ITSC Virtual Community ITSC Virtual Community DiscussionDiscussion

Jim IsaakJim Isaak

Matt LoebMatt Loeb

11 August 200411 August 2004

QuestionsQuestions

What is nature of Virtual Community What is nature of Virtual Community Opportunity?Opportunity?

How strategic is it to IEEE now and How strategic is it to IEEE now and over time?over time?

What is currently happening?What is currently happening? What is our path forward to meet the What is our path forward to meet the

strategic needs as we see them?strategic needs as we see them?

What do we mean?What do we mean? Yahoo Groups (460+), Community Zero,Yahoo Groups (460+), Community Zero,

(Blackboard, Web CT, Wiki’s, etc.)(Blackboard, Web CT, Wiki’s, etc.) Threaded discussions, posted documents, Threaded discussions, posted documents,

Calendars, email “transparent”, chat Calendars, email “transparent”, chat optionsoptions

Potential replacement for:Potential replacement for:Email lists w/archiving, web sites,Email lists w/archiving, web sites,Longer term: conferencing, virtual Longer term: conferencing, virtual conference, tutorials, etc. (Real time or conference, tutorials, etc. (Real time or “digested” time)“digested” time)

Students vs Gold vs Platinum member Students vs Gold vs Platinum member viewpointsviewpoints

TodayToday

Matt: what’s been happeningMatt: what’s been happening RAB interest; Other groups (CS, RAB interest; Other groups (CS,

etc.)etc.)

Role in ITSC strategyRole in ITSC strategy Role in IEEE StrategyRole in IEEE Strategy

“what are the reasonable “what are the reasonable extremes” extremes”

What path forward?What path forward?

Web Web CommunitiesCommunities

Steve Diamond

J im Isaak

Bob Care

Matthew S. Loeb

10 August 1999

Over 85 Online Sites with over 10,000 registered participants

Online Collaboration Sites Online Collaboration Sites Membership TrendsMembership Trends

Membership Growth

1876

3381

6586

10204

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New Members Total Members

Community Feature SetCommunity Feature Set

EXPLOREREXPLORER POLLSPOLLS NOTESNOTES DISCUSSIONSDISCUSSIONS CALENDAR / CALENDAR /

EVENTSEVENTS CONTRIBUTIONSCONTRIBUTIONS FILESFILES IMAGESIMAGES

LISTSLISTS CHATCHAT INSTANT INSTANT

MESSENGERMESSENGER INVITEINVITE MEMBERMEMBER FEEDBACKFEEDBACK PREFERENCESPREFERENCES ADMIN.ADMIN.

Online Collaboration CostsOnline Collaboration Costs Online collaboration has been funded Online collaboration has been funded

from IEEE New Initiatives in 2001 and from IEEE New Initiatives in 2001 and 20032003 2001 initiative ~$60K (all expense)2001 initiative ~$60K (all expense) 2003 initiative ~$140K (revenue vs. expense)2003 initiative ~$140K (revenue vs. expense) Staff time has been from existing human Staff time has been from existing human

resources; no new staff have been hiredresources; no new staff have been hired For 2004, there is no specific initiative For 2004, there is no specific initiative

called “virtual communities;” there are called “virtual communities;” there are two initiatives that will likely use the two initiatives that will likely use the online collaboration toolset. online collaboration toolset.

Recent EffortsRecent Efforts Training volunteer community leadersTraining volunteer community leaders Developed the capacity for members to Developed the capacity for members to

contribute to the sites while off-linecontribute to the sites while off-line Developing the ability to provide access Developing the ability to provide access

to the sites via IEEE web accountsto the sites via IEEE web accounts Completing start-up “guidance” to Completing start-up “guidance” to

better enable members to “self start” better enable members to “self start” their online sitestheir online sites

TakeawaysTakeaways

One big R&D experimentOne big R&D experiment We provide a toolset We provide a toolset We recruit and rely on volunteer We recruit and rely on volunteer

“pioneers”“pioneers” We provide encouragementWe provide encouragement We document everything we do to We document everything we do to

enable our ability to share/replicate enable our ability to share/replicate the experiencethe experience

We enable, communicate, and nurtureWe enable, communicate, and nurture

TakeawaysTakeaways

We’re seeing evidence that online We’re seeing evidence that online collaboration is collaboration is Enabling the voice of the memberEnabling the voice of the member Leveraging member expertiseLeveraging member expertise Appeals to the next generation of IEEE Appeals to the next generation of IEEE

membersmembers

Understanding the use and value of Understanding the use and value of online collaboration is important to online collaboration is important to IEEE’s futureIEEE’s future

The tool is under constant The tool is under constant reviewreview

The current tool is stable, but not perfectThe current tool is stable, but not perfect Alternatives are availableAlternatives are available RAB Initiative to consider making RAB Initiative to consider making

communities available as a member communities available as a member benefit which would create wider-scale benefit which would create wider-scale usage of toolusage of tool

Currently evaluating Fusion Productions Currently evaluating Fusion Productions and Yahoo!and Yahoo!

