Using DITA as backend for web-based KB (knowledge base)

I would like to find a DITA-enabled knowledge base that has features like:

  • Allows users to create content using forms
  • Supports workflow and role-based data entitlement
  • Supports taxonomy definition (categories for navigating)
  • Supports user tagging of content
  • Search (created and attached content, like files associated with content)
  • User rating of content

In short, I'd like a Web 2.0 knowledge base that uses DITA as the backend. I'd like to leverage the reuse of DITA and be able to easily deliver it to multiple destinations with less effort.

I haven't found anything like this. I see that Alfresco could possibly be customized to do these things but this seems like a major project. Is it my only hope? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

We're looking at replacing our current KB (Knova) with Inquira. Neither supports DITA. Inquira puts the content in CDATA tags, which means you can't parse or transform the content. Unless there's some way to tell it to support a different DTD or schema, it won't work.

My impression is that organizations are starting to see the need for tools that support DITA and allow reuse between documentation and support (knowledgebases). But I don't know of any tools that do it out of the box.

I've been looking for best practices and case studies, but they just aren't there.

If there is such a tool, I'd like to know about it too. I may point our knowledgebase people at Alfresco, though they may have already ruled it out for other reasons.

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