iwmw 2004: life after email strategies for collaboration in the 21st century

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

Life After Email: Strategies For Collaboration in the 21st CenturyBrian KellyUKOLNUniversity of [email protected]://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

How should central services respond to use of new devices, commercial and user-driven technologies and emerging collaborative Internet technologies?Or 45 slides in 45 minutes!

UKOLN is supported by:


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What We'll CoverIn this talk I will cover:

• The challenges we face in an environment where the customers (the users) are king

• The collaborative tools which:• They want to use (and are using)• We know about (and are ahead of the users)

• The challenges in deploying the tools• A framework for deployment


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Content Is King?Content is King

• What does this phrase mean?• End users want content – they don't care about

the technology

But in reality Communication is King:• End users want to communicate• Killer application is email!• Look at popularity of mobile phones• Look at popularity of SMS messaging – despite

the incredibly poor user interface• Learning is a social activity – so communication is

particularly important in education


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Mobile DevicesWhat are the implications of mobile devices?

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What do these devices have in common?Consumer devices, networks & digital memory

(& can fit in pocket)


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Uses For Your MP3 PlayerStudents can:

• Download recordings of lectures

• Record lecturesGreat for:

• Maximising access• Accessibility• Complementing

students' notesBut:

• Copyright issues• Lecturers &

institution's views• …

Need for an AUP!

http://www.eviews.net/15.6.2000/

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http://www.rsc.org/lap/rsccom/dab/chemistrycassettes.htmAnd you can listen to music on a portable MP3 player!


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New DevicesWhat are the implications of, say, Web / email clients on digital TV? Cost about £120 (or £64.50

on offer from BT Shop)

http://www.netgem.com/

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Scenario• Students will want to watch

digital TV (music, etc.)• This box provides a cheap

easily maintained thin client• Use at home reduces

demand on PC clusters• Can play MP3s (e.g. lecture

notes, audio blogs, …)• So encourage purchase!• Read Ariadne review

Text, not images, so resize nicely


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Bathstudent.com provides: • Personalised portal• Diary & calendar• News alerts by email

& SMS• Advice• …

http://www.bathstudent.com/

Challenges:Shouldn't we be doing this? Who owns the company & data (and why do they want my personal details)? What if ownership changes? Does their advice on academic issues conflict with the University's?

We are now faced with increasing numbers of commercial providers of IT services

https://www.bathstudent.com/


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GMailWho needs a University email account when you can get 1 Gb from a GMail account?

My Plans• Get GMail ID• Use it as secondary

source for mailing lists• Don't divulge ID (no

spam)• Wait and see what

extras Google provide (RSS feed would be nice)

• Gain feel for privacy issues


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WiFiWiFi technologies make mobile devices even more appealing. Imagine scenario:

• WiFi access in all lecture rooms, teaching spaces, …• WiFi access in all halls of residences, flats, etc.• WiFi access in all social spaces, such as bars, fields, etc• WiFi access in town centre, pubs, Starbucks, …

and with Zeroconf you can walk into a room & it's all available

• How will this change the dynamics of teaching & learning?• How will this affect purchasing patterns?• How will this affect social activities?• How will this affect the role of IT Services?

Thought ExperimentLet's imagine you all have networked mobile devices and can communicate with everyone in the room.

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http://www.zeroconf.org/


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Instant MessagingInstant Messaging:

• Nothing new – Unix talk anyone?• New user communities driving its use:

• Young people Overseas students• Comments from recent UCISA poll:

"IM ... is 'here to stay' – an 'unstoppable tide'. Seen as part of youth culture, along with … SMS" Liverpool JMU"Students will arrive familiar with, and expecting to .. use such tools. Email seen by younger people to be 'boring', 'full of spam', IM and SMS immediacy preferred" Bath

But:"Complaints raised regarding students hogging PCs .. Also case with email some time ago" Liverpool JMU"APIs are known and therefore targets for hackers" London Met"Some challenges in interoperability …" Bath

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IM - ToolsPopular IM tools include:

• MSN Messenger• Yahoo Messenger• AOL Instant Messenger ("it's

not owned by Microsoft")

Typically choosing a supported application involved looking at functionality, cost, support, security, ..

