Workshop on Web Characterization

Scope of the Workshop

The Web is continuing to develop. But still, we know relatively little about how and why, especially when it comes to actual usage. There is considerable interest in finding this out, both from academic communities, from the advertising community, and from product developers such as web server and cache proxy developers.

The W3C will initiate an activity to create user models, modelling tools, and measurement techniques for user behaviour on the web. This work will take in regard the privacy concerns working with log files implies.

The Web Characterization Activity (WCA) is intended to commence with a workshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on November 5, 1998.

Thus, particular topics to be discussed at this workshop include, but are not limited to:

• Log file analysis
  • analysis tools
  • analysis models
• Web usage simulation
  • Load generators
  • User profiling
• Statistical techniques for profile generation
• Tools for log file analysis
• New log file formats
• Web server automation using real-time log file data
• User behaviour patterns
  • Statistical modelling
  • Psychological explanations
  • Correlation with events
• Traffic modelling
  • discovery of "hot spots"

As an accompanying measure for preparing discussions at the workshop, a public mailing list for discussion of the web characterization is created. To subscribe, send mail to www-webchar-request@w3.org and put the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

Full list of papers submitted to the workshop

Workshop agenda

RULES FOR PARTICIPATION

• There will be a limit of 50 participants.
• The workshop is open to invited employees of organisations that are not W3C members. Employees of W3C member organisations are encouraged to propose persons that could be invited. Formal invitation of experts will be made by the workshop chair.
• The number of participants per W3C member organization is initially limited to two.
• Starting October 16, resting free places will be distributed on a first-come/first-served basis.
• Position papers are required to participate at this workshop. Each W3C member organisation wishing to participate must submit a position paper explaining their interest in the workshop by October 9, 1998.
• The position papers to be presented at the workshop will be selected by a program committee.
• The length of the position paper should be at least one page, and not more than five pages. Most importantly, the paper should state clearly your potential contribution to Web Characterisation.
• All position papers will be included on the workshop website. Speaker slides will be added later. Both abstracts and slides will also appear in the printed participants' notes.
• The workshop website will be available to the general public, so abstracts and slides must be available for public dissemination.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Program Chairs

	Jim Pitkow, pitkow@parc.xerox.com

	Xerox Corporation

	Palo Alto Research Center

	3333 Coyote Hill Road

	Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA

	Tel: +1 415 812 4763

	Henrik Frystyk-Nielsen, frystyk@w3.org

	World Wide Web Consortium

	MIT LCS, 545 Technology Square

	Cambridge, MA 01239, USA

	Fax: +1-617-258-5999

Workshop Organization Chairs

	Johan Hjelm, W3C/Ericsson, hjelm@w3.org and

	Susan Hardy, susan@w3.org

	Tel: +1-617-253-2613

	Fax: +1-617-258-5999

	World Wide Web Consortium

	MIT/Laboratory for Computer Science

	545 Technology Square

	Cambridge, MA 01239, USA

Program Committee

Workshop Webmaster:

	Renaud Bruyeron, renaud@w3.org

	World Wide Web Consortium

	MIT/Laboratory for Computer Science

	545 Technology Square

	Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A.

VENUE

MIT Faculty Club
50 Memorial Drive
Building E52, 6th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139