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The Next Steps For Institutional Web Services

A Report on the Main Themes Discussed at the Institutional Web Management Workshop

Brian Kelly Email:

UKOLN B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk

University of Bath URL:

Bath, BA2 7AYhttp://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

UKOLN is funded by the Library and Information Commission, the Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by project funding from the JISC’s Electronic Libraries Programme and the European Union. UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based.

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About The WorkshopThe Institutional Web Management workshop:

• Aimed at members of web teams responsible for managing institutional UK HE web services

• Speakers from within the HE community (plus one speakers from commercial world)

• Provides opportunity for interaction with fellow participants

• Ambitious programme • Third in series (first held at KCL in July 1997

followed by last year’s event at Newcastle)• Took place at Goldsmiths College on 7-9 Sept 1999

Note that slides are available on Web. See <www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue21/>Only brief summaries are given here

Note that slides are available on Web. See <www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue21/>Only brief summaries are given here

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Senior Management’s ViewJohn Slater (P-VC at Kent) gave a talk:• Provocative talk commissioned to respond to

previous year’s comments• Stated that:

You are misfits You are expensive You are located in wide range of org. structures You are miss-selling yourselves:

– I want more because I’m very busy / very stressed, – I want to do XML / RDF / …– University of X is doing it

Universities want to jump on after the leading edge

• We’ve been here before: mainframes, networks, PCs• There are opportunities for web editors:

• Teaching and learning, PR, …

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Building Relationships Online

Joe Passmore (Ulster) developed on first talk:• We’ve build web sites because everyone does• We are often technology-led

Instead:• We need to build services based on our

customer’s needsExamples of personalised web services include:

• UCLA at <http://my.ucla.edu/>• Miami University at <http://www.muohio.edu/>• Washington State University at

<http://cougnet.wsu.edu/>

Talk by Joe Passmore, Ulster

Talk by Joe Passmore, Ulster

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Beyond BrochurewareDavid Christmas / Ian Roddis (OU) continued theme of much richer web sites Provided taxonomy of web sites:

• Indie sites: (e.g. beagle2.open.ac.uk/)Vanity pages. May use new technologies.

• Webmaster sites: (e.g. www98.open.ac.uk/)Corporate look-and-feel. Simple technologies.

• Embedded sites: (e.g. www3.open.ac.uk/courses/)Back-end databases integrated organisationally with decision-making, resourcing & operational activities

• E-business sites: (e.g. www.dell.com/)Dynamic content. Business driven.Functionality that can’t be achieved in print.Goal to aim for?

Talk by David Christmas and Ian Roddis, OUTalk by David Christmas and Ian Roddis, OUOU system:

• Expensive • Authentication an issue

OU system:• Expensive • Authentication an issue

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Content Management Systems

We need content management systems:• We are now looking at more than documents and

simple images• The content is not only displayed, it is:

– Replicated, archived, distributed and re-purposed,

• A file-based view of the web is limiting:– Need to think about collections of resources (units

bigger than a page) and parts of a page (included fragments)

• Relational database has advantages• But object-oriented technologies may be needed• Key technologies are probably XML and RDF• Choice of software is a challenge for community

Talk by Stephen Emmott, KCLTalk by Stephen Emmott, KCL

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MultimediaUse of multimedia on corporate web:

• Driven by top-down approach (exceptions tend to be indie websites):

– JISC Moving Image Pilot Project– CEI Working Group on Moving Images

• Challenges:– Rights– Computer requirements (CPU, storage,

network bandwidth)• The vision:

– Moving images as first class citizens– Pervasive, unremarkable

Talk by Greg Newton-Ingham, UEATalk by Greg Newton-Ingham, UEA

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SMILSMIL:

• Synchronised Multimedia Interchange Language• W3C recommendation, but Microsoft doing their own thing• Probably too soon

except for early adopters

W3C’s SMIL:DeclarativeEasy to use

Microsoft’s HTML+TIME:ProceduralFor programmers

SMIL 2.0 will merge best features? Talk by Michael Wilson, RALTalk by Michael Wilson, RAL

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Browser ManagementWe need a browser management policy:

• We have management policies elsewhere• More important for Web as it is becoming mission-critical

Exeter have analysed user-agents on their web sites:• Large proportion are Internet Explorer• This pattern is reflected elsewhere• Netscape suffering massive loss in market share

Need for use of browser administrative kit:• IEAK / Netscape

Other Issues:• Specialist browsers (Opera, PDAs, WebTV)• Microsoft’s dominance & unpopularity

Talk by Brett Burridge, Essex

Talk by Brett Burridge, Essex

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Experiences With XML

Example of corporate use of XML:• Senate minutes stored in XML• Enables richer searching:

<ACTION>Report by <ACTION-NAME>BK</ACTION-NAME></ACTION>

• Have developed MS Word wizard to allow continued use of recommended wp

• Also have developed XML-based presentation package

Worth looking at

Talk by James Currall, Glasgow

Talk by James Currall, Glasgow

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Indexing IssuesBased on UKOLN survey of search engines used in 160 UK HEIs carried out in July/Aug 1999.

Report to be published in Ariadne issue 21. See <http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/>.

Name Total

ht://Dig 25

Excite 19

Microsoft 12

Harvest 8

Ultraseek 7

SWISH 5

Webinator 4

Netscape 3

wwwwais 3

FreeFind 2

Other 13

None (found) 59Talk by Helen Sargan, Cambridge

Talk by Helen Sargan, Cambridge

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Indexing IssuesQuestions on software in use in community:

• Security concerns with Excite• Muscat no longer available for free• Do file-based indexers index too much junk?

Case Studies:• Essex:

Windows NT indexer; 16 servers; 11,500 entries• Oxford:

Unix indexer; 131 servers; 43,500 entries• Cambridge:

Ultraseek indexer (expensive); 232 servers; 188,000 entries

Conclusions:• Software is dependent on local requirements• Sort out robot-based indexing controls• Regularly review indexing software

Other issues discussed in parallel session

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Getting Your Site ListedTalk looked at how to get your pages listed in global search engines (e.g. AltaVista):

• Problems with big sites (up to 500 pages per site)• Multiple domains are a good idea:

www.plymouth.ac.uk/library/ library.plymouth.ac.uk/

• Don’t use frames!• Think about bulk submission to engines (Go accepts

thousands, Hotbot – 50/day, AV – 5/day)• Submit (and resubmit) to directories (e.g. Yahoo)• Dynamic pages can cause problems – investigate

workarounds (e.g. Apache rewrite):http://www.nike.com/ObjectBuilder.iwx?ProcessName=IndexPage&SectionID-172000

• See http://www.searchenginewatch.com/links/

Talk by Danny Sullivan, SearchEngineWatch Talk by Danny Sullivan, SearchEngineWatch

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Parallel SessionsSeven parallel sessions:

• Design, Access and Accessibility• Legal, Decent, Honest and True• The Web Editor• Web Site Navigation• Intranets and Extranets• Web Tools• Metadata

Lasted from 2:00-5:30Between 10 and 25 participants eachA summary of the report-back session follows

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Intranets and Extranets (1)

• Most popular parallel session – indication of current interest in Intranets

• Looked at:– Definitions– Where the community is at– Case study– Management & cultural issues

Session led by James Currall, GlasgowReporter was James Currall, Glasgow

Session led by James Currall, GlasgowReporter was James Currall, Glasgow

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Intranets and Extranets (2)

Outcomes:• Provided opportunity to share experiences• We have similar problems• Authentication is a big issue• Intranets are more complex than normal web

sites• We are not all talking about the same thing

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Intranets and Extranets (3)

Take home messages for individuals:• Check security (*5)• Look into authentication• Redraft Intranet policy• Rerun event in-house/elsewhere (*5)• Get rid of Netscape 3

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Intranets and Extranets (4)

Recommendations for work to be done centrally:

• Clarify use of term Intranets• Run more events • Promote examples of best practice• Guidance on authentication / CAs / digital

certificates / smart cards / LDAP / etc.

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Design• W3C Quicktips card very useful for authors and for

training. Should consider bulk distribution and printing distribution of these (centrally or in institutions).

• Training for authors is important. It should not be treated as a separate issue to general design, but an integral part of the process (the WAI video is useful).

