=============================================================== Abstract (same as submission) A Web Application for Finding Potential Collaborators Marcia A. Derr and Karen E. Lochbaum U S WEST Advanced Technologies 4001 Discovery Drive Boulder, CO 80303 USA {mderr,klochba}@advtech.uswest.com One way to facilitate collaborations in an organization is to provide tools for identifying potential collaborators. At U S WEST we have designed and prototyped a tool for finding employees with particular expertise. This work is part of a larger effort to provide technology to support "knowledge sharing" within the company. The expert-finding tool is implemented using two enabling technologies, World Wide Web (WWW) and Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) [1]. WWW technology provides an easily accessible interface for specifying queries and for presenting query results. It also provides a means to link query results to other Web-based tools containing related information. LSI provides a means of indexing and retrieving documents based on semantic similarity. This is in contrast to other full-text indexing techniques which require exact keyword matches. The expert-finding tool operates in two stages: preprocessing and querying. During the preprocessing stage, monthly accomplishment reports written by first-level managers are automatically split into "documents." Each document corresponds to a paragraph or bullet item and describes an activity pursued by an employee during a particular month; these documents provide the basis for the system's knowledge about expertise within the company. The name of the manager who wrote the report is prepended to each document to provide a point of contact if no other name is included in the document. A large semantic space (~100 dimensions) of document and term vectors is then created from these documents using LSI. In a second preprocessing step, a heuristic algorithm scans each document to i) identify potential names, ii) look them up in an employee directory accessible via a Web interface**, and iii) rewrite each matched name as a hypertext link to relevant employee information. The name of the manager who wrote the report is used toconstrain the search for other names within the report. During the querying stage of operation, users access the expert-finding tool via their favorite Web browser, and enter a query using unrestricted English text, such as "Who has worked on knowledge sharing and the World Wide Web?" The query is then submitted to LSI which places the query in the semantic space of documents and returns those documents that are closest to the query, as determined using a cosine measure. The hyperlinks in the returned documents allow the user to retrieve contact information, as provided by another Web application, about the employees named in the documents. Other hyperlinks allow the user to access the original source of the monthly accomplishment reports to see the returned documents in context. We believe that two factors will contribute to the usefulness of the tool as compared to an earlier version deployed at Bellcore [2]. First, the availability and ease of use of Web browsers makes the tool accessible to anyone with network access. Second, the tool's document database is updated monthly, based on information already required by the company for other purposes. This will ensure that the information provided by the tool will not become stale. FOOTNOTE ** We use "screen scraping" techniques to simulate sending a query to a forms interface and intercepting the returned HTML. We would like to see the development of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to facilitate the interoperation of independent web applications. REFERENCES 1. Deerwester, S., Dumais, S. T., Furnas, G. W., Landauer, T. K., and Harshman, R. "Indexing by latent semantic analysis," Journal of the American Society for Information Sciences, 1990, 41(6). 2. Streeter, L. A. and Lochbaum, K. E., "An Expert/Expert-Locating System Based on Automatic Representation of Semantic Structure". In Proceedings of the Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence Applications. San Diego, CA. 1988.
=============================================================== http://www.rand.org/personal/hearn/collab.html

Using the Web for Dynamic Updating of Executing Processes

Anthony C. Hearn
RAND
hearn@rand.org

The REDUCE computer algebra community has been an active user of computer networks for many years. The reason is obvious -- since contributors are widely distributed across several countries, there is a need to build a virtual community to achieve an effective collaboration.

This community quickly adapted to new capabilities made possible by network advances. To supplement the standard distribution of REDUCE, which occurs roughly every eighteen months, gopher and WWW servers were used to facilitate code distribution to both developers and users.

Since REDUCE is developed and used worldwide on many different computing platforms, portability has always been important. Source code portability was achieved by defining a standard programming language based on Lisp [1]. Later, a virtual machine [2] for this language was defined in terms of a set of machine independent macros, which could then be expanded into assembly language for a target machine, thus simplifying compilation. However, different compiled code was required for each machine.

More recently, an ANSI C-based compiler [3] was developed that produces efficient machine-independent pseudocode as output. In other words, any package in the system can now be compiled into this pseudocode, which can then be executed by a running REDUCE process on any platform. Client support comes in the form of an ANSI C-based interpreter for the pseudocode, plus a function library to support standard operations such as extended precision arithmetic, input-output and the like.

In spite of these advances, most system updating is still fairly conventional. Developers send source code to a central repository, which is mirrored in several countries . Users obtain updates from an appropriate repository, compile this code on their client machine to build a new executable image, and then run this image.

In this note we present a new model under development that utilizes the characteristics of the World Wide Web for the dynamic updating of an executing process. In this model, package developers maintain their own repositories on a local server. A user starts a REDUCE job on a client machine. If the calculation requires a package that has been marked for possible updating, the executing process checks to see if a more recent version is available on the package maintainer's server. If it is, pseudocode for that package will be downloaded and used. If the server is unresponsive, the existing package on the client machine is used.

Since executable code is being downloaded, there are obvious security concerns. Initially, the user community will be a small group of trusted contributors. However, in the long run, it will be necessary to face the possibility of a virus being inserted in one of the executable packages. We shall therefore study relevant models such as HotJava to ensure the integrity of our approach.

Our initial testing involves a group of approximately twenty active developers and users. Once the model is stable, it will be offered to the whole user community.

References

[1] A.C. Hearn, "REDUCE - A User Oriented Interactive System for Algebraic Simplification," Interactive Systems for Experimental Applied Mathematics, (edited by M. Klerer and J.Reinfelds), Academic Press, New York, 79-90, 1968.

[2] M.L. Griss and A.C. Hearn, "A Portable LISP Compiler," Software Practice and Experience 11, 541-605, 1981.

[3] A.C. Norman, "Compact Delivery Support for REDUCE," Journ. Symbolic Computation 19, 133-143, 1995.
=============================================================== From: beethovn@ai.mit.edu (Ian S Eslick) Abstract The rapid growth in networked computing resources over the last decade has drastically altered the computational landscape. No longer does the majority of the world's computing resources reside in isolation, but rather contribute to a global computational fabric. The World Wide Web has pulled together this loosely-integrated, heterogeneous collection of machines and provided a uniform way to publish and view information in the network. While state-of-the-art Web technologies provide many avenues for the evolution of human consumable information, there remains little support for harnessing the software and hardware computing resources underlying the Web. The Global Cooperative Computing framework extends the Web by providing unified mechanisms for viewing and managing many aspects of software evolution. This includes development, distribution, execution, feedback gathering, profiling and optimization. By allowing many of these stages to progress automatically and transparently across the Web, software is enabled to quickly adapt to new information and changing requirements while delivering high-performance and convenience to the end user.

=============================================================== http://web.cs.mun.ca/~lez/w3collab/abstract.html

Abstract for Participation in w3collab

Research into hypertext servers and browsers has been ongoing since the mid 1980s in the context of electronic books (ebooks) within a traditional publishing house. Several prototype browsers have been developed independantly and in collaboration with others. A hypertext language (Loose Hypertext -- LHT) and its derivatives have been encorporated into a `hypertext compiler' which translates LHT encoded ebooks into Web document structures.

A LHT ebook is analogous to a memex data construct which Vannevar Bush called a `book on tape'. The LHT enhanced web server extends the HTML hypertext model. Scope and default applied behaviors both at compile time and at serve time relax some HTML restrictions. LHT facilitates automatic link detection, view predicates based on user class, bidirectional linking, default navigational topologies and other flexible associations.

The LHT enhanced server is also capable of serving a rudimentary trailblazing environment which allows thematic / semantic groupings to be developed within a generic www browser. Trail following is implemented using the `Electronic News Stand' metaphore. A privelaged user can review and augment the hypertext in situ through a standard web browser.

Development of the production service is being persued by a consortium of mixed media producers in Newfoundland and Labrador. Consortium partners represent traditional print, radio and television producers and distributors. The system may also be employed for telework and rural networking as the Enterprise Network addresses its mandate to support community economic development through the strategic application of information technology and human mediation.

August 31, 1995.

