1. 1 The Next Steps For Institutional Web Services A Report on the Main Themes Discussed at the Institutional Web Management Workshop Brian KellyEmail: UKOLN B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk University of BathURL: Bath, BA2 7AY http://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.

2. 2 About The Workshop The 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 Only brief summaries are given here Note that slides are available on Web. See Only brief summaries are given here

3. 3 Senior Management’s View John 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, …

4. 4 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 needs Examples 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

5. 5 Beyond Brochureware David 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.beagle2.open.ac.uk/ Webmaster sites: (e.g. www98.open.ac.uk/) Corporate look-and-feel. Simple technologies.. www98.open.ac.uk/ Embedded sites: (e.g. www3.open.ac.uk/courses/) Back-end databases integrated organisationally with decision-making, resourcing & operational activitieswww3.open.ac.uk/courses/ E-business sites: (e.g. www.dell.com/) Dynamic content. Business driven. Functionality that can’t be achieved in print. Goal to aim for?www.dell.com/ Talk by David Christmas and Ian Roddis, OU OU system: Expensive Authentication an issue OU system: Expensive Authentication an issue

6. 6 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, KCL

7. 7 Multimedia Use 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, UEA

8. 8 SMIL SMIL: Synchronised Multimedia Interchange Language W3C recommendation, but Microsoft doing their own thing Probably too soon except for early adopters W3C’s SMIL: Declarative Easy to use Microsoft’s HTML+TIME: Procedural For programmers SMIL 2.0 will merge best features? Talk by Michael Wilson, RAL

9. 9 Browser Management We 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

10. 10 Experiences With XML Example of corporate use of XML: Senate minutes stored in XML Enables richer searching: Report by BK 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

11. 11 Indexing Issues Based 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. NameTotal 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) 59 Talk by Helen Sargan, Cambridge

12. 12 Indexing Issues Questions 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

13. 13 Getting Your Site Listed Talk 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

14. 14 Parallel Sessions Seven 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 2:00-5:30 Between 10 and 25 participants each A summary of the report-back session follows

15. 15 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, Glasgow Reporter was James Currall, Glasgow

16. 16 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

17. 17 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

18. 18 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.

19. 19 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

20. 20 Web Site Navigation Session 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

21. 21 Legal Session 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, Southampton Reporter was Jeremy Speller, UCL

22. 22 Web Editor (1) Addressed four topics: Getting a Job Managing the Job Being Supported Being a Professional Session led by Miles Banberry, Kent Reporter was Damon Querry, Newcastle

23. 23 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.

24. 24 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)

25. 25 Metadata Session 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, UKOLN Reporter was Anne McCombe, MIMAS

26. 26 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, Netskills Reporter was David Lomas, Salford

27. 27 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

28. 28 Questions? Opportunity for questions: About the workshop About the web in general Comments welcome from participants at the workshop who are attending JUSW