Challenges and Perspectives for Cooperative Work on the Web

Alan Dix

At time of publication: hci@hud - HCI Research Centre, University of Huddersfield
Currently: Lancaster University

Outline of talk given at the ERCIM workshop on CSCW and the Web, 6th-9th February 1996.

See the full paper:
A. Dix (1996).
Challenges and Perspectives for Cooperative Work on the Web.
ERCIM workshop on CSCW and the Web, Eds. U. Busbach, D. Kerr and K. Sikkel. Sankt Augustin, Germany, Arbeitspapiere der GMD 984, GMD/FIT, GMD/FIT, 6th-9th February 1996. pp. 143-157
Also an extended version at:
A. Dix (1997).
Challenges for Cooperative Work on the Web: An analytical approach.
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: The Journal of Collaborative Computing, 6 pp. 135-156.
reprinted as ...
A. Dix (1997).
Challenges for Cooperative Work on the Web: An analytical approach.
Groupware and the World Wide Web, Eds. R. Bentley, U. Busbach, D. Kerr and K. Sikkel. Dordrecht, Kluwer

Contents

WWW - (some) reasons for success
Using the Web for CSCW?
CSCW - communication and control
CSCW - feedback and feedthrough
CSCW - awareness
Issues - 1
Issues - 2


WWW - (some) reasons for success

core initial user group(s)
use of existing de facto standards
integration of existing information
new standards - public and simple
software platform: public domain, cross-platform, extensible
cross-organisational

... don't loose them!

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Using the Web for CSCW?

interface to an application (BSCW)
server end only (futplex)
client helpers (Dress)
transport layer (Alliance)
rapid prototyping engine
just another word for the Internet?
access point

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CSCW - communication and control

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CSCW - feedback and feedthrough

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CSCW - awareness

pace
initiative
interruption

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Issues - 1

structure of information
directory heirarchy, network, parts of pages
page = document ?
dynamic documents
availability and replication - feedback
notification and awareness - feedthrough
writing as well as reading
WWW: local update - remote browse
CSCW: symmetric remote access
concurency, version and access control
who are the users?
small group, public access
agents and traders

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Issues - 2

user interface description
extensions? naming, changing (c.f. SGML format problems)
architectural issues
separation: where is the interface? where is the application?
peer-peer (client-to-client and client-to-server)
scalability
integration
other CSCW services (audio, chat, etc.)
? Meta-WWW
beating the speed of light

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maintained by Alan Dix