Microsoft SharePoint: Controlled Term Functionality
June 13, 2012
Also covered “SharePointSearch, Synonyms, Thesaurus, and You” provides a useful summary of Microsoft SharePoint’s native support for controlled term lists. Today, the buzzwords taxonomy and ontology are used to refer to term lists which SharePoint can use to index content. Term lists may consist of company-specific vocabulary, the names of peoples and companies with which a firm does business, or formal lists of words and phrases with “Use for” and “See also” cross references.
The important of a controlled term list is often lost when today’s automated indexing systems process content. Almost any search system benefits when the content processing subsystem can use a controlled term list as well as the automated methods baked into the indexer.
In this TechGrowingPains write up, the author says:
A little known, and interesting, feature in SharePoint search is the ability to create customized thesaurus word sets. The word sets can either be synonyms, or word replacements, augmenting search functionality. This ability is not limited to single words, it can also be extend into specific phrases.
The article explains how controlled term lists can be used to assist a user in formulating a query. The method is called “replacement words”. The idea of suggesting terms is a good one which many users find a time saver when doing research. The synonym expansion function is mentioned as well. SharePoint can insert broader terms into a user’s query which increases or decreases the size of the result set.
The centerpiece of the article is a recipe for activating this functionality. A helpful code snippet is included as well.
If you want additional technical support, let us know. Our Search Technoologies’ team has deep experience in Microsoft SharePoint search and customization. We can implement advanced controlled term features in almost any SharePoint system.
Iain Fletcher, June 13, 2012
Did Google Rat on Microsoft?
June 7, 2012
The class clown gets lots of attention but will occasionally ‘shift the blame’ to someone else, much like Google recently did with Microsoft. There’s trouble on the playground according to New Google data shows Microsoft’s piracy problems, and Google just became the science class rat.
There is a software fair with Google’s experiment themed Microsoft copyright woes, added visual effect being the release of a snapshot. Their purpose, to help others understand intellectual property abuses on the Internet. Google may even be considered a field expert due to repeated violations and loop-hole theory research.
Apparently Google’s been avoiding the crowd of Microsoft complaints because:
“The report provides a breakdown on all requests Google has received since July 2011 to remove copyright-infringing content from its search index. There were more than 2.5 million requests to remove links believed to be violating Microsoft’s copyrights.”
“Google’s Internet search engine receives more complaints about websites believed to be infringing on Microsoft’s copyrights than it does about material produced by entertainment companies pushing for tougher laws against online piracy.”
The details are being kept hush hush, but tattle tells aren’t usually good at keeping secrets… unless it’s their own. Seriously though… Google rats on Microsoft? Real nice guys, maybe more like grade school antics? Let’s hope for the sake of IP owners everywhere that all kids eventually grow up.
Jennifer Shockley, June 7, 2012
Sponsored by Polyspot
The Challenges for Microsoft SharePoint Integrators
May 22, 2012
I don’t care too much about outfits who surf on other company’s software. Been there. Done that. In my experience with Infozen, an outfit with which I was affiliated during the wild and crazy “index the Federal government” years, I learned:
- Integrators and resellers take advantage of clients who lack the expertise, time, and management acumen to get a job done in a cost effective manner during normal work hours
- Partners, integrators and resellers sell what generates money. Investing in research and development is a PowerPoint or Keynote slide, not a business practice. Clients pay for the resellers and integrators to solve a problem. If the solution works, the integrator or reseller will resell the solution, emphasizing that it is an invention.
- Integrators and resellers are trying to avoid the “pay to play” model enforced by a number of software giants. A good way to determine if the outfit requires integrators or resellers to pony6 up hard cash for the privilege of selling enterprise software is too look for print advertising in various trade publications.
- Integrators and resellers use a tie up as an occasion for a news release. A good example is the “Oracle Endeca Getting Started Partner Guide.”