• New material/web interfaces should be designed with access in mind, and checked with Bobby.

• Training materials that raise access issues is vital.• Policy makers should provide funding so that

accessible web material can be developed.• Web community needs advice on where funding may

be available to redress poor design / access.  • Important for web managers to know what their

institutions disability policy is, and who can help them.

Session led by Andrew Aird, Goldsmiths.Reporter was Paul Booth, DISinHE

Session led by Andrew Aird, Goldsmiths.Reporter was Paul Booth, DISinHE

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Web Site NavigationSession provided many useful tips:

• Use the Keywords and Description META tags• It may be worth submitting key resources to Yahoo – but may have

to resubmit

Participants completed several exercises:• Analysis of (a) UK HEI search engines and (b) 404 error pages

[see Ariadne issue 20 and 21]• Led to decisions to review own provision

Web Site Navigation:• Consistency and simplicity are important• Server logs may provide useful information

Participants would like:• One stop web site of useful information and briefing sheets• Rerun of session,

possibly on regional basis

Session led by Helen Sargan, Cam.Reporter was Jane Carne, UKERNA

Session led by Helen Sargan, Cam.Reporter was Jane Carne, UKERNA

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LegalSession addressed three topics:

AUPs– You need one– If it’s based on JANET AUP, remember it has changed– Think about your concerns (being sued, bad publicity, etc.)

Data Protection– Likely to be part of Web Editor’s job– New act comes into force in March 2000

Copyright– New EU directive out soon– You should assert your copyright– You should trademark your logo– You should probably trademark name variants

(e.g. oxford-university.com is up for grabs)

Session led by Colin Work, SouthamptonReporter was Jeremy Speller, UCL

Session led by Colin Work, SouthamptonReporter was Jeremy Speller, UCL

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Web Editor (1)

Addressed four topics:• Getting a Job• Managing the Job• Being Supported• Being a Professional

Session led by Miles Banberry, KentReporter was Damon Querry, Newcastle

Session led by Miles Banberry, KentReporter was Damon Querry, Newcastle

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Web Editor (2)

Getting A Job• Survey of web editor job ads over last 3 years• Wide range of job titles• Variety of pay scales• Do employers know what they want?• Do we have to write our own job descriptions?

Managing The Job• Who should we work for?• Need to define composition of ideal web team• Be integral. You should have a voice in the main

University business.

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Web Editor (3)

Being Supported• Lack of training. Therefore need:

– National accreditation– Regional groups– Mailing lists– Forum to exchange ideas with receptive audience

• Need to sell yourself and your services

Being A Professional• Need to think about involvement in

professional groups (e.g. BCS, IIS)

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MetadataSession used the HE Mall as an example of a metadata-driven service and addressed several issues:

• Need for the HE Mall:• Difficulties in providing structured information for

application-application use• Technical solutions

Recommendations:• HE Mall developers need to be aware of potential

difficulties within institutions• Institutions would like software to help manage their

metadata• Institutions would like case studies illustrating how

institutions approach participation in the HE Mall

Session led by Brian Kelly, UKOLNReporter was Anne McCombe, MIMAS

Session led by Brian Kelly, UKOLNReporter was Anne McCombe, MIMAS

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Web Tools

Session looked at:1 - Browsers and Browser Administration Kits:

• Opera is lightweight and has good support for accessibility, but it’s licensed, has no development kit and its Java support is poor

• Web pages may look OK in WebTV browsers under certain circumstances. If WebTV takes of it may have many implications for us.

• Agreement that browser administration software is desirable, but may be (political?) difficulties in implementation

Session led by Dave Hartland, NetskillsReporter was David Lomas, Salford

Session led by Dave Hartland, NetskillsReporter was David Lomas, Salford

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Web Tools

2 - Middleware:Zope

• An open source middleware system• Used at Newcastle and Bristol

Lycee• A commercial content management system• Can release webmaster from mundane chores• Aims to enable non-technical people to publish• Under trial at KCL and Liverpool• CHEST deal?

Lotus Notes• Used at City University Business School

Need for a day on content management systems

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Questions?

Opportunity for questions:• About the workshop• About the web in general

Comments welcome from participants at the workshop who are attending JUSW