Minutes (Oct. 29, 2003) Web Advisory Committee
Present: Dr. Keith Krolick, Dr. Alison Beck, Dr. Richard Usatine, Brian Neuenschwander, Heather Cura,
Alan Miller, Tom Raymond, Mary Yanes, Susan Hallmark, Jim Barrett
Acting for the chair, Dr. Ray Palmer, who was absent, Mr. Jim Barrett asked for and received
approval of the July 30 minutes.
Mr. Barrett presented the webmaster's report. He said:
- Server traffic declined 7 percent in August.
- 83 percent of university web sites passed accessibility validation conducted July 1. The validation
involved web site front pages, and looked for Category 1 errors. Six months ago, 56 percent of the sites passed.
- He and Ms. Mary Yanes had conferred with Dr. Giovanni De Domenico, chair of the Physical
Therapy Department, and Dr. Sandra Fox of the Lions Low-Vision Clinic about web usability for
low-vision persons and planned to develop a class for web developers.
- The clinical studies database was in final development and would be operated
by the Executive Research Committee. A front-page link would take the public to the database, which could be
searched by disease, disorder or condition. Dr. Keith Krolick asked if investigators would be required
to add their studies to the database. Mr. Barrett said no.
- The Telecommunications and Networking Department and IMS have agreed to a
request from the Faculty Senate to expand information in the web based faculty-staff directory. The
new information would allow members to list their office fax number and an alternate telephone number.
In new business, Mr. Barrett reported on testing of two campus-wide calendaring systems. He said
one system, from St. Mary's University, failed to function on a test server, and he suspected some scripting changes
would be needed. A second system, a commercial product called WebEvents, also
is being tested. Mr. Barrett showed the WebEvent calendar and the St. Mary's calendar on
the St. Mary's web site. The commitee members said they liked a feature
in WebEvent that lets users download listings to their Outlook or Palm calendar. However
members also said the St. Mary's calendar appeared to be simpler and easier to use. Mr. Barrett
said he would send URLs for both calendars so the members could look closer.
In other new business, Mr. Barrett reported on a handheld initiative to select and code top-level
web pages for small-screen users of PDAs. He said he had successfully used a script from Dr. Bob Badgett
to detect handheld operating systems, and thus send them small, text versions of key pages.
Mr. Barrett said he would try to identify which pages would be most useful for handheld users.
He also asked Dr. Richard Usatine to comment about the use of handhelds in teaching. Dr. Usatine recounted his experience adapting curriculum
at UCLA for medical students, and the role the handheld may play in future instruction of
medical students at the Health Science Center.
Mr. Tom Raymond said the library planned to convene an internal committee in the spring to examine how to
adapt its information and services for handheld users. Several commitee
members expressed interest in participating. Mr. Raymond said he would report back with
more information next month.
In a third item of new business, Mr. Barrett described a new advertising service from Google called
AdSense. The service is easy to use, and some university web-site operators may be tempted to
use it, he said. AdSense allows web-site owners to receive and display targeted advertising, and
receive payment from Google based on the number of users who click on the ads. Mr. Barrett said he would
like a university policy that states whether advertising is acceptable, and asked the committee members for
their opinions.
Ms. Heather Cura said advertising could be displayed tastefully and produce revenue. Mr. Barrett
said the University of Texas System regents recently changed rules to allow advertising as well as
sponsorships. Sponsorships, he said, were defined as donations to underwrite a web
site while advertising generates cash based on directing web traffic to another web site.
Drs. Beck, Krolick, and Usatine said they opposed advertising because
it would give the appearance of an academic institution endorsing a product. There was
no further comment. Mr. Barrett said he took the response to mean there is consensus to
ban advertising but allow sponsorships. He said he would bring a draft policy
to the committee's next meeting.
Mr. Barrett asked if there was any new business. There was none, and the meeting
adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
-- Minutes prepared by Jim Barrett
-- Approved Nov. 19, 2003