At a recent briefing I gave in New York, I had an occasion to talk to a very energetic investment type. I picked up three signals about the Microsoft SharePoint reseller and partner ecosystem. Like most information floating around after 6 pm in Manhattan, I suspect there is mostly baloney in the observations. But I wanted to snag them before they slipped from my flawed short term memory bank:
First, it seems that Microsoft is not putting much wood behind Fast Search & Transfer technology. I believe the phrase the MBA squirrel used was “end of life.” If true, the $1.2 billion and messy Fast situation may be in the midst of a rethink. What will Microsoft do? With the juicy search companies gobbled up, Microsoft may have to pull some rabbits out of its many hats. Open source, non US search and content processing vendors, making a cake from its own search ingredients, leveraging Powerset and other technologies?
Second, some Microsoft partners are starting to “go off the reservation.” In the free blog, I do not want to mention names. I learned that one prominent Microsoft Certified Partner had quietly embraced non Microsoft technologies. The “quietly” suggests to me that Microsoft could choke off a flow of sales leads if the shift caused big waves. The reason to “go off the reservation” boiled down to the sense that some Microsoft centric shops were starting to demonstrate “fee fatigue.” What do resellers do when revenue from Old Faithful slows, resellers and integrators look for what will sell.
Third, after decades of having a sure-fire business model, some partners and integrators see that alternatives exist and may be worth exploring. Examples include cloud alternatives to on premises Microsoft solutions or – hang on to your hat – open source solutions.
The impact of the lousy financial climate is taking a toll on some Microsoft centric vendors. The toll will be more burdensome going forward. In short, integrators and resellers are in play.
Stephen E Arnold, May 22, 2012
Sponsored by Polyspot
Search Genius for Scientists with SharePoint.
May 22, 2012
Sys-Con Media reports, “PerkinElmer Unveils Search Genius software for Use with Microsoft SharePoint Framework.” The system, designed for researchers, unifies searching, saving, and sharing of unstructured data in one application. We learned from the write up:
“The Search Genius platform is a powerful search application that enables researchers to use both text and structure searches of reports and technical documents stored using the SharePoint framework and [PerkinElmer’s own] E-Notebook system, as well as text searches of the Internet. With the Search Genius platform, researchers can more readily gain broader access to previously difficult-to-access data. This enables greater and more holistic visibility to organization-wide information resources that researchers can then more easily leverage into new and existing projects. Scientists can also save their search results and easily create links and annotations that document their ideas and facilitate collaboration.”
Health care information technology is in the Stone Age. Will this crack the problem of fragmented medical information?
A longstanding leader in the science community, PerkinElmer turns 75 this year. The company is based in Waltham, MA, but has operations around the globe. Their mission statement: “Improving the health and safety of people and the environment.” Let us hope Search Genius is up to the task.
Cynthia Murrell, May 22, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Recent Data Shows Bing Surging
May 20, 2012
Mashable recently reported on a new study by Experian Hitwise in the article “Watch Out, Google: Bing Nabs 30% of Search Market.”
According to the report, Microsoft’s search engine Bing, currently second most popular search engine in the US, accounted for 30% of April’s search queries. Also, in addition to a 5% increase in Bing powered searches, Bing recently revealed that it has plans for a complete website redesign with goals to compete with Google’s Search Plus Your World by making search more social.
The article states:
“Microsoft says the Bing update will introduce “a better way to search.” The update will incorporate personal search results into the search engine’s algorithm. The results will appear in a panel on the side of the page. This includes which “friends might know,” “people who know,” and related activity recently on Facebook. Microsoft announced updates would come slowly. “
As Bing’s search traffic rose last month, Google’s dropped by 3%. While 3% doesn’t seem very drastic, Bing’s new redesign may lead to more competition than we initially predicted.
