RARE ISUS Status Report for IETF

[Jill.Foster@localhost]

 RARE Information Services and User Support Working Group (ISUS)
 =============================================================== 

 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
      ----------------

      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
      ----------------------------------------

      unite@localhost

      Networked Information Retrieval TF:
      ----------------------------------

      nir@localhost

      Multi Media Information Services TF:
      -----------------------------------

      mmis@localhost

      Mail Based Servers: User Requirements TF:
      ---------------------------------------- 

      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