Major accomplishments and activities during the period covered in this report are listed below. Additional information is available via the links embedded in this portion of the ASR.
During the same period, SCD decommissioned eight machines (shavano, antero, echo, st-elmo, chief, arapahoe, wildhorse, and crestone) and TAGS, the Text and Graphics System. All of these decommissionings required DIG to comb through exisiting online documentation to remove them and/or references to them from the websites.
New documentation for the MSS commands (an important adjunct to the Distributed Computing Services [DCS] project), updated charging documentation to keep current with the machine changes, new MIGS and IRJE quick reference guides, and several other intradepartmental projects (see below) kept the DIG staff focused on innovative ways to provide online documentation for our user community.
DIG also expanded both the concept and the content of SCDzine, the division's online electronic news and feature magazine. Subscriptions to the zine continue to climb as readers appreciate both the presentation and editorial style of this informational vehicle.
Working with other SCD sections and groups is one aspect of DIG's mission. Accordingly, DIG helped develop integrated, easy-to-use websites for other SCD sections. These intradivisional activities not only demonstrate the utility and power of the web, but provide a more robust and complete information resource for our user community. DIG will continue to pursue these intradivisional activities, as appropriate, to ensure that all divisional information relevant to our users' computing experience at NCAR will be easy to access and understand.
A case in point is the use of frames...the ability to divide a browser's screen real estate into two or more smaller areas, each with its own URL. We initially felt that frames would permit a much simplified navigational interface for users, since one frame could be dedicated to a "table of contents" of links, and the second, larger frame would be used to display the document selected from the list of links.
As it turned out, most of our users did not favor the frames implementation of both the NCAR and SCD home pages. Either their browsers were not "frames-capable", or they were on a slow link to the internet; frames take longer to load than single pages. Moreover, the contemporary thinking of most web-site developers and content providers with whom we communicate, felt that, while frames were initially an intersting and potentially valuable online tool, they actually impeded user access to information (you first have to figure out how the frames are laid out, what information is contained in each frame, etc.). Finally, we had to maintain a second, separate non-frames version of the documents for those users who did not want to view/use a frames version. This significantly increased the work required to provide and maintain online information.
We redisigned and implemented both the SCD and NCAR home pages as non-frames versions. They are simpler to use and reflect our desire to create information interfaces that remain in tune with appropriate design principles, common sense, and shared web-community values.
A related, major improvement to our website development actitivies was the installation of a robust and useful search engine for the SCD and NCAR websites. A search engine that returns useful links in response to user queries had long been on DIG's list for improving our web presence. Identifying and installing one that met multiple criteria took some searching, testing, and validating, but the engine is now up and running and permits users to search for specific information based on keyword indexing and full text searching of the site.
DIG staff also worked with UCAR and NCAR management to provide materials and spokespersons to work with congressional officers/staffers at several meetings in Washington, D.C. These activities have been helpful in improving their understanding of NCAR/SCD and the role of high performance computing in examining world climate and climate change issues.
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