Jasmine Ashton, May 20, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Microsoft Joined by AOL in Outercurve Support
May 16, 2012
AOL is joining Microsoft in its open source ways. ZDNet reports, “AOL Joins Microsoft as Sponsor of Outercurve Foundation.” Outercurve facilitates the exchange of code between the open source community and corporations. It has been supported by Microsoft since that company launched it in 2009 (under the original name CodePlex Foundation), and has now attracted the backing of AOL. Apparently, the move was easier than setting up their own foundation. Mary Jo Foley writes:
“According to a blog post, AOL is becoming a sponsor so it can transfer its internal open-source projects to the Foundation, ‘which eliminates the complexity of creating, funding and managing a separate foundation,’ in the words of Erynn Petersen, AOL SVP of Paid Services Engineering. ‘Outercurve sponsorship also will make it simpler for our partners to contribute to AOL-sponsored open source projects,’ Petersen added.”
Foley asked whether the choice had anything to do with last month’s sale of hundreds of AOL patents to Microsoft, and was assured there’s no connection. (By the way, Microsoft is reselling a number of these patents to Facebook. Interesting.)
A 501c(6) non-profit , the Outercurve Foundation is resolved to complement other open source foundations rather than compete with them. It provides organizations with details like software IP management and project development governance in order to encourage collaboration and spur faster results.
Cynthia Murrell, May 16, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Tech Start Up Lessons Confuse: Learn from Failure or Success?
May 14, 2012
I read “Robbie Bach’s Four Startup Lessons from Xbox and Zune.” I am puzzled. The article said:
Bach compared and contrasted the Xbox and Zune businesses and shared some inside stories during a Northwest Entrepreneur Network event Seattle this morning. The topic was “intrapreneurship” — the buzzword for entrepreneurial projects inside major companies — but as Bach noted, the lessons apply to traditional startups, as well.
But the sentence preceding this paragraph was the kicker:
Former Microsoft executive Robbie Bach led the company’s entertainment division through the rise of the Xbox business, which has become a success, by many measures, after billions of dollars of investment and some major bumps in the road. He also led the division through the launch of the Zune music player, which is “probably universally viewed as less of a success,” as he puts it, charitably.
The write up then focuses on four “lessons.” These confused me because even though the Xbox is allegedly successful, there is the red ring of death meme and the need for data to show that the Xbox has paid off the investment and covers the on going customer support and repair activities.
The first lesson is to focus on a “discontinuity.” This is Peter Drucker stuff. The problem is that there are many discontinuities, so isn’t it necessary to pick the right discontinuity at the right time and execute without investing so much that pay back is tough, if not impossible.
The second lesson is marketing and branding. Okay, but Microsoft seems to be a company making and killing brands with dizzying speed. Windows Live, Windows NT, Zune—what’s the brand logic and marketing strategy behind these moves? Windows RT?
The third lesson is find “partners who want you to be successful.” Partners want to make money. If you have something that will make partners money, then you are on the right track. Partners who stop paying for expensive certifications or quietly add “off the reservation” activities are not partners. These are companies run by executives who need revenue growth. There are lots of potential partners. Which partner is the key question?
The fourth lesson is “capitalize on your competitor’s mistakes.” My view is that this has more to do with picking a discontinuity and acting in a timely manner. Much of the so-called “insight” in technology has more to do with being in the right place at the right time. When the right time shifts and the right place moves to another location, most companies end up in challenging situations. Examples range from Microsoft’s support of legacy code to the stunning work on the Windows Nokia phones.
How do these lessons explain the trajectory of Microsoft search technology. Answer: Not too well.
In short, these are “lessons” which need to be reviewed by a curriculum committee. Just my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, May 14, 2012
Sponsored by Polyspot
SharePoint Users Beware Framesniffers
May 10, 2012
Security is a topic which is getting increased attention, particularly in the SharePoint community. I want to call attention to “Microsoft SharePoint and LinkedIn Data at Risk from Framesniffing Attacks” from ITWire.com. The Safari, Chrome, and Internet Explorer Web browsers are inadvertently allowing hackers to steal information from private Microsoft SharePoint Web sites and mine data from public Web sites like Linked In.
