John R. Vincenti, Kenneth L. Miller, M.S.,
J. Wayne
McIntire, James O. Brumfield, Ph.D.
ACURI Association, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Communicating information in the age of the electronic systems has grown tremendously. The Internet has enabled the Appalachian Compact Users of Radioactive Isotopes (ACURI) Association to provide a broader and more timely service via its homepage (http://www.acuri.com.) This paper will outline the development of the ACURI Association's home page on the Internet. ACURI uses an index system to provide a wide range of information to its members and the interested public, press and political leaders on issues related to the need for disposal and Pennsylvania's development of a volunteer site to dispose of LLRW in the Appalachian States. The Appalachian compact states includes: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The ACURI homepage, which began in early 1996, is being piloted by ACURI's Executive Secretary and Webmaster, John R. Vincenti. Board members (both utility and non-utility representatives) have provided input into the development of the page, as well as the day-to-day management of the web site. This paper will discuss some of the challenges of developing and maintaining a web page.
In late 1995, ACURI began to investigate the feasibility and benefits of the use of the Internet system of communication. ACURI is made up of users of radioactive materials and generators of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) within the Appalachian Compact states. These states include Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. ACURI has represented the interests of over 1,000 licensees and permit-holders of radioactive materials and those who generate LLRW since November 1989 when the Association was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The ACURI Board of Directors authorized the Executive Secretary of the Association to research the subject and report on the following topics:
OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNET
The Internet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW) and Email (Electronic Mail), have fast become important communication tools.
Internet web sites can be accessed through a wide variety of web browsers such as Netscape, Mosaic, America Online and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. These web browsers can deliver words, charts, graphics, animation, video or audio information through the Internet. The Internet can transfer data to selective people via a closed system or to the public-at-large. Today, most large corporations have web sites which not only give people information, but also sell or advertise the productions or services they provide. Most government agencies have made the Internet their choice for document access and public involvement in keeping the public informed about what the government is doing.
The Internet email capabilities of providing almost instantaneous communication to browsers is making definite changes or in-roads into the former methods of communication such as the United States Mail Service, private courier services, facsimile communication or person-to-person/conferencing on the telephone. Electronic mail can provide speed and a record for the sender/receiver on the system. Electronic mail can also enable groups to receive the same message from one command at the same time. Electronic mail is also capable of sending attachments of other documents.
Both the Internet web site and email capabilities are proving to be an exciting and challenging method of communication. These types of communication were unavailable to the general public less than ten years ago.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INTERNET
The Internet had its start as the ARPANet in 1969. ARPANet was part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency within the United State Department of Defense (DOD). It was designed to provide a communication link with the DOD in case of atomic war. By 1980, the ARPANet split into two separate entities, MILNet at military sites and ARPANet for non military sites. ARPANet ceased in 1990 and began to be supplanted by other net systems.
In Joseph Deken's book, "The Electronic Cottage: Everyday Living With Your Personal Computers in the 1980s," published by Morrow in 1981, Deken wrote about a revolution to come by stating it was not mere speculation that the computer would change our daily lives in the future. In deed, it has! In fact, Deken's book was prepared in typeface and drawings on a computer at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford University. Deken also discussed the ability to connect to local and nationalcommunication networks. In an age where BASIC, PASCAL, LISP, and LOGO languages were being used, it was networking that Deken noted would make the greatest change:
"The greatest immediate social impact of the computer revolution may well come about due to computer networks. These networks, which can be based on telephone, cable television, or simple co-axial cable connections, provide channels for the extremely rapid and selective data transmission which computers make possible. With your personal computer as an access port you can communicate to your office copying machine across the country. The data transferred and processed could be supporting anything from electronic interactive games to investment strategies to building plans." (Morrow, page 274)
By the end of 1981, Deken noted that The Source and CompuServe Information Service were early computer networks. He estimated both networks had nearly 100,000 customers. (Morrow, page 274) The early networks, Deken contended, had a draw back. They were not computer oriented, but "merely a (television) terminal capable of simple requests and display commands, and the display itself often very limited." (Morrow, page 275)
The growth of the Internet, as we know it today, is attributed to Tim Berners-Lee at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, also known as CERN. CERN's scientists were interested in sharing research and ideas with other scientists world wide. This group began to develop protocols, language and rules to help computers talk to each other.