=============================================================== Proposal for a Presentation WinWin: A System for Collaborative Generation of System Requirements by Prof. Ellis Horowitz Computer Science Dept. University of Southern California Los Angeles, Ca. 90089 horowitz@usc.edu What is Winwin WinWin is a system that supports the collaborative acquisition of requirements for a proposed system. It is primarily aimed at people who contract for, and develop software, but it is applicable to establishing the requirements for a broad range of products and systems. Of special interest is the WinWin model of collaboration, which is based upon Theory-W principles. In simplified terms, collaborators (called stakeholders) use Winwin to enter their Win Conditions for the proposed system. Win Conditions must evolve to Agreements. However, Conflicts, Issues or Uncertainties may arise. These are captured and various Options for resolving them are proposed. A voting arrangement supports the negotiation process for resolving disputes. The resulting database is a (densely) interconnected graph of artifacts whose transitive closure leads towards the system's requirements. As a software system WinWin has several major components which include: support for distributed interaction, database maintenance and control, and multimedia attachments. WinWin is an X/Motif/Unix application currently running on Sparc/SUNOS and HP/UX platforms. WinWin supports collaborative acquisition of artifacts by using TCP/IP, datagram and socket technology. IIt maintains the database of all artifacts, supports lockout and concurrency control. Every artifact in WinWin can have attachments. These attachments are described by a pair of pointers: (Software, File), where Software is some executable program and File is a file that should be sent to the software. Typical examples include associating sound and video with specific artifacts. Currently WinWin can export its database of artifacts to HTML. Links between artifacts are transformed into hyperlinks. WinWin Limitations with Respect to Web Browsers. The export of WinWin data to HTML is a compromise decision, necessitated by the limitations of HTTP and HTML, which prevent us from fully implementing WinWin in these technologies. In effect we currently have two parallel systems. Both can be used to browse the hyperlinked database and to view the multimedia attachments. Both support simultaneous viewing by geographically distributed stakeholders. But the Mosaic/Netscape browsers are insufficient to capture or store the data. More significantly, the browser is not capable of imitating the semantics needed when a vote on an agreement is initiated. In this case all involved artifacts are frozen, except for comments. This is required so that each stakeholder will view the same set of facts and vote on the same conditions. Other aspects of WinWin that are either impossible or hard to implement in HTTP are: - stakeholders can only alter their own data, and not someone elses; - stakeholders may point their data to someone elses; - stakeholders share a common taxonomy, that is editable only by those with permission; - stakeholders may attach comments to someone elses data. Suggested extensions to HTTP and HTML. I have not thought this out in great detail. One fundamental extension would be the power to invoke a variety of programs on the client side. Using this ability I could build the WinWin data capture routines. Alternately, if HTTP could support access to a dbms, then I could use that to hold the database, which would substantially simplify the WinWin implementation. Another issue is to identify and be aware of the collaborators. During an active session, one person making changes is required to notify others, and if they are simultaneously logged on then the notification must appear on their screen. Since the data in WinWin is tightly inter-related, but owned by different stakeholder, votes must freeze the data, implying that all collaborators mmust be immediately informed of any change of state. ============================================================================= Ellis Horowitz ___ ___horowitz@pollux.usc.edu Computer Science / / /__ / Fax: +1-213-740-7285 University of Southern California /__/ ___/ /__ Voice: +1-213-740-8056 Los Angeles, California 90089-0781 Sec'y: +1-213-740-4498 =============================================================================
=============================================================== From: dougross@mit.edu (Douglas T. Ross) The following extract from my position paper: "Understanding /:\ The Key to Software" -- prepared January 1989 (for the \Workshop on Complex Software Systems\, in Austin, Texas, sponsored by the Computer Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council) still is pertinent to today's Working Conference theme. [See "Scaling Up: A Research Agenda for Software Engineering" National Academy Press, October 1989] Briefly: "Understanding The Key to Software" + "Understanding: The Key to Software" = "Understanding Understanding"!!! -- pretty general, you have to admit! I went to that workshop with a single-minded goal: "To help to define a cohesive blending of our existing world- wide communications networks with color-graphics hypertext advances so that a \collegial community\...can interactively pursue joint endeavors. ... I propose that the resulting system be named "The Worknet", and that the word "worknet" have verb and adjective, as well as noun, meanings ...