Updated on 19 June by ausweb96@scu.edu.au

AusWeb96

Keynote Speeches - AusWeb96

The AusWeb96 team has built a group of world class keynote speakers which will attract all constituencies in the Web community.

We are very pleased to announce the following ten keynote speakers at AusWeb96. They are listed here in alphabetic order: AusWeb96 is committed to maximising interaction at the conference. As part of this theme of participation and interaction we have:
Full details on each of the keynote addresses and the speakers is shown below.

Information provision, digital libraries and the World Wide Web

Bill Arms, Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Washington, DC

Abstract

The development of the World Wide Web and the release of Mosaic in 1993 unleashed spectacular growth in on-line information. The past few years have seen so many initiatives to expand the Web that trends are hard to identify. This talk will look at one area, the creation of comprehensive digital libraries.

Digital libraries make heavy demands on the Web technology, in areas such as naming systems, network performance, security, billing, and universal access. Digital libraries research is interested in all of these areas. Longer-term issues currently being worked on include new categories of information object, searching and retrieval, and interoperability among heterogeneous repositories at both syntactic and semantic levels. Meanwhile, publishers and libraries are not waiting for the completion of the technology. They are pushing ahead with ambitious projects to distribute collections in digital forms. During 1996, several academic publishers will bring major parts of their operations on-line, extending the limits of Internet and the Web.

These developments are taking place within a flimsy economic framework. The Web has demonstrated the academic benefits of open access with minimal restrictions, but information is expensive to manage. The challenge is to stimulate the emergence of supportive economic, legal and social frameworks.

BioData

William Arms has a background in mathematics, operational research, and computing, with degrees from Oxford University, the London School of Economics, Sussex University, and Dartmouth College. He has been a pioneer in applying computing to academic activities, notably educational computing, computer networks, and digital libraries.

During the 1970s, he developed courses in computer science at the British Open University. Subsequently, at Dartmouth College as professor and head of computing, he oversaw continuing development of the Dartmouth Time Sharing System, installed an early campus network, and introduced Macintosh computers for all undergraduates. In 1985, he joined Carnegie Mellon University as Vice President for Computing, where his responsibilities included the Andrew project in campus-wide distributed computing, educational computing, and the university libraries.

Since January 1995, he has been at CNRI, where he is responsible for advanced work in library systems. This includes fundamental architectural developments, several projects with the Library of Congress, and the D-Lib program to coordinated federal digital library research.

Bill Arms has been on the university advisory boards of several computer manufacturers. He has had major consulting assignments to the British Library and the J. Paul Getty Trust, and has been chairman of the Educom Board of Trustees.

The Education Network Australia Initiative - Progress to date.

Evan Arthur, Department of Employment, Education Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra.

Abstract

The paper will describe progress to date in developing the Education Network Australia (EdNA). initiative. EdNA is based on cooperation between all education sectors in all Australian States and Territories to ensure the cost effective and appropriate use of electronic networks in education. Key areas of cooperation are in purchasing computer network services, purchasing computer equipment such as personal computers and developing a comprehensive set of on-line educational products and services, and directory structures for accessing educational products and services. The paper will provide background on the objectives of EdNA initiative, detail the steps taken to progress the initiative and provide an overview of the services which have been developed.

Biodata

Evan was educated at Newcastle University (Australia) and Cambridge University. He specialised in Classics and history of ideas and has a PhD in field of Stoic Philosophy.

He was employed as university tutor and in the Australian Public Service has worked in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, specialising in refugee policy and in the Department of Employment, Education and Training, dealing with labour market programs, teacher professional development and use of electronic networks in education. Evan's married with with two children.

On Second Generation WWW Systems

Hermann Maurer, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria

Abstract

In this talk we will discuss why most current WWW systems tend to be great for small amounts of data but create headaches when large amounts of data have to be maintained. We show in particular that it is necessary (i) to keep links separate form the documents and assure that they are bi-directional (this is to assure that atuomatic link maintainance is possible to avoid the dreaded "dangling link" syndrome) , that (ii) HTML documents have to be provided with "metadata" such as author, date of creation, expiration date,etc and that (iii) some structuring mechanism beyond links is necessary. We will also argue that WWW systems should not seen as just information systems but also as communication systems. It is not a coincidence that forms are considered one of the most important feature of WWW. However, forms are just a beginning: other communciational and cooperational features are needed as well.

We will claim that Hyper-G , a WWW system with powerful additional machinery is a first step in the direction WWW will have to move to if it is to survive as more than a thin interface layer to powerful databases at it is used (misused?) more and more these days.

BioData

Herman Maurer gained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Vienna in 1965. He was Assistant and Associate Professor for Computer Science at the University of Calgary 1966--1971. He was Professor for Applied Computer Science at the University of Karlsruhe, West Germany from 1971-1977 at the Graz University of Technology since 1978. In addition, director of the Research Institute for Applied Information Processing of the Austrian Computer Society since 1983; chairman of Institute for Information Processing and Computer Supported New Media since 1988, and director of Institute for Hypermedia Systems since April 1990. Adjunct Professor at Denver University 1984--1988. He is also Professor for Computer Science at the University of Auckland, New Zealand since 1993.