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MSN Messenger FunctionalityMSN Messenger providesgroupware & IM functionality:

• Sharing desktop applications

• File transfer• Webcams• Games

Warning – this could be a virus

Has potential in user support & collaborative working

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MSN Messenger is probably most widely used, but interoperability problems (even across Windows OSs)


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IM GuidelinesGuidelines for QA Focus (UKOLN/AHDS project):

• Scheduled virtual meeting with home worker and with project partner

• Formal agenda used and meeting chaired • Use of Webcam planned (nb privacy issues)• Transcript archived (confidentiality issues flagged)• IM also used for informal purposes e.g. short term

tasks such as agreeing on pub to meet in• Recognition of dangers of interruption, privacy, etc.

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Briefing document – issues to be addressed in guidelines: <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefings/briefing-56/>Case study – what we did:<http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/case-studies/case-study-12/>

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/case-studies/case-study-12/


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Security Issues"I've asked our IT bods to open up the port, but have been met (so far) with a stony silence."Tensions:

• Users want the rich functionality• IT Services also need to address security,

privacy, support, etc. issuesIM is an example of an edge service:

• Name given to P2P programs such as instant messaging, file sharing, etc. Programs are located at the edge of the network, travelling through desktop PCs rather than a central server

• IETF working on "Open Pluggable Edge Services" standard, which will address security issues

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http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/02nov/120.htm


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InteroperabilityLack of interoperability:

• Mainstream IM world is currently closed• Multi-protocol clients exist (e.g. Trillian, IM+) but

don't support value-added features ( )• XMPP - open protocol of IM• Jabber provides open source clients & servers

which support XMPP • Value-added services being developed e.g.

BuddySpace at OU (note interesting movie)

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Newsflash:Yahoo blocks Trillian24 Jun 2004

http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/xmpp-charter.html

http://buddyspace.sourceforge.net/

http://kmi.open.ac.uk/projects/buddyspace/userguide/


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Policy IssuesFor IM:

• Functionality / support aren't main issues• IM exists to facilitate communications the users'

peers

Should we:• Provide multiple clients to support users

(Liverpool approach)?• Chose client and manage the ids, so we can use

to communicate IM students?• Provide clients but support separate IM facility

(e.g. as part of portal, VLE, …)?• Wait for standards & applications to arrive which

solve the problems?

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http://www.liv.ac.uk/CSD/helpdesk/faqs/instant/


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In Summary

MSN

AOL

Yahoo

AOLMessenger

MSNMessenger

YahooMessenger

LocalVLE

VLE IM tool

Additional functionalityAdditional problems?

Remote IM databases are populated by individuals and managed remotelyFinding people, managing groups of students, etc. is difficult

(cf OU)

Local(Jabber)Jabber

Trillian, IM+

Potential functionality

X


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Integrating Environments (1)Services such as YahooGroups integrate:

• Mailing lists• IM• Voting• Calendars• …

Useful to get committee together at same time – buts ads are disliked

Very effective way of reaching a decision – avoids long discursive discussions

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Strangely, perhaps, YahooGroups is used by open standards developers (e.g. RSS & RDF)


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Integrating Environments (2)JISCMail is extending its facilities to include a voting system and a chat room (currently being tested)Being part of our community it doesn’t have adverts and is responsive to needs of the community

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Let's Kill E-Mail!E-mail has its role but:

• Why send messages which time-out when many users will read them too late?

• Why not use delivery channels which are spam-free?• Why not use delivery channels which are more suited to

receiving information (as opposed to discussions)?• Why not allow users to select their preferred channels?

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RSS:• Syndication of content• A light-weight standard

used in the JISC IE• View on Web, using

dedicated RSS viewer, Opera or Pluck IE plugin

Shouldn't RSS viewers be standard on desktops?Shouldn't we be creating RSS feed for news alerts – and not just adding to email overload?

Google for "rss is opt-in authenticated email"


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Blogging (1)Blogging: cult fashion or significant developing in publishing / communications?

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Student's learning diary. Created by student and hosted on remote Blogger Web site. No longer maintained?

