Electronic communication and knowledge systems

Slide 1: 1 From Research to Application - the second Nordic Forum, 11-12.5.2000, Espoo, Finland Electronic communication and knowledge systems Jarmo Saarikko Skogsforskningsinstitutet, Unionsgatan 40A, FIN-00170 HELSINGFORS,Finland Jarmo.Saarikko@metla.fi WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 2: 2 World Wide web • WWWW has affected the ways we work • Information access and exchange • From the global level to the local • The full impact on the way we work and on society is still unknown WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 3: 3 Advantages • Permanence of 24-hours per day • Immediacy of information discovery • Content diversity • Accessibility from almost anywhere • De-centralised approaches allowing content owners to maintain full rights • Value for money with low-cost solutions WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 4: 4 General search engines • No more able to cover the whole net • The next generation of search tools will contain more specialised and targeted services, • More and more services will be provided to registered clients • User interfaces can be modified according to personal requirements WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 5: 5 Competition for users • one user usually cannot effectively use but a few different services • most services on the internet have been free, their funding is often based on advertising • Research information in forestry is often non- competetive • However, if the target audience is the general public the information producer enters the same competitive field as described above WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 6: 6 New kinds of services • Simple provision of announcements and communications is not enough • Net users demand ways to give feed-back, chat- rooms, customisation WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 7: 7 How does anyone know you are there? • All traditional means of marketing have to be used • This is very costly • Something has to be new or updated all the time otherwise the users do not come back • How to know that something new is available? A community of registered users makes this goal easier to accomplish. WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 8: 8 One-way communication: Web-pages PRO CON Clean type-setting Difficult to announce new Easy to produce and pages - links on homepage publish or on a 'what's new list' Size is not a limitation Long delay until new pages are found by search engines Web-pages need to have a user-friendly design WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 9: 9 One-way: e-mail PRO CON Rather easy to install List has to be moderated Use mailing list software Simple text-only • Automatic subscription Yet another format to be • Listserv, Majordomo etc. distributed Distribution to dedicated Images cannot be used subscribers (html email is still Cheaper than traditional unwanted) means - larger distribution possible WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 10: 10 Interactive communication: mailing lists PRO CON Interactivity List may be dominated by a Clients may discuss with few active talkers each other Negative feedback cannot May lead to a community be blocked • unless the list is Questions and answers are moderated mutually beneficial Discussons can be viewed List should be moderated on a web-site • more work Distirbution is global Attachments may spread viruses (esp. Microsoft) WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 11: 11 Interactive: Newsgroups PRO CON New messages appear Requires a news-server automatically to readers Private newsgroups are Many groups are archived more difficult to propagate on the web Public groups are often • http://www.deja.com/ spam-prone Group should be moderated Messages disappear rather quickly WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 12: 12 Interactive: Hypernews PRO CON Use with a web-browser Following discussions Allows anonymous use means constant checking No email necessary at the web-service Message deletion difficult? Sometimes e-mail notification Usually no moderation Hierarchical groups http://www.hypernews.org/ WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 13: 13 Interactive: IRC PRO CON Global Usually considered as a Widely known playground for school Easy to use children Documentation of Instant discussions is problematic Private channels Specific IRC software Good for private long required distance discussions Many servers Internet Relay Chat WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 14: 14 Interactive: chat-rooms PRO CON Usually cgi-based or with People need rules for their java-applications behaviour in rooms Interactive and instant Large groups may be May be used for on-line difficult for newcomers Questions and Answers Usually not linked to other with a named specialist or chat services on a TV-show Private groups not available Funded by ads May be addictive WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 15: 15 Chat with a specialist on yahoo www.yahoo.com 10.5.2000 WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 16: 16 Electronic Communities PRO CON Often with a pack of free Identity of participants not services always known or certain • Web-based e-mail Large system to install • Calendar Longevity of free services • Chat-rooms is uncertain • Document archives Usually founded around a topic or for a customer group e.g. www.animalscience.com WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 17: 17 Examples of free communities You may start your own groups in these. Some systems allow private groups which can be used by invitation only. • Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com/ • E-groups http://www.egroups.org/ • Intranets http://www.intranets.com/ WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 18: 18 www.eGroups.com Group view by a registered users WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 19: 19 www.eGroups.com WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko Egroup view of a non-registerd user

Slide 20: 20 WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko Egroup view by a registered user

Slide 21: 21 WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 22: 22 WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko Intranet view by a registered user at intranets.com

Slide 23: Knowledge systems: 23 standalone • Currently CD-ROMs • Usually a system includes full-text databases with some intelligence handling the requests or results • Hyperlinks, interactive images and maps • Concurrent search with various criteria • The results found may be combined or extracted to be used in reports and papers • e.g. CABI Forestry Compendium CD • http://tree.cabweb.org/efctext.htm WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 24: 24 CABI Forestry compendium Source: http://tree.cabweb.org/comp_demo/page2.htm WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 25: Knowledge systems: 25 Networked • Portals • Forest Finland, Skogsverige, Skogen is Skolan • These are developing from link collections into knowledge systems and/or e-communities • Topical services • E.g. SIREX and Skogsskada services for forest pest diagnosis and handbook • Often registration is required • Extranets • Access to internal systems for registered clients or subscribers • Traditional: On-line databases, Library OPACs WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 26: 26 Knowledge discovery • TROPIS - The Tree Growth and Permanent Plot Information System by CIFOR • seeks to help forest scientists make better use of existing tree growth information by newsletters, searchable index and database - newsletter, link, people database, permanent study plots • GIAN - Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network • GIAN aims to establish linkages between grassroots innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to scale up - newsletter, discussion, research papers • UNDP Evaluation Knowledge System (EKSYST) • assists in generating, storing and sharing available information gained through evaluations of projects WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 27: 27 Links PORTALS Forest Finland http://www.forest.fi/ Skogssverige http://www.skogssverige.se/ Skogen I Skolan http://www.skogeniskolan.se/ DATABASES Metinfo http://www.metla.fi/metinfo/ Sirex http://www.metla.fi/sirex/ Skogsskada http://www-skogsskada.slu.se/ TROPIS http://www.cgiar.org/cifor/research/tropis.html UNDP EKSYST http://www.ifad.org/ifadeval/public_html/eksyst/toc/index.html INFORMATION DELIVERY GIAN - innovation network http://csf.colorado.edu/sristi/gian.html Biodiversity events http://www.biodiv.org/conv/Bio-Calendar2000.html WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko

Slide 28: 28 Problems for discussion How to choose a proper tool for electronic communication? • One-way or interactive? • Announcing new research results or finding new research problems needing answers? • Target groups for tools? • Regular ‘traditional’ or irregular ‘new’ clients? Knowledge system vs. Expert system • Is there a difference? • Database vs. a static system? • When a knowledge system should be developed? • Parameters and/or problems given by the client WebMetla/Jarmo Saarikko