He is the author of eleven books and over 400 scientific contributions, holder of patent for optical storage device, referee for a number of journals and publishing companies, editor of a series of research papers and a member of the board of various institutions.

Hermann Maurer's main research and project areas are languages and their applications, data structures and their efficient use, telematic services, computer networks, computer assisted instruction, computer supported new media, hypermedia systems and applications, and social implications of computers.

The World Wide Web Consortium: Helping the Web Move Forward

Jim Miller, W3 Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract

The World Wide Web Consortium, located at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science and INRIA, works to help the Web reach its full potential. Our work includes evolution of the HTML and HTTP standards, definition of security and electronic payment protocols, development of new applications and uses of the Web.

The consortium also has a PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) Committee. This committee was charged with developing a system for rating information on the Internet. Initially designed to allow parents to exercise control over the kind of information available to their children, the PICS technology is useful for a wide range of other uses as well.

BioData

Jim Miller is a research scientist at MIT's Lab for Computer Science, working in the World Wide Web Consortium. Dr. Miller holds a PhD in computer science from MIT and is co-chair of the PICS technical committee. He joined the World Wide Web Consortium in June, 1995.

Over the past twenty years, he has designed and implemented a number of novel and useful real-world systems, including: an early source-level debugging system for a high-level language (BDDT, 1972); a concurrent-access data base system (MIT Clearinghouse, 1973); the first full-function electronic mail system (Hermes, 1976); a complete multi-tasking PASCAL system (Jericho Pascal, 1979); the first portable implementation of the programming language Scheme (CScheme, 1983); an early complete programming system for a parallel computer (MultiScheme, 1989); an e-mail mediated group conversation system (MECCA/Systers' data base, 1992); and the first implementation of the Dylan programming language (Thomas, 1993).

Massively Parallel Wetware

Nick Arnett, Verity, Inc., Mountain View, California

Abstract

Elizabeth Eisenstein argues that easier access to diverse new points of view was the primary means by which printing and paper transformed early modern Europe. The exchange of viewpoints by diverse groups spurred world-changing ideas. The most powerful institution, the Catholic Church, saw its power dramatically diluted through the rapid distribution of the writings of Luther and others who questioned its motives and alliances. Rapid changes in power structures took place despite the fact that few could read or afford books.

Today, the church's role as the dominant information supplier is played by advertising-based mass media. Most people in the modern world -- and much of the third world -- receive most of their information about society from a small group of media companies whose true customers are their advertisers. Like the old church, today's advertisers rely heavily on explicit and implicit audiovisual promises of salvation and damnation.

Personal computer and digital networks, like printing presses and paper, are enabling many more people to share their viewpoints -- massively parallel "wetware," to borrow terms from computer science and science fiction. Even though relatively few today are computer literate or can afford computers, those who are on-line are already diluting the advertising-based media's influence.

BioData

Nick Arnett is a marketing and product consultant, writer and software author with a background as an investigative journalist and publisher. As Internet Marketing Manager for Verity Inc., Mountain View, Calif., a leading search and retrieval company, Arnett builds alliances with Internet users in business, education and government. Verity has pioneered personal information agents, software that helps people and publishers cope with information overload.

Nick was co-founder of Multimedia Computing Corp., which provides strategic consulting services and publishes market research reports. While a syndicated columnist at the San Jose Business Journal, Arnett won first-place awards from the Computer Press Association and American City Business Journals for his coverage of Apple Computer. He has also written for InfoWorld, Rolling Stone, Variety, Business Marketing, Computer Graphics World, Publish!, Lotus, PC Magazine and others. His coverage of the 1981 shooting of President Reagan was carried by Newsweek, CBS News and other news outlets.

Arnett is on the board of directors of Plugged In, a non-profit childrens' and community computer resource center in East Palo Alto, California.

Organising Global Networks

Earl Hinson of IBM Corporation has responsibility for the IBM Global Network marketing strategy. Earl says that the Internet, WEB browsers, Home Pages and content have become major components of our marketplace. Our market place is high speed TCP/IP leased and dial access services for large corporations and public sector organisations".

In the followup session, Earl will demonstrate the IBM Global Network's capability.

Building Communities of Women on the Web

Nancy Rhines, Director of Womens Programming for America OnLine and Founder, Women's Wire

Abstract

In this presentation Nancy will look at the building of communities of women on the World Wide Web and other online services, at the place women have carved out for themselves and their contribution in building the Web.

BioData

Nancy was a leading figure in the development of The Well, which is one of the first community bulletin boards in the USA, founded Women's Wire which was the first commercial Internet Service Provider centered around women's concerns and is currently Director of Women's Programming for America OnLine. She will be talking on what it takes to build communities of women on the Web.