The World Wide Web (WWW) protocols grew from a consortium led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CERN and INRA (the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control). "The WWW is officially described as a 'wide-area hypermedia information retrieval initiative'." (Savola, Tom; Westenbroek A.; Heck J.; "Special Edition Using HTML," Que Corporation, 1995, page 30)
With the development of protocols, the first popular interface called Mosaic was released in 1993. It was created by the National Center for Supercomputing Application (NCSA). NCSA's goal was to develop "a graphical, easy-to-use application that would stimulate commercial development and support of the WWW." (Que Corporation, page 31) As Mosaic's popularity began to grow, so did the number of servers or web sites where users could acquire information. "At the beginning of 1993, there were only 130 sites (servers). Less than a year after the introduction of Mosaic, there were "over 10,000 servers...and more than 50 new servers are added daily." (Heslop, Brent D. and Holzgang, "HTML Publishing on the Internet for Macintosh: Create Great-LookingDocuments Online: Home Pages, Newsletters, Catalogs, Ads & Forms, Ventana, 1995, page 5)
Though varying numbers of Internet users have been quoted, it is estimated by 1994 there were over 3 million users; by 1995, 25 million; and by the end of the Century, 75 million users. The success of the Internet seems to be based on several factors:
ACURI ON THE INTERNET: AN ASSESSMENT STUDY
In assessing the value, cost and feasibility of the ACURI Association, Inc., developing and maintaining a home page on the Internet was undertaken in several areas: local servers, web browsers, equipment and other service costs, home page prototype considerations, and a survey of members local servers, web browsers, equipment and services.
The ACURI Association, Inc., operates through a contract for services through The Pennsylvania State University, College of Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Department at University Park, Pennsylvania. As a not-for-profit trade association, incorporated within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, ACURI needed an outside server to go on the Internet service.
In October of 1995, ACURI contacted a computer consultant to assist the Association to determine:
The consultant contacted numerous local servers and requested two proposals: 1) A Comprehensive Package. This package provides a turnkey system, which includes not only a server, but also the developer and manager of the home page; 2) A Webspace Package. This package provides for access to a server.
The consultant recommended the Webspace Package. His rationale was based on cost, web site usage and the Association's ability to be its own Webmaster.
Cost was the biggest difference between the two packages presented. The Webspace Package cost was nearly 70% less than the Comprehensive Package. The savings alone could help defray the cost of connection modems, digital camera, scanner, storage memory and software which the consultant recommended to enhance the operation of the web site.
Homepage Prototype Considerations
There are several points that must be taken into account.
The following ten suggestions were provided by Penn State University's Center for Academic Computing:
A SURVEY OF MEMBERS
In January 1996, prior to a ACURI Board of Directors Meeting, the Association surveyed its sustaining, corporate, reserve (not-for-profit organizations) and individual members. Nearly 30% of those surveyed returned the following questionnaire.
Response to the questionnaire:
BOARD APPROVAL: http://www.acuri.com
On January 30, 1996, the ACURI Board of Directors unanimously approved the operation of ACURI.COM as an Internet home page. The Board required that the web site be evaluated after one year of operation to assess its usefulness within the Association.
ACURI.COM: HOW IT WAS ORGANIZED
ACURI designed its home page to be easily accessed by browsers and ACURI members. The home page references the following 12 topics:
THE FUTURE AND THE INTERNET
As of October 1996, ACURI was still the only radioactive materials users' group on the Internet in the United States. Since ACURI.COM has been operable on the Internet, the number of browsers accessing ACURI has grown to nearly 100 hits per day, or over 3,000 hits per month. A hit does not indicate how many times an individual browser has returned or used the web site in one day. This exceeds the Association's ACURI Newsletter. The Association has published 2,500 copies per month. The Association's cost savings was nearly $7,000 by publishing the newsletter on a "as needed basis." ACURI.COM has nearly 400 HTML or GIF files in its five Megabyte server file. ACURI adds, deletes or modifies its files on its home page each week. The growth of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section seems to be one area where the public can benefit the most on issues related to radiation, radioactive materials, radioactive waste management issues and radiation science and medical topics.
ACURI.COM's future utilization on the Internet has great potential. Besides being an informational resource on issuesrelated to LLRW management and disposal, ACURI.COM has the potential of registering its members to meetings via the Internet and providing timely information to its members almost on an "on-call" basis. The Internet offers an invaluable opportunity to correct and even challenge anti-siting and anti-radioactive materials advocates who use the Internet to misