RARE ISUS Status Report for IETF
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To: ripe-list@localhost
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From: Jill.Foster@localhost
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Date: Wed, 07 Jul 93 23:46:15 BST
RARE Information Services and User Support Working Group (ISUS)
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RARE is the European Association of Research Networks. RARE has set
up several Working Groups to undertake the RARE Technical Programme.
The Information Services and User Support Working Group (ISUS WG) is a
broad based open group of volunteers with membership consisting of
user support staff, library staff, subject based support staff,
information providers and applications and protocol developers in the
area of networked information retrieval.
ISUS WG Remit
=============
The ISUS WG has a broad remit which is broken down into several
sub-areas:
Network User Support
Asynchronous Group Communication
Networked Information Retrieval and Services
Liaison
Mailing List
============
Discussion items should be sent to: WG-ISUS@localhost
This list is open for self-subscription. To subscribe send a message to:
mailserver@localhost
with the text
subscribe wg-isus firstname lastname
(replacing "firstname" "lastname" with your own name)
for example: subscribe wg-isus Jill Foster
ISUS Workplan
=============
The ISUS Workplan may be retrieved from the UK Mailbase Server. To
retrieve it send an email message to: mailbase@localhost
with the following command in the text of the message:
send wg-isus isus.workplan
The additional command:
index wg-isus
will return you a list of the documents stored for this Working Group.
Files are also available via anonymous ftp to: mailbase.ac.uk
and are in the directory: /pub/wg-isus
They are also available via gopher at mailbase.ac.uk
Task Forces
===========
WG-ISUS Task Forces are being set up to cover the main tasks outlined
in the Workplan. The following task forces are in operation.
TF: User Documentation
Coordinator: Bert.Stals@localhost
Good progress has been made on producing some very short guides
to the various network services. This group is very aware of the
IETF efforts in this area and is trying to avoid duplication of
effort. The group is also working with the EARN Documentation
group to provide input to the EARN "Guide to network resource
tools" which is currently being updated. There will be a report
on progress to the IETF Userdoc WG in Amsterdam.
TF: Document Delivery
Coordinator: Maria.Heijne@localhost
Surfnet have carried out a survey on Document Delivery Projects
(world wide). This report has just been updated and will be
submitted as a RARE Technical Report. It is available via
anonymous ftp from: ftp.nic.surfnet.nl
file: surfnet/projects/docdel/studyreport-02.en.txt
TF: Networked Information Retrieval
Coordinator: Jill.Foster@localhost
Ton.Verschuren@localhost
This is a joint RARE/IETF/CNI (Coalition for Networked
Information) WG. It has produced a status report on Networked
Information Retrieval Tools and Groups. This is currently being
updated. The next stage is to do some evaluation of the various
tools. The evaluation criteria are being drawn up. The status
report is available via anonymous ftp from: mailbase.ac.uk
file: /pub/nir/nir.status.report (Version 4.0 is almost ready)
TF: Coordination of Networked Information Retrieval Services
Coordinator: Anders Gillner, AWG@localhost
Ton Verschuren
Work and discussion has been concentrated on the eurogopher
mailing list. See the Subject Tree on the gopher server on
sunic.sunet.se for some of the results of this group.
TF: UNITE "Total Solution" User Interface
Coordinator: G.Munroe@localhost
UNITE - User Network Interface to Everything! There has been
discussion of the requirements on the unite list and a proposal
to do a survey of "total solution" user interfaces to the variety
networked services and to evaluate some of these. The evaluation
criteria are being discussed. An informal survey of "what people
have on their desktop" has been conducted. The unite mailing
list file store has a good collection of related documents.
George Munroe also produces a monthly summary of the main
discussion points as well as a monthly news file.
TF: RARE Technical Report 1
Coordinator: Jill.Foster@localhost
This is a status report on Information Services and User Support
in Europe. It is was updated and reprinted in May. The next update
will be in September/October.
It is available via anonymous ftp from: mailbase.ac.uk
file: /pub/wg-isus/rtr1
TF: Training, Publicity and Awareness
Coordinator: Jill.Foster@localhost
This is a joint RARE/IETF WG. Its first role is to collect
information on existing training materials using a "TopNode"
style template. It will build on the work done by the UK
NISP/ITTI Network training materials project - in the first
instance. The data elements and subject headings for the
template are being discussed. The collection together of Subject
resource guides is a task of this group.
TF: Support for Special Interest Communities
Coordinator: D.W.Hartland@localhost
The COSINE Project P3 (support activities for international user
groups), proposed by the forerunner of the ISUS WG, has just
finished. This group needs to look at ways of continuing support
for these pilot groups and for other special subject groups. A
document on "building electronic communities" is being put
together.
TF: Automatic Mail Based Servers: User Requirements
Coordinator: Paul Klarenberg Klarenberg@localhost
This is a joint task force between RARE ISUS and RARE MSG (Mail
and Messaging). Some proposals for work in this area and a
charter are in preparation.
TF: Multi Media Information Services
Coordinator: C.J.Adie@localhost
This is a joint task force between RARE ISUS and RARE IMM
(Interactive Multi Media). Some proposals for work in this area
are in preparation. A draft report on network access to
multi-media data has been produced and is available via anonymous
ftp from: ftp.ed.ac.uk
directory: /pub/mmaccess
filenames: report.ps
report.txt
Task Force Mailing lists
------------------------
Most Task Forces will start discussions on the main ISUS mailing
list and then move this discussion off on to a separate list as
appropriate - giving regular update reports to the main list.
Documentation TF
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rare-userdoc@localhost
to join a Mailbase list send to mailbase@localhost
the command:
subscribe listname your_firstname your_lastname
Note: this must be two words only so if your name is Marc van der
Noordaa send the command
subscribe rare-userdoc Marc van-der-Noordaa
Files associated with each list may be retrieved using mail,
gopher or anonymous ftp:
anonymous ftp to: mailbase.ac.uk
file: /pub/<listname>/<filename>
Total solution user interface task force
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unite@localhost
Networked Information Retrieval TF:
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nir@localhost
Multi Media Information Services TF:
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mmis@localhost
Mail Based Servers: User Requirements TF:
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mbs-user-req@localhost
ISUS WG Electronic Meetings
===========================
The third meeting of the ISUS WG took place electronically at the
start of March by electronic mail. A fourth such meeting is scheduled
for September/October.
Face to Face Meetings
=====================
In order to minimise travelling expenses of WG members, RARE WGs are
meeting around the two European conferences:
JENC: Joint European Network Conference in the spring
- this concentrates on the more technical side of RARE's work
NSC: The Network Services Conference in the Autumn
- this concentrates on Network Applications and User Services
(although there is still much overlap between the two programmes)
In Warsaw (October), ISUS WG will be meeting on Monday (all day) and
Thursday afternoon. The agenda will be drawn up nearer the time.
This year the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is holding its
meetings in Amsterdam in July. This will be its first meeting in
Europe. RARE WGs will meet there too.
Final Word
==========
This is an open group of volunteers. Anyone who is prepared to
provide constructive comment or effort in this area - or who simply
wishes to "listen and learn" is very welcome. If we each provide a
small amount of effort in a coordinated way - we can achieve much for
our users and ourselves.
Jill Foster - Chair: RARE ISUS WG
