with XML at its initial publication as a standard in 1996. X.Systems was the first company to partner with Arbortext.

Over the course of his career, Barry has held management and technical positions with The Bell System, Xerox, Planning Research Corporation, U. S. News and World Report, Grumman Data Systems and XyEnterprise. As an experienced consultant and systems architect, he has supported a client list that includes major industrial organizations, Federal civilian and defense agencies and state governments. He was even the new media columnist at Newspapers and Technology magazine for a couple of years.

Today, Barry is a Senior Analyst with the Gilbane Group and a Principal consultant with Content Life-cycle Consulting, Inc.

And we are beyond delighted that he could join us on the PubWright Podcast.

The advice he gives is invaluable when it comes to thinking about how to roll out XML publishing systems, how to think about organizational content strategy, and full of lessons learned about both. In fact, there’s a bit of important history here: Barry was there at BNA when IBM was learning the lessons that lead IBM to invent DITA. Interesting stuff!

Enjoy hearing from a long time part of the the XML/technical publications family.

References

During our conversation, Barry talks about a seminal XML implementation at BNA. The articles he mentioned are listed below:

• "BNA's Experience Holds Lessons for On-line Newspapers", Newspapers and Technology magazine article by Barry Schaeffer
• "The Technology and Culture of Web 2.0" by Barry Schaeffer & Bruce Nevin (CIDM Newsletter)
• "Content Management: A Survival Guide", CIO Magazine article by Barry Schaeffer