Network Working Group                               J. Iseli (MITRE-TIP)
Request for Comments: 584                          D. Crocker (UCLA-NMC)
NIC 19025 and 20049                                  N. Neigus (BBN-NET)
USING Note 6                                             6 November 1973
Categories: Users


            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

   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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