A more sustainable approach is likely when used as part of a course. This example also provides shared experiences


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Blogging (2)But:

• I want new information to be pushed to me

• I want to create information using tools other than a Web browser

• I prefer an email interface (fewer images, …)

• I want to do everthing in IE

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Blogging (3)E-learning Unit at Bath provides a good example:

• Team contributions

• Quality content• Willing to address

controversial e-learning issues

and good software with rich functionality

Google "auricle bath" for URL

Note getting the software installed is the easy part – bigger issues include sustainability, scope, style, handling comments, …


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Wikis (1)Wiki:An open shared space for collaborative editing

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Wikipedia – a example of shared encyclopaedia.Yes, trust is an issue!

QUB provide an environment for IT & Society students to collectively edit Web pages.


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Wikis (2)Your University may already be in the Wikipedia!

Comments:• You can't stop

people doing this• This can be good

publicity• This can be effort

for free• If you create the

page to start with you can set the tone

Note the Wikipedia is an example of a Web site created using Wiki software. The Wikipedia is sometimes confused with Wikis.


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The Potential For SMSSMS:

• Over 100 million SMS txts sent over New Year 2004 – why don't we send exam results, library alerts, …?

• A small number of institutions are using SMS :"SHU used SMS during clearing - potential students texted in UCAS code of course of interest. The system sent back text saying whether places were still available - alleviating pressure on our call centre.""I believe Edinburgh student union uses SMS for their elections.""I believe there are plans afoot in our university at a high level to develop a method of 'bulk sending' SMS messages out to students."Birkbeck are "hoping to pilot an SMS alert system soon for one of our Schools that they can use (via a simple Web interface) to send lecture cancellation messages etc to their students"

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From SMS 3GWAP:

• Failed to take off, but some experimentation talking place

3G:• The SMS or the WAP of the

future?• Will developments be driven by:

• Research interests – e.g. <http://www.m-learning.org/>

• Consumers?• Will the killer app be:

• Publishing information?• Communications?• Something else: competition for

WiFi competition e.g. Google for the pub quiz

• Nothing

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12 July 04: NEC e303 Pay-as-You-Go 3G phone for £30 from Argos


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Social Networks (SNs)Students (and staff) want to be part of communities - as shown by success of FriendsReunited and (since Jan 2004) OrkutSNs:

• Started during dot.com boom and recently resurfaced

• Focus on dating and/or business & professional relationships

These Social Networks can provide:• Mailing lists & Instant messaging• Links to partners & potential partners• Means of disclosing information selectively

• There are cultural & privacy issues – but you don't have to divulge information

http://www.orkut.com/


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Social Networks (2)But online communities come and go and the data needs to be re-entered, relationships re-established, …Tribe.net has stated that it will support FOAF, which could provide a solution to such concerns.FOAF has recently started to gain momentum as an SN exchange format, as indicated by a Guardian Online feature.


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FOAFFOAF (Friends-of-a-Friend):

• A Semantic Web application (SW – creation of a distributed global database without central control)

• Allows structured information about people to be brought together

• Great potential for building online communities• Featured in Guardian Online column – 19 Feb

2004• Paper at IADIS Web Based Communities 2004 on

"Using FOAF To Support Community-Building" by Kelly & Dodds

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http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/iadis-2004/


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FOAF Example (1)

FOAF Explorer - <http://xml.mfd-consult.dk/foaf/explorer/>

A view of my FOAF file, showing links to my friends

Further information in my FOAF file

Leigh's FOAF file, showing his additional information

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FOAF Example (2)Em

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FOAFNaut – <http://www.foafnaut.org/>

An application-independent & extensible approach to distributed database queries!

Illustration of PotentialSemantic markup of people, interests and attendance at past & future events support will queries such as:

"Who will be going to IWMW 2004 who has a interest in Plone, has been to previous IWMWs, and lives with 50 miles (and supports Everton)"


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Creating FOAFSeveral types of FOAF authoring tools are available:

• Do it by hand• Web-based tools• Dedicated tools• Using a Wiki

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Authoring tools and viewers available – it's time to experiment!


