The following hypothetical scenarios illustrate some ways in which HyNIC might support improvement (scenarios 1 and 2) and metaimprovement (scenario 3) in ACM SIGWEB.
Professor Jones assigned graduate student project groups to study different aspects of Web Information Systems. One group decided to learn about hypermedia design. They quickly found a conceptual knowledge structure (CKS - collaborative concept map) describing the various hypermedia design methodologies, with links to research papers on each. The group soon developed a list of questions, posting them as annotations within the papers. HyNIC automatically emailed the questions to the papers' authors. HyNIC's asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) subsystem automatically started public discussion threads anchored to each initial question, which included the authors' responses and soon, comments from other community members. Through this discussion it became clear that no one had created processes for conducting the methodologies. Within a month, most major design methodology research groups had added a process for theirs. The project group tried and annotated each with their test results. They also linked the results together, comparing how different methodologies modeled different aspects of their test cases.
As part of their final report, the project group members drew a new CKS of hypermedia design, linking to a guided tour they developed. The tour visited documents and processes, giving a comprehensive overview of hypermedia design. After the semester was over, the design methodology researchers and project group members continued to discuss the two CKSs, eventually merging them. Through this collaboration, the community as a whole had gained a broader understanding of the role of hypermedia design in system development.
SIGWEB holds bi-annual elections according to ACM bylaws. A nominating committee creates a slate with two candidates per position. Community members return paper ballots to ACM headquarters. As all officers are elected to two-year terms, the election process is often new to them. Luckily, HyNIC includes several election processes, annotated by past officers. One, for example, describes the entire election process from start (forming a nominating committee and coordinating paperwork with the ACM) to end (turning all records over to the new officers). Within ongoing CMC discussions, it is clear that the community now understands the process more thoroughly. Before it had mostly been a mystery because no one had had the easy access to it, which HyNIC provides. A CKS outlines the history of SIGWEB's structure, explaining the roles that officers should perform. Officers also state that the entire process is straightforward now that it is clearly recorded, and that comments by past officers have provided a very useful "organizational memory" of potential problems. Community members also use HyNIC to learn about the candidates, accessing both the research work and opinions written over the years by candidates in public conversations and newsletter articles. Candidates use HyNIC to hold an asynchronous on-line debate about the issues, which many members check at least once before voting. Some community members add their own questions to the debate. One group even followed the HyNIC-recorded process to place a third candidate on the ballot for president. The proportion of members voting in elections doubles.
Based on a "metaimprovement discussion" SIGWEB officers initiated, SIGWEB's executive board has decided to revamp the way the nominating process works. The nominating committee will begin soliciting nominations from the general SIGWEB membership through special CMC discussions. This will allow the community to express a level of preliminarily support for candidates using CMC voting tools. Any candidate with a minimal threshold of preliminary support will be placed on the ballot.
Previously, SIGWEB has had two vice presidents - one for the Americas and one for the rest of the world. Based on a heated discussion over the past two years, which arose from representing two vice presidents on the election CKS, SIGWEB has instituted a third vice president. The second will now represent Europe. The third will represent the rest of the world. The election process (and CKS) have been rewritten accordingly and replaced the old versions in HyNIC. A lively CMC discussion has formed around them, which for the most part is very positive.
this document: http://www.cis.njit.edu/~bieber/hynic/scenarios-compact.html
last updated: July 8, 1999