The impact of the World Wide Web on Electronic Commerce

Arie Segev, Director of the Fisher Center for Information Technology & Management (CITM) at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.

Abstract

In this presentation, the impact of the World Wide Web on Electronic Commerce is explored. We look at a number of examples and models of electronic commerce and look to the future of the Web and Commerce. We draw on research conducted by the Fisher Center and on the many examples of commercial developments in the Bay area.

BioData

Ari Segev is a Professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.

Professor Arie Segev received his Ph.D in Computers and Information Systems from the Graduate School of Management at the University of Rochester in 1984. He is on the faculty of the Walter A. Haas School of Business and the Director of the Fisher Center for Information Technology & Management at The University of California at Berkeley, where he has been responsible for a variety of industry-oriented research and out-reach activities. He also has a joint faculty position with the Computer Science Research & Development Department of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Professor Segev's research has dealt with various issues related to Information Management technologies, techniques and methodologies, including temporal data management, data quality, the integration of AI and Database technologies, semantic data integration in a client-server computing environment, information modeling and its relationship to business process re-engineering, and financial and manufacturing information systems. More recently, he has been leading projects on business and technology issues in electronic commerce, including CommerceNet sponsored projects on Designing Electronic Catalogs for Business Value and Internet-Based Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

Arie has published over 70 papers on the above topics in leading journals and conferences, consulted government and industry, and has been the recipient of major National Science Foundation awards. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of ACM SIGMOD RECORD for seven years, is an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions of Knowledge & Data Engineering, and ORSA Journal on Computing, a member of ACM, INFORMS, the IEEE Computer Society, and the San Francisco Bay Area CIO Forum.

The Future of the Internet and Intranet - A Netscape Perspective

Danny Shader, Director of International Marketing, Netscape Corporation

Danny Shader is Director of International Marketing at Netscape Corporation in Mountain View, California. Danny leads Netscape's international product, electronic, and corporate marketing efforts. He joined the company following Netscape's acquisition of collaborative computing vendor Collabra Software, Inc., where, as Vice President of OEM Sales and Business Development, he initiated the company's partnerships with Novell, Banyan Systems, and others. Mr. Shader joined Collabra from pen-computing pioneer GO Corporation, where he established the company's Japanese presence and led its international licensing efforts as Director of Business Development.

Danny holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford University.

Java

David Spenhoff, Director of Product Marketing for JavaSoft.

David Spenhoff is the Director of Product Marketing for JavaSoft. He is responsible for marketing worldwide Sun's core Java products including the Java Developer's Kit, HotJava, and JavaOS, as well as other new product initiatives.

Previously at Sun, Mr. Spenhoff has led the marketing of the WorkShop developer products and the Solaris operating environment. Prior to joining Sun, Mr. Spenhoff was product line manager for object tools at Rational Software. He has worked as a developer and marketer in Silicon Valley for 18 years, and has been a principal and founder at two software startups.

David earned a BA in mathematics from the California State University, Fresno, a MS in operations research from Stanford
University, and a MBA from Santa Clara University.

Walk on the Beach with a Keynote Speaker


The AusWeb team tries to maximise participation at our conferences. We've got a large group of distinguished keynote speakers coming to the conference from North America and Europe, not to mention Canberra! As you may be aware, the conference hotel, Conrad Jupiters is a short distance from the Broadbeach beachfront on the Gold Coast.

It is a time honoured tradition on the Gold Coast to walk or run on the beach in the morning. We're planning for keynote speakers to walk on the beach with a small group of attendees - it's our AusWeb96 Walk on the Beach Programme! The groups will meet at the lobby of the hotel, hop in to a minibus to the beach and then walk on the beach for 40 minutes or thereabouts and back to the hotel. No agenda, no plans .. just an opportunity for a small number of delegates to interact with the keynote speakers on subjects of your choice in an entirely informal setting. The beach is just a magical place early in the morning and we're sure you'll enjoy the experience. We'll be taking bookings for the AusWeb96 Walk on the Beach Programme" at the registration desk at Conrad Jupiters on a first come, first served basis.

Keynote Address Followup Sessions

Continuing with the participation theme .. with the relatively tight programme for AusWeb96 and the number of speakers, we'll be organising followup sessions for each of the keynote addresses. There will be only a short period for Q&A and discussion in the plenary session, so the keynotes will also be scheduled into a smaller room following their address. There will be opportunity in the followup session to pursue issues raised in the address in an informal setting. Each followup session will last approximately 30 minutes .. or more if there is lots of discussion!
AusWeb96 - The Second Australian World Wide Web Conference, 7th to 9th of July 1996, at the Conrad Jupiters Hotel, Gold Coast, Australia. Contact: Ms Julie Burton, Norsearch Conference Services at Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Phone (066) 20 3000 (From outside Australia +61 66 20 3000) Fax: (066) 22 1954 (From outside Australia +61 66 22 1954). Email: ausweb96@scu.edu.au.