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Where Does This Leave Us?Can we afford not to have:

• An Institutional IM Facilities IM software and managed directory facilities

• An Institutional BlogA managing and interoperable diary and annotation environment

• Institutional WikiA managed, easy-to-use collaborative workspace

• Social Networking FacilitiesSoftware to support business (and social) networking

Before the environments, we should have a policy in these areas. The policy could, for example, leave provision of such services to the market place.


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Strategic ChallengesChallenges we face:

• AUPs• Open Source vs Commercial Solutions • Departmental & Individual Autonomy• Interoperability, Preservation, etc.• People Issues• Privacy, Data Protection, … • Sustainable Communities• How we go about deploying such facilities• …

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Note that I don't have answers to all of these issues!


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Open Source SoftwareMany Web/Internet -based tools described (Wikis, Blogs, Jabber, …):

• Are available as open source software (OSS)• Act as demonstrators of emerging new open

standardsOptions for an institutional OSS strategy:

• Replace existing MS Office products by Open Office – and face resistance from existing users

• Deploy new services using open source applications

Note the JISC-funded OSS Watch service can provide advice on OSS strategies. See <http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/>

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Interoperability & SustainabilityCurrent position:

• Lots of interesting application areas and application software

In the future:• Software products will fade away, be taken over, ..• There will be a need to integrate areas (VLEs,

with IM with Blogging) to provide seamless interface

• There will be a need for data to migrate• There will be a need for data to be preserved

(records of dialogue, group memory, FoI, …)

The use of open standards will be important.

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Strategies For DeploymentHow should we go about deploying more open and innovative collaborative systems?

• "Eat your own dogfood" – use the tools to discuss the tools

• IM tools were used to discuss issues with staff evaluating IM at Edinburgh

• Small scale experiments• Address local, regional,

… issues• Sharing experiences• Learn from the users –

and your children!

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Experiment!"IM, WiFi, Blogs. Wikis, …These are the future. We need to experiment - let's try them at UCISA 2005"

Brian Kelly, UCISAS 2004 19 March 2004

Colston Research Symposium:• Annual event supported and sponsored by the

University of Bristol & Colston Research Society• Hosted by ILRT, Graduate School of Education and

the Computer Science, University of Bristol on 22-23 March 2004

• Included real-time IM commentaries, Blog reports, … • See <http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/news/conferences/colston2004/

electronicparticipation/>

http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/news/conferences/colston2004/electronicparticipation/


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Realtime IM-ingPaul Shabajee gave a talk about use of IRC and Blogs

There was a realtime display of the IRC dialogue alongside the PowerPoint slides

http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/news/conferences/colston2004/programme

http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/news/conferences/colston2004/programme


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Colston Conference Blog

Blogs were used to report on all of the talks.

http://blog.ilrt.org/colston/

http://blog.ilrt.org/colston/


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Wikis For Shared NotekeepingThe free, externally hosted Seedwiki (and Swiki) Wikis used to support workshop in TriesteThey were used to note students areas of interests (Notepad normally used)This approach allowed students to contribute

http://www.seedwiki.com/page.cfm?doc=ictp-2004&wikiid=4970

http://www.seedwiki.com/page.cfm?doc=ictp-2004&wikiid=4970


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Experimentation By OurselvesWhat can the Web Management community do?Motivation:

• To be ahead of the game• We like playing evaluating software

Suggestions:• IM for focussed tasks• Orkut (FOAF) for providing our IM ids to

colleagues• Wikis for … (see Paul Browning's session)• Blogs for …• IWMW 2005, Ariadne articles, … for sharing

experiences• Ask me for an Orkut account – I'm happy to do

this• Play with FOAF (see handout)


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ConclusionsInternet and Web collaborative technologies:

• Provide a range of interesting new application areas of use in a teaching & research context

• Students will increasingly be familiar with such technologies and expect to continue to use them

• Many technologies are free/open source and will be deployed by individuals / in departments

• Issues of ongoing, security, interoperability, etc. will need to be addressed by central services

• Issues of sustainable communities, guidelines, etc. also need addressing – but by whom?

• Many challenges – but also great potential• It's time to start evaluating

Or we can do nothing and leave the users to do this (and we pick up the pieces when things go wrong)


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QuestionsAny questions?