Charter for Arpanet Users Interest Working Group

Background

The ARPANET Users Interest Working Group (NIC Ident = USING) was formed at a meeting of 15 network people on May 23, 1973 in an attempt to improve the Network user's working environment. USING will attempt to represent the interests and needs of users in the Network community, so as to increase awareness of user requirements and encourage better provision of the neeed services. The group believes that the network is moving beyond a concentration of resources in self-perpetuating research and development; the Network is becoming a service and its viability as such is dependent on user satisfaction.

A second group, the ARPANET Users Group (NIC Ident = USERS) is organized as a forum for users to express their desires and complaints. Acting as a steering committee and lobby for this group, USING will forward their ideas to the appropriate centers.

Membership

Group membership, in USING, is open to individuals interested in working to improve Network user support and able and willing to make meaningful contributions to USING's activities.

Membership, in USERS, is open to any interested person.

Scope

USING has set as its scope those facets of Network activity that affect the provision of services to users. This includes the availability of resources, their reliability and ease of use.

Goals

USING's overall goal is to ensure that the ARPANET becomes a coherent system in which users can regulate their own working environment according to their level of experience and the degree of transparency (of specific system idiosyncrasies) they desire. System resources should be self-documenting, and all levels of assistance (on- and

NWG/RFC# 584 JI DHC NJN 5-NOV073 20:44 20049

off-line) should be available, again, to be regulated by the user.

Short Term Objectives, for the initial 6-12 months

    1. Specification of a user-level Common Command Language (CCL);

2. Specification of a Network Editor for CCL;

3. Further definition and focusing of User Issues;

4. Encouraging establishment of a User's consulting service;

5. Publication of a New-Users Handbook.

    Long Term Activities

1. Monitor and/or provide impetus for user-oriented Network development efforts, including resource directories, tutorials [static and dynamic], training courses and referral services;

2. Provide mechanisms to encourage, analyze, and respond to user feedback;

3. Develop profile information relative to users' requirements, types, usage attributes, and affiliations;

4. Stimulate mechanisms to facilitate entry of new users to the ARPANET;

5. Sponsor user seminars and encourage formation of viable user working groups where appropriate.

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