A Framesniffing Attack occurs when a hidden HTML frame loads a target Web site in the hacker’s Web page to mine information about the content and structure of the framed pages. The hacker can then overcome browser securities and read the sensitive information.
As explained in the ITWire.com article:
“Paul Stone, senior security consultant at Context said, “Using Framesniffing, it’s possible for a malicious Web page to run search queries for potentially sensitive terms on a SharePoint server and determine how many results are found for each query. For example, with a given company name it is possible to establish who their customers or partners are; and once this information has been found, the attacker can go on to perform increasingly complex searches and uncover valuable commercial information.”
The problem deals with the X-Frame-Options header that turns off the Web browser framing feature and in SharePoint it is not turned off by default. Microsoft has stated in the next SharePoint version they will set the X-Frame options, but until then, SharePoint gurus, it is up to you to find a solution. If your organization discovers a way to keep its information from prying eyes, you will still need a way to find the data.
Search Technologies implements solutions which are secure and do not impede findability or system performance. For more information, navigate to www.searchtechnologies.com.
Iain Fletcher, May 10, 2012
SharePoint Development Tutorial Within 85 Pages
April 21, 2012
Although the SharePoint Fast search option is under assault from many quarters, many organizations want to “run what Microsoft brung.”
No longer do you have to scour the Web for basic tutorials on how to start SharePoint development? You can waste a lot of working hours researching sources, when you can save yourself time and money by heading over to SharePoint Tutorial and reading about their book, “Learn SharePoint Development.”
Pulling from six years of experience, the author pours his knowledge into a short eighty-five guidebook. It was written with the absolute beginner in mind, it includes step-by-step instructions, focused viewpoint with pictures for explanation, concepts and practices for training with source code to start.
“This document shows you basic concepts of SharePoint regarding development and deployment of solutions as well as customizations like Web Parts. It helps you to understand the basic development and deployment process and what elements are involved since the process differs from the ASP.NET process although SharePoint is based on ASP.NET.”
You are also treated to the tools for data organization, SharePoint environmental development, deployment, and Visual Studio 2010 basics. You can either purchase the book for $24, but for an additional $10 you can get the source code as well. One of the problems I have with these SharePoint start up books is that they hardly ever address SharePoint search. If you do not understand search enterprise concepts, then it is good to rely on SurfRay Ontolica—a search enterprise platform that requires zero to little extra programming for adoption.
Whitney Grace, April 21, 2012
Sponsored by OpenSearchNews.com
Microsoft Contributes to Linux
April 19, 2012
Microsoft and Linux used to be bitter rivals. Over the years the tension has eased between the open source OS and the Windows builder, but now Microsoft is listed as a company that contributes to the Linux kernel. TechNewsWorld tells all in, “Microsoft’s Linux Labors: A Signal of Defeat?” Microsoft used to call Linux a “cancer” and now they are working in the collaborative development model to support its virtualization efforts and its customers.
The blog and twitter feeds lit up when this news hit the web. Some believe Microsoft is trying to capitalize off of open source, while others rationalize it was only a matter of time before the PC giant turned to open source software. Open source is proving its value, especially in the big data and cloud markets, so Microsoft finally realizes how useful it can be.
“In fact, ‘Microsoft is adding code to the kernel to help make it work better for Microsoft, and that is exactly how Open Source works,’ Google+ blogger Kevin O’Brien suggested. ‘Everyone scratches their own itch, and the wonderful thing about Open Source is that we all get to benefit,’ he explained. ‘I hope Microsoft continues to offer code to Open Source.’”
How the mighty have fallen! PCs are still the universal computer, but open source is starting to become the universal solution for many IT problems. Combine the two and who knows where technology will go. Is this the start of a whole new way of thinking for Microsoft? If so, will Microsoft and its open source software swear not to do evil like Google?
Whitney Grace, April 19, 2012
Sponsored by TheTrendPoint
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