Once user options are assessed, analysis Once user options are assessed, analysis of technology options and provider of technology options and provider proposals will occurproposals will occur

Thank you.Thank you.Questions/CommentsQuestions/Comments

Comments on IEEE Comments on IEEE Virtual CommunitiesVirtual Communities

David GreenDavid Green

IEEE Board of Director’s CaucusIEEE Board of Director’s CaucusSeattle, WASeattle, WA

14 November 200314 November 2003

OverviewOverview

Need for (Asynchronous) Need for (Asynchronous) Electronic Communication Electronic Communication

IEEE’s Virtual Communities (Tool IEEE’s Virtual Communities (Tool Set)Set)

PerspectivePerspective

My use -- electronic collaboration My use -- electronic collaboration with my students, with my students, with my projects across the University, with my projects across the University, with IEEE in Region 3 and elsewherewith IEEE in Region 3 and elsewhere

Small groups 5-70 peopleSmall groups 5-70 people No claim that Electronic No claim that Electronic

Communication much less virtual Communication much less virtual communities is the solution to all communities is the solution to all problemsproblems

Need for Electronic Need for Electronic CommunicationCommunication

CollaborateCollaborate Share Share Avoid Travel CostsAvoid Travel Costs

$ spent by IEEE$ spent by IEEE Time (and $) spent by volunteerTime (and $) spent by volunteer

Why is Async necessaryWhy is Async necessary

Asynchronous -> not all parties “on-Asynchronous -> not all parties “on-line” at the same timeline” at the same time

Resolution of schedule issues often Resolution of schedule issues often exceed benefit of synchronous activity exceed benefit of synchronous activity Geographical issuesGeographical issues Participant availability issuesParticipant availability issues

Reflection is good, is neededReflection is good, is needed Writing (is often) harder than readingWriting (is often) harder than reading

Why E-mail is not enoughWhy E-mail is not enough Positives: Positives:

Push, “One-stop”, Disconnected Operation, Cross platformPush, “One-stop”, Disconnected Operation, Cross platform(note mail’s push is really “one-stop pull” for most people)(note mail’s push is really “one-stop pull” for most people)

Membership of discussion changesMembership of discussion changes Hard to “catch up”Hard to “catch up” Hard to “ignore then retrieve”Hard to “ignore then retrieve”

““Large” messages (replies, replies, …)Large” messages (replies, replies, …) Fails to deliver the whole story when multiple parties reply Fails to deliver the whole story when multiple parties reply

in non-workflow mannerin non-workflow manner Mining information becomes difficult due to sizeMining information becomes difficult due to size Many mail tools mangle the older messagesMany mail tools mangle the older messages

ArchivalArchival

Why Web Posting is not Why Web Posting is not enoughenough

Positives: Cross Platform, Broadcast, Positives: Cross Platform, Broadcast, Mechanisms for StructureMechanisms for Structure

Traditional web posting by multiple Traditional web posting by multiple parities has difficulties and parities has difficulties and significant tool set or significant tool set or training/practice issuestraining/practice issues

Generally awkward for collaboration Generally awkward for collaboration without someone taking the role of without someone taking the role of editor (webmaster)editor (webmaster)

Pull (by itself)Pull (by itself)

Other Async ToolsOther Async Tools

Newsgroups, Wiki-webs, BlogsNewsgroups, Wiki-webs, Blogs Each tool has use, benefit, Each tool has use, benefit,

standardized protocol, etc. but standardized protocol, etc. but significant start up costs for many significant start up costs for many volunteersvolunteers

All are pull (by themselves)All are pull (by themselves) These solutions plus one’s work These solutions plus one’s work

solutions generate significant solutions generate significant monitoring issues (multi-pull)monitoring issues (multi-pull)

Experience with VCsExperience with VCs Virtual CommunitiesVirtual Communities

New Initiatives CommitteeNew Initiatives Committee Region 3 (projects)Region 3 (projects) Section Chapter SupportSection Chapter Support Agora SiteAgora Site IEEE-USA Employment AssistanceIEEE-USA Employment Assistance

The success of these groups (and the The success of these groups (and the other tools tried by Region 3) is based other tools tried by Region 3) is based more on the commitment to the topic, more on the commitment to the topic, commitment to the methodology of the commitment to the methodology of the tool, and the willingness to survive the tool, and the willingness to survive the learning the tool than the toollearning the tool than the tool

Features for Effective Features for Effective Electronic CollaborationElectronic Collaboration

Next slide: features, VC SupportNext slide: features, VC Support VCs are a “work in progress”, usage and VCs are a “work in progress”, usage and

participation provides basis for future participation provides basis for future generations of toolsgenerations of tools

Focus on asynchronous featuresFocus on asynchronous features Grade is my opinion based on my usage Grade is my opinion based on my usage

developed for this presentation not yet developed for this presentation not yet fed back through the processfed back through the process

Tough balance to achieve (performance Tough balance to achieve (performance versus cross platform)versus cross platform)

Integrated (Portal) ArchitectureIntegrated (Portal) Architecture xx

Ability to control accessAbility to control access xx

Threaded DiscussionThreaded Discussion xx B-B-

AnnouncementAnnouncement xx BB

Sharing resultsSharing results xx AA

Sharing work in progressSharing work in progress xx BB

Linkage between itemsLinkage between items xx B+B+

Cross PlatformCross Platform xx C+C+

Overview Desktop (One-stop)Overview Desktop (One-stop) xx CC

Authentication (with single set of credentials)Authentication (with single set of credentials) xx AA

PushPush xx B+B+

ArchivalArchival xx CC

SearchSearch xx A-A-

Polls/VotesPolls/Votes xx BB

CalendarCalendar xx

Documentation / TrainingDocumentation / Training xx

Disconnected operationDisconnected operation

Closing CommentsClosing Comments The effort around Virtual Communities is The effort around Virtual Communities is

neededneeded Internet plus technical requirements needs Internet plus technical requirements needs

plus diversity imply developmentplus diversity imply development Require early adopter mentalityRequire early adopter mentality

Tools are evaluated and changed out or improved as Tools are evaluated and changed out or improved as appropriateappropriate

Requires commitment to develop then use new Requires commitment to develop then use new methodologiesmethodologies

Doesn’t (completely) replace other Doesn’t (completely) replace other collaboration activitiescollaboration activities

Potential for additional modes of member Potential for additional modes of member participationparticipation