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The Perspective From A Research User

Beyond Email - Strategies For Collaborative Working

In The 21st Century Weetwood Hall, University of Leeds

22nd November 2004

Paul Shabajee (ILRT, University of Bristol)

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Overview

1. ILRT and IRC

2. WWW2003 & BlogTalk2003

3. Colston Symposium Live Blogging & IRC

4. IUGO Project

5. Questions

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IRC & ILRTIRC (Internet Relay Chat)

Real-time Internet-based text chat system (~1988)

Users use a piece of software called an IRC client to join and take part in discussion channels.

ILRT – Open Channel

Online & Telecon Meetings

Generally in multiple…

1st ChannelWindow

List of userson thechannel(s)

2nd ChannelWindow

Individualcontributions

(including nick of userand their text)

Colour Coded EntriesBlack: normal entryGreen: when a user

joins or leavesPurple: using the /me

commandmessage andcommand entry boxesfor each channel

Menus &Tool Bars Screen Dump of mIRC client with two channels open

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IRC at WWW2003

At WWW2003 (Wireless & IRC)As presenters talked:

Looked up quotes/projects/refsPosted relevant links to the channelListened in on other parallel sessionsDiscussed contributions (politely)Talked to people back homeHad one to one chats

Reactions to this?

Image from http://www.hebig.com/blogtalk/

IRC Log from WWW2003 (http://www2003.xmlhack.com/)

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IRC Bot to BlogIRC channel captured as an blog

Using Daily Chump Bothttp://usefulinc.com/chump/

The IRC channel has a bot (Software Robot) called dc_www2003It appears as a user in the channel list. It monitors the entries into the channel and when it gets commands it understands it adds text to a ‘chump’ blog pagee.g. If a raw URL is typed into the channel it will add it to the ‘chump’ blog page and titles and notes can be added

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ChumpBot Blog at WWW2003

More sophisticated Bots e.g. Zakim of W3C (http://www.w3.org/2001/12/zakim-irc-bot.html)

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"I can say sincerely that it was not a pleasure [It is] a particular kind of stress when you are not really afraid of what you say or who you are but much more of what they are going to write about you." (Maria Milonas)

“I understand Maria’s concern about the presenter but… maybe it's just a matter of adjustment. Personally, I had no problem with it. Although maybe the people I fondly imagined were real-time blogging my talk were catching up on their email. Or playing Quake” (Steve Cayzer)

Blogging Example?In real time & with blogging software.

At the same time as WWW2003

At BlogTalk 2003. Live Blogging of the presentations

Images from http://www.hebig.com/blogtalk/

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Article

Shabajee, P. (2003) 'Hot' or Not? Welcome to real-time peer review, Times Higher Education Supplement (London), 01 August 2003, pp. 20-21.

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Colston Symposium 2004

Colston Symposium 2004 Web site: http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/news/conferences/colston2004/

Gilly Salmon and washing machineFrom Libby Miller (mobile)

                                         

       

Dr Bonnie Nardi at Colston symposiumFrom Libby Miller (mobile)

                                          Po

sted by robot at 10:52 AM Posted by robot at 03:50 PM

Projected IRC & Blog during the presentations(Pictures Mo Blogged from her phone by Libby Miller)

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IUGO Project JISC VRE ProjectSystem to… provide a means for the integration and identification of content [from across the web] related to conferences, sessions and individual conference presentations e.g. papers, presentations, blog entries, images, irc logs, etc. and make that available via…

… via a portal (portlet) interface website …searchable based on multiple criteria (e.g. topic, dates, projects, people, etc.) … altering services… Work packages are mostly non-technical in nature.

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So…

Virtual communities… use what ever tools are around… at ILRT and many other places people use IRC, IM, Blogs, Wiki, tele & video conferencing, etc. as it feels appropriate

It is a day to day thing

Different tools supports different kinds of one to one, one to many and many to many interactions in different contexts

Wireless access can add new dimensions… esp. as more and more access points are placed in public spaces – regularly get people on IRC from cafés and airports.

Many tools and systems are free :-)

… but you need time to play

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Questions

?