What is a Metator?

A Content analyst creates a metatorial framework and a Metator applies it. Metators are quite equivalent to editors. An editor reviews an author’s work for style, usage, grammar, and so on, and makes changes to bring the work into compliance with the organization’s standards. A Metator does the same thing, but for Metadata rather than for editorial qualities. Metators are becoming more important when the mass of content grows. Retrieving the correct information in an ECM is done by metadata. Also on the web metadata can be crucial to be found by search engines and conclusively the visitor of your website. Also their quest for searching information on your website can be simplified with the use of metadata.

A Metators’ responsibilities include the following:

• Review an author’s submission of a component to ensure the metadata fields were filled in correctly
• Review the output of content conversion processes to ensure that they correctly identify, divide, and tag components
• Fill in metadata fields that author’s don’t understand how to complete
• Train and guide others on what metadata is, how it’s used by the CMS, and how to choose the right values for particular components
• Distribute and update the metatorial guide

A good Metator is a Content analyst in training. Metators can serve as a CMS front-line support to the content contributors, so it’s a good ides to choose Metators who have the skill eventually to considered “power-users” of the CMS. A Content analyst can gain good insight into how well her system works by doing the job of the Metator every so often.