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- The Arts: Sharing Center Stage on the Internet BOF (ARTS)
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- Reported by Scott Stoner/ARTSEDGE at The Kennedy Center
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- Session Focus
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- Scott Stoner welcomed participants and outlined three goals for the
- meeting: 1) define what is to be accomplished as a working group;
- 2) establish a work plan; and 3) identify a name for the working group.
- Participants received a copy of the draft charter for an proposed arts
- and humanities working group that was developed as a result of the
- previous Arts BOF held in San Jose.
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- Prior to discussion of the above, the chair also asked for reaffirmation
- from the group that there was a need to establish an IETF working group
- focused on arts and humanities issues. There was unanimous agreement
- among participants that the need exists and those present were willing
- to contribute to the development and implementation of a work plan. It
- became apparent that a significant number of individuals who attended
- the previous BOF sessions had not been added to the ARTS mailing list
- (which is why there was little response to the draft charter that was
- circulated prior to this meeting). Joyce Reynolds assured participants
- that she would retrieve rosters of participants from each of the ARTS
- BOF meetings and make certain all would be included on the ARTS mailing
- list.
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- Discussion
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- Stoner asked the group to review the goals listed in the draft charter
- document and to discuss whether there were additional needs not
- addressed by the goals. The primary need identified as a result of
- initial discussion (and re-affirmed from previous BOF discussions) is
- the lack of information and understanding between the technology-based
- engineering community and the arts/humanities community about how the
- Internet can serve as a tool and resource for sharing unique and complex
- arts/humanities content. The mission of the working group should thus
- focus on building a bridge between the two communities that ensures
- adequate representation of broad-based arts/humanities interests. The
- IETF, through the interests and resources of its members, provides the
- most appropriate venue and infrastructure to accomplish the above (no
- other organization has defined and/or responded to this important need).
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- Discussion then focused on defining and prioritizing objectives and
- activities that would initiate and support an ongoing link between the
- engineering and arts/humanities communities. There was consensus that
- arts and humanities constituents need a greater understanding of ways in
- which the Internet can be used for purposes of creating, viewing, and
- storing arts/humanities-based information and resources, as well as for
- problem-solving and reinforcing an on-line community. It was determined
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- this would best be handled through the development of a FAQ regarding
- the value and role of the arts in the Internet.
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- The FAQ document will be developed by first circulating a document among
- key arts/humanities institutions and organizations nationally that
- 1) summarizes key options and opportunities for integrating
- arts/humanities content and functions in the Internet, and 2) surveys
- the constituents regarding needs and concerns they have regarding access
- and use of the Internet. The survey results will be analyzed by working
- group members as the basis for developing the FAQ.
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- BOF participants identified some of the initial questions to be included
- in the survey document as follows (note: these are only presented as
- examples in the order that they were presented during discussion).
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- o What are your concerns regarding widespread dissemination of
- copyrighted material?
- o What type of arts/humanities content do you have to share? (As an
- individual artist/writer or as an institution?)
- o Are you currently using the Internet? How? (If not, why not?)
- o How do you want to use it (e.g., to create, seek information, store
- information, etc.)?
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- It was also determined that the survey should be structured primarily as
- multiple-choice questions and that respondents should be asked to
- prioritize (i.e., rank-order) their responses to some questions.
- Several BOF participants volunteered to assist with the preparation of
- the survey instrument to ensure easy distribution, collection and
- analysis of responses (including an on-line database to be hosted by a
- university server). An outline for the document and survey will be
- developed and expanded via the ARTS Working Group mailing list.
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- Participants agreed that a draft document (4-5 pages) and survey could
- be developed and completed for final review and approval at the next
- IETF meeting (July 1995). Working group participants would also use the
- next three months to identify individuals , organizations, and
- institutions to receive the document and survey. This will include
- constituencies from performing arts centers, visual art and cultural
- museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions and organizations.
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- Discussion next focused on a second goal for the working group, which
- would be to define presentation options and tools for artists and
- organizations to create, view, and store content on the Internet. This
- would include tools and operating systems to support text, sound, and
- both still and motion images. It would also include an introduction
- written for users with basic computer skills, glossary of basic
- terminology and bibliography. A draft outline for key areas of this FYI
- RFC document will be developed for presentation at the next IETF and a
- work plan defined at that meeting.
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- The third goal of the working group will be to address priority issues
- and concerns as identified by the arts/humanities community from the
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- survey results. This will most likely include issues surrounding
- copyright and intellectual property, funding, and other support for
- arts/humanities participation in the Internet.
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- The final part of the discussion produced a name for the arts/humanities
- working group which is: ``Supporting Humanities and Arts' Research and
- Engineering'' (SHARE).
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- Outcomes
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- The following is expected to take place as a result of the ARTS BOF
- session:
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- A charter proposal will be presented to the IESG to establish the SHARE
- Working Group.
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- A draft document (4-5 pages) regarding the role and value of the
- arts/humanities on the Internet and accompanying survey will be
- developed and presented for final review and approval at the July 1995
- IETF meeting. The document and survey will then be circulated,
- responses analyzed and used to develop a draft FAQ for presentation at
- the December 1995 IETF meeting.
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- A draft outline for an FYI RFC document describing options and
- opportunities for including arts/humanities content on the Internet will
- be developed for review and expansion at the July 1995 IETF meeting. A
- draft document will be developed and presented for review at the
- December 1995 IETF meeting.
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- The final draft of both documents will be reviewed and approved at the
- March 1996 IETF meeting.
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