Space Telescope
European Coordinating Facility

Users' Committee Meeting
10-11 December 1996

User Support via the Internet

  • The ECF Pages on the World Wide Web

    • The ECF Web Pageshave been considerably upgraded
    • A set of internal pages ("Intranet") is now available
    • The ECF pages were coordinated with the ESO pages
    • ECF staff is involved in ESO Web planning
    • Coordination with the ScI

  • Issues

    • The general level of "quality" of material on the Web has increased: home pages look like cover pages of magazines, or like TV commercials
    • If we follow those trend we have to invest considerable resources. If we don't we look unattractive by comparison
    • Users tolerate slightly out-of-date paper documents. They do not tolerate even slightly out-of-date on-line documents
    • The increased public use of the Internet is causing severe network congestion
    • Users at low bandwidth tail circuits cannot fully utilize the capability

  • Plans

    • ESO is looking into alternatives for Internet connection
    • ESO Web policy has been defined in a white paper
    • ESO Web team has been established
    • ESO top pages will be "glossy"
    • ECF is involved in this planning and will participate as appropriate

    Next Back ECF Punt

    R. Albrecht