Subject: USV 2000??

From: Jill Foster <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 08:12:57 +0000

April:

Thanks for kicking off this discussion. I think we have an ideal
opportunity to see what sort of USV we need into the next millenium.

USV *was* about user support and documentation and the "user face" of the
other areas (e.g. security)

On the whole - apart from new areas - documentation is well covered by the
published literature. Even the man in the street can use the Internet. User
documentation at that level is better done by professional writers than a
volunteer group. What USV did in the early days was excellent and needed.
It's time to move on now.

New communities. I've always had problems as you know with the HARTS group
(and schools to a lesser extent). Why should the IETF single out and
support them? I could understand it better if USV was looking at their
special needs with respect to providing images online with metadata for
these, ability to search across video, image banks etc. - and feeding that
back into the technical groups.

Human face of other areas: to a certain extent this has happened (e.g. with
security), but are we really looking at all the areas and the implications
for the users? Are there new developments where USV could provide a
"user"-testbed to give early input on the possible problems with the techie
solutions?

Training: we discussed providing input to the HTML groups and the
videoconferncing groups to feed in the aspects of training required. On the
HTML side developments have happened anyway - and the W3C are pushing ahead
on this front. On access too. Maybe Access (for those with disabilities) is
an issue USV should take up? (ie for visually impaired etc)

On the videoconferencing side - this has been my one big disappointment on
the Internet. It has promised so much for so long.  But it is *still* in
the realms of the techies. MBONE now has PC tools - but they *look* like a
Unix interface. They aren't integrated. You can't install a package (like
installing Netscape say) and use it. It needs a technical person to enable
multicasting on the router etc etc. Until videoconferencing is on the
desktop of our users and as easy to use as Netscape - we can't use it for
user support (helpdesk etc), tutoring or training. This is an area where
USV has the potential to make a big difference.

OK. You asked for input. Hope I haven't been too controversial.

Best wishes to all USWG-ers.

-- Jill