Serving the servers: Machine-machine user services

ABSTRACT

Due to recent technological advances, the traditional role of user services to provide assistance for a human-central computer interaction is being augmented by a new role of providing the expertise for a machine-central system interaction. User-owned machines may span the spectrum from smart data acquisition laboratory instruments to sophisticated but dedicated mainframes; in addition, system level interfaces may be requested for user machines as diverse as microprocessors handling departmental clerical activities or private ad hoc networks created from the growing number of inexpensive used computers. This paper begins by summarizing the causes of this demand for new user services and the resulting types of requested interactions. We then explore the critical issues that tend to emerge in hardware, software, politics, and financing, suggesting a layered approach in solutions. Finally we evolve a set of criteria to guide user services policy.

Index Terms

• Information systems

  • Information retrieval

    • Users and interactive retrieval

      • Personalization

  • World Wide Web

    • Web searching and information discovery

      • Personalization

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Management of computing and information systems

      • System management

        • Centralization / decentralization