USER SUPPORT
The Bottom Line for CC
by Billye Lemon


The User Support session of ENA's fall conference involved
network coordinators and experienced users in a lively
discussion of needs, problems, solutions, and opportunities.
The information in this article reflects a broad range of user
experience on a variety of systems. It was interesting to
discover the extent to which the *same* problems and the *same*
needs seem to exist across systems and across software. It's
critical for everyone involved in the development of this medium
to LISTEN TO THE USERS!

Participants in the session had the opportunity to share
experience and ideas in small groups. Here is a sampling of the
ideas we generated about some key issues of user support:

* What would make the medium better?
* Who should provide user support?
* What are the priority needs of users?
* What can ENA provide?


WHAT WOULD MAKE THE MEDIUM BETTER?
==================================

1. Off-line software demonstration of online activities would be
useful, especially if the demonstration put the user into
"trouble spots" to have the user learn how to get out. This
would help users learn the *thought process* of the system.

2. Test all manuals/documentation with beta groups before
publishing. Documentation should be clear, concise, well-
illustrated.

3. Networking systems may want to pay for (provide free) time
for new users to learn their system characteristics.

4. Either vendors could/should standardize their terminology for
common functions, such as sending messages or entering
discussion items, or else ENA should develop a "cross-walk"
showing how each network service uses prompts and commands for
the same functions. This would benefit people who already are
or who want to participate actively on several systems.

5. Letting the users tailor symbols for prompts and commands--
perhaps a common front-end, such as is found in database
systems--would make this easier. An alternative to achieving
the same result would be flexible user software that permits
users to tailor the keystrokes.

6. Each system needs a combination/choice allowing users to
decide whether to use menus or commands. This accommodates both
new users who need to know the options and experienced users who
know the options and would prefer the speed of direct commands.
Or perhaps adopt several levels of menus, a la Wordstar.

7. Better text editing is needed, providing full-screen online
editing for real-time text entry.

8. Each system should be up-front about the text entry norms of
the system, e.g., one or two pages may be the maximum preferred
length for a text entry. Perhaps have built-in monitoring/
feedback comments from the system, e.g. "Your lines are too
long," "Your entry is longer than the norm," "Typos are OK,"
etc. These would provide informal Rules of the Road.

9. Find a way for the system to inform the user *WHAT* is wrong
when a problem occurs, rather than just generating a cryptic
message that doesn't *explain* to the user what has or hasn't
happened.

10. It would be handy to be able to use windows for concurrent
sessions. For example: a user in the middle of a signon session
who has a question could simultaneously "chat" with an
experienced user to get help, with both windows on the screen.


WHO SHOULD PROVIDE USER SUPPORT?
================================

1. The system vendor should provide technical support--how to
log on, use commands, etc.

2. Other system users can provide online support if new users
have questions or problems.

3. Kinds of support needed:
a. Dial-up and log-on sequence
b. Using system commands and prompts to send messages,
etc.
c. Using communications software intelligently.

4. For cross-system users and facilitators, help is needed for
them to get quickly up-to-speed in how to use the different
systems (as suggested earlier on the "cross-walk").


WHAT ARE THE PRIORITY NEEDS OF USERS?
=====================================

1. One of the key priority needs identified by this group of
people is UNBIASED equipment information, e.g., what to buy,
what combinations work well.

2. "Right info at the right time." Suggestions were:

* an incremental layering of the information in
tutorials, to progress in stages

4. Affective needs:

* users should receive/have access to "rational
expectations" for themselves, their performance, their
experiences, and also for the level of support they
should expect to receive. In other words, *knowing
what to expect* is difficult in new territory.

* "participation norms" would provide some guideline for
knowing how to interact with this new culture.


WHAT CAN ENA PROVIDE?
=====================

1. A booklet containing a list of "Questions To Ask When Buying
a Computer," which should be written in a *coaching* style. It
should address how to assemble a communications system and what
the options are.

2. Promote the use of cassettes and videos, and thereby
expanding the definition of "documentation" and "tutorials".

3. "Life cycle" information--referring to the new culture and
the stages that a user goes through in experiencing electronic
communication. These range from:

* etiquette of computer conferencing--a social approach
describing some of the roles, jobs, what's needed, how
to access one's place in the social environment. For
example, "lurkers" defined as "monitors," when they
are looking after the well-being of the group.

* clues to self-management, the scope of which could
include tips on organizing one's work space, disk
files, information overload, stress or other possible
physical affects, and integrating "addiction" with
one's social environment!


Another source of input for this session was a questionnaire
which was included in the registration packets at the ENA Fall
Meeting. Most of the responses were from people who attended
the session--with a few additional ones from people who
responded online. The 30 responses do not represent a
scientific survey, but can be useful as representative of the
kind of sampling which could be done when we feel the need to
gather information.


Here is a summary of the responses to the questionnaire:

1. "The *nicest* or most helpful thing anyone did for me when I
first began signing on was..."

Two answers predominated: being SHOWN how and being *recognized*
(greeted or responded to) online.

2. "When someone *new* has logged on, I..."

Most said they greeted newcomers, but an almost equal number
said they recognized the new person by trying to *respond* to
their first input or by checking to see if they shared similar
interests. The responses seem to indicate that *content* is
highly important when people make contact with others using this
medium.

3. "The best kind of support that I have had from an electronic
system, hardware, or communications software vendor was..."

Help was appreciated, but it seemed to lean towards online help
from a *person* or help from a vendor for hardware/software
problems. Next in order was good documentation.

4. "My most harrowing or difficult experience was..."

Responses on this varied, but the majority focused on technical
problems due to incompatibility of software, or access
difficulties. Learning how to "upload" was mentioned most
often.

5. "The hardest thing about signing on..."

The *learning curve* itself, and the differences between
systems, was most frustrating. A need for a "map" was expressed
5 times.


WE WISH TO THANK THIS LIVELY, INTELLIGENT, ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP OF
PEOPLE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION!

One of the biggest contributions ENA can make might be our
ability to collect information and experience of this kind to
share with system designers, vendors, and managers. We can give
the *user* a needed voice in the development of the medium--and
the *user* is our bottom line.

-----

Author's Note: Billye Lemon organized the User Support session
with the help of Kate Wholey, Jill Herndon, Linda Maldonado, and
Mary George.