Blog Classification System

Blogs are designed to offer content suited to a wide range of readers, from novices to experts, across various topics. To help them find the right posts, we classify our content based on three key factors: Scope, Prerequisite Knowledge, and Content Type.

Here’s how it works …

What Are We Trying to Solve? / Why Do We Have a Classification System?

The modern reader faces an overwhelming amount of content online. Whether you're a beginner trying to learn a new skill or an experienced professional looking for advanced strategies, it can be challenging to quickly identify which posts match your current needs.

At Mysthios, our goal is to ensure that every reader finds the right content for their level of knowledge, interest, and purpose. That’s why we’ve implemented a comprehensive classification system that answers the following:

  • Who is this content for? (Beginner, intermediate, or advanced readers)

  • What is the focus? (Broad industry trends, technical deep dives, or hands-on practical solutions)

  • How is the content presented? (Foundational concepts, case studies, or coding implementations)

This system helps readers filter posts based on their learning goals and expertise. It eliminates guesswork, ensuring that you spend time on content that is relevant, actionable, and aligned with your current stage of understanding.

1. Scope: What We’re Talking About

Each blog post is categorized by scope, which defines the context and focus of the post. This ensures readers understand whether the post covers broad industry insights or dives into technical details.

Understanding Context vs. Topic

  • Context: Refers to the broader subject area or environment in which the topic exists. It is the general field or category that the topic belongs to. For example, in a post about cloud migration, the context could be "Industry Trends" or "Cloud Computing" as a whole.

  • Topic: Refers to the specific issue or subject that the post is addressing within that context. In the same cloud migration post example, the topic could be “Strategies for Migrating to Cloud Platforms.”

By defining scope in terms of context, we ensure that readers understand the general category or field the post covers, even before diving into specific topics. This helps with content filtering and navigation, allowing users to focus on areas of interest.

Scope Categories:

  • Industry Trends & Insights: Broad discussions on market trends, emerging technologies, and high-level observations that impact entire industries.

  • Company Strategy & Leadership: Focuses on leadership, technology-driven decision-making, and strategic initiatives at the business level.

  • Product & Process Optimization: Explores how to improve product development, business processes, and operations for efficiency and performance.

  • Engineering & Technical Excellence: Technical deep dives into best practices, methodologies, DevOps, and software engineering frameworks.

  • Practical Application (How-To & Code Solutions): Hands-on posts with coding examples, implementation guides, and real-world solutions to specific technical problems.

2. Prerequisite Knowledge: What You Need to Know Beforehand

We use a 1–9 scale to help readers gauge whether they have the necessary background knowledge to fully engage with a post. This helps readers assess if they have the required background to understand and apply the information.

Prerequisite Knowledge Levels:

  • 1-3: Beginner

    • 1: No prior knowledge needed. Suitable for those entirely new to the topic or context.

    • 2-3: Basic understanding of the context, but no practical experience or deep knowledge of the topic.

  • 4-6: Intermediate

    • 4-5: Some practical experience with the context and familiarity with the topic. These posts build on foundational knowledge.

    • 6: Solid background in the topic with practical application experience. Best for those looking to refine their skills.

  • 7-9: Advanced/Expert

    • 7-8: Advanced knowledge and practical experience in both the context and topic. Suitable for senior professionals and engineers with hands-on experience.

    • 9: Expert-level understanding, requiring deep theoretical and practical expertise. Content may involve complex problem-solving and creative thinking in both technical and strategic contexts.

3. Content Type: How We’re Presenting the Information

The Content Type classifier indicates the style and structure of the post, helping readers know whether it’s concept-driven or focused on hands-on application. Here’s how we classify the content:

  • Concept/Foundational
    Posts that introduce key concepts, theories, or foundational knowledge. They typically explore high-level ideas without diving into specific implementations. Ideal for beginners or those looking to understand the "why" behind the topic.

  • Case Study
    Detailed discussions of real-world applications, often analyzing the success or challenges of specific projects, strategies, or implementations. Case studies bridge theory and practice by showing how concepts work in real environments.

  • Process
    Posts that focus on step-by-step guides to improving workflows, methodologies, and processes. These posts offer practical insights into optimizing operational efficiency or implementing best practices.

  • Architecture & Design
    In-depth technical discussions on designing systems, software, and technology frameworks. These posts emphasize scalability, performance, and maintainability and are suited for engineers and architects planning or improving technical systems.

  • Implementation & Integration
    Hands-on posts focused on coding examples, integration techniques, and specific implementations. This content is aimed at developers or technical professionals looking for immediate solutions to technical problems.

4. Putting It All Together

Each blog post is labeled with:

  1. Scope – The category that defines the context or focus of the post.

  2. Prerequisite Knowledge – A 1–9 rating that indicates the level of knowledge or experience required to understand the content.

  3. Content Type – A label that defines whether the post is focused on foundational concepts, case studies, processes, architecture & design, or implementation & integration.

Examples:

  • Post 1: "Introduction to Cloud Migration for Startups"

    • Scope: Industry Trends & Insights

    • Prerequisite Knowledge: 1 (No prior knowledge needed)

    • Content Type: Concept/Foundational

  • Post 2: "Optimizing DevOps Pipelines for Continuous Integration"

    • Scope: Engineering & Technical Excellence

    • Prerequisite Knowledge: 6 (Solid background in DevOps)

    • Content Type: Process

  • Post 3: "Scaling Microservices Architecture for Enterprise Applications"

    • Scope: Architecture & Design

    • Prerequisite Knowledge: 8 (Advanced experience in system architecture)

    • Content Type: Architecture & Design

  • Post 4: "Building a CI/CD Pipeline with Jenkins and Docker"

    • Scope: Practical Application (How-To & Code Solutions)

    • Prerequisite Knowledge: 4 (Familiarity with CI/CD and Docker)

    • Content Type: Implementation & Integration

5. Implementing the Classifier System in Your Blog

To implement this classification system:

  1. Define Each Post: When creating or editing blog content, assign each post a:

    • Scope: The category (e.g., Engineering & Technical Excellence).

    • Prerequisite Knowledge: A 1–9 rating to help readers determine if they are ready for the content.

    • Content Type: Define whether the post is focused on foundational concepts, case studies, processes, architecture & design, or implementation & integration.

  2. Tag & Organize: Use tags or categories in your CMS to label posts, making them easy to find and filter by scope, knowledge level, and content type.

  3. Filtering & Navigation: Implement filtering options on your blog homepage or sidebar to allow users to sort content based on their interest, expertise level, and the type of content they’re looking for.

  4. Content Planning: Use this system to balance your content strategy. Ensure you have content that covers various scopes, knowledge levels, and content types to cater to both beginners and advanced readers.

Category Systems Already in Use

Several categorization systems exist that aim to help readers or users match their knowledge with content. A few relevant ones include:

  • Bloom’s Taxonomy: Often used in education to classify learning objectives by complexity, ranging from simple recall of facts (knowledge) to evaluation and creation. This could be adapted to guide content by audience readiness (e.g., foundational knowledge, application, creation).

  • Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition: This model divides skill acquisition into 5 stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. You could adapt this to a content-readiness model (novice content, advanced beginner content, etc.).

  • Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): Though used for language learning, its A1-C2 scale (beginner to mastery) could be adapted to describe content difficulty in the context of technology or business learning.