[so that] people can worknet with others on worknet solutions as active reader/author members of worknets [dedicated to specific topics]. ... The point is that it is not the network that is important, nor even the users -- it is their \collaborative work\ that matters. "The Worknet architecture must be completely open, so that each workgroup can supply or procure language features best suited to their topic, without compromise. Each group will need both \document\ language and \comment\ language (perhaps the same) to be able to probe the \meanings\ of documents, interactively through the network. The single \universal design criterion\ that must not be violated [in the provision of support services in implementing the architecture] is that Comments ON a document do not affect the form or meaning OF the document in any way. With this distinction rigorously supported, the meaning of reader comments ON form or meaning or both can reliably be incorporated into a revision OF the document by its author -- for further circulation for commentary. Every reader also is an author; every comment is a document; and with meaning thus guaranteed to be preserved, true \team understanding\ can be evolved and expressed for any subject of interest. "The important feature not yet adequately supported (although it could be with careful design and use of color) is to \graphically portray\ the reverential meaning that is to be common between an arbitrary comment-language expression and an arbitrary document-language expression to which it refers -- with minimum disruption to either document -- for understanding often derives from subtle features of the \form\ or "look" of an expression in a language." These notions came, of course, from the Reader/Author Cycle which always has been a key component of SADT (Structured Analysis and Design Technique) and its now-government-standard version IDEF0 (Integrated DEFinition 0), FIPS#183, in the development and modeling of team understanding of any subject of interest. I'm hoping to bring SA up to date, make it useful on the Web, and to apply it in the communication of W3C results to the many involved constituencies. The delay in penning this note was due to my still-fruitless search for some thoughts I wrote down recently on "consortium" vs. "collaboration", and the like. The pertinent drift was that one "consorts" with friends but may well "co-labor" with one's deadliest enemies, as well -- to the extent that such joint work serves to further the interests of the parties involved. Notice that both terms arise in today's Workshop! I think it is increasingly important that we articulate why we use one word rather than another so we build up a shared frame of mind in which we can work together without misunderstanding -- as we focus on shared \understanding\. (In SA, for example we name boxes and label arrows, but NEVER mis-speak and label a box or name an arrow! It's \simply not done!\ -- once the peer-group culture is absorbed.) I mention this because the "co-laboratory" view of a shared and distributed \laboratory\, which Bill Wulf (who also was at the Austin Workshop, as he had just arrived at NSF, at the time) did so much to promote during his stay at NSF, has these deeper etymological roots so that "collaboration" can prosper in a still broader context -- in areas where the idea of a "laboratory" might not fit, for some people. (Share an intellectual hot-tub, anyone?)
=============================================================== Akihiro Kubota, Dr.Eng., Associate Professor bota@race.u-tokyo.ac.jp http://brains.race.u-tokyo.ac.jp/bota'sHome.html RACE:Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering The University of Tokyo 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, JAPAN Tel:+81-3-5453-5885 Fax:+81-3-3467-0648 http://www.race.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ Curriculum Vitae Dr. Akihiro Kubota has been Associate Professor at the Design Science Division of RACE (Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering), the University of Tokyo, since 1992. He received his doctor's degree from the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo in 1989. Research Interest Dr. Kubota is the project leader for the design and development of the Abduction Machines. Abduction Machine (AbM) is a tool for supporting global collaboration among designers/engineers over the World Wide Web. He is also the co-leader of the "RACE" (RACE Asynchronous Collaboration Environment) Project. The "RACE" Project aims at developing methodologies of asynchronous collaboration using the global network and media technologies. AbM is one of the key tools for the "RACE" project. The main target of AbM is innovative design aid. It is important to foster creative environment where the team members from different professions can submit various ideas freely, frankly and competitively. Such collaborations are usually based on face-to-face communications. However, since independent professional designers are often working in distributed location, the design work should proceed without calling face-to-face synchronous meeting frequently. AbM is oriented to asynchronous collaboration environment. It mainly supports sharing and version control of various design documents by utilizing the World Wide Web. Since the collaborative design work is basically multi-tasking, the synchronous collaboration which forces single-tasking should be minimized. The asynchronous collaboration is also easier to get across the difference of time or languages. AbM is incorporating the following two sub-tools for rapid prototyping, which is the key to innovative design. Mental World Browser(MWB) Physical World Transmitter(PWT) MWB is a visualization tool of human mental world. MWB aids prototyping of concept, which is called "abduction" (hypothesis generation). The visualized mental world can be exported to shared space by HTML/VRML files for the global collaboration. PWT is a shape copy and transmission tool by using 3D laser scanner and stereo laser lithography over VRML. It realize remote prototyping (abduction of shape) using traditional clay models or sketches. These tools increase the number of iterations of prototyping for designing more elaborate products. Since it is also important to promote local collaboration, AbM should be a tool for fostering local creative environment. The external design of AbM is now proceeding with the cooperation of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. The external material of AbM is sugi (Japanese cedar), which is deeply related to Japanese life and culture from old times. AbM is composed of multiple parts. It permits flexible reorganization according to the various human thinking modes. ------- Regards, Akihiro Kubota, Dr.Eng., Associate Professor bota@race.u-tokyo.ac.jp http://brains.race.u-tokyo.ac.jp/bota'sHome.html ---------------------------------------------------- RACE:Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering The University of Tokyo 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, JAPAN Tel:+81-3-5453-5885 Fax:+81-3-3467-0648 http://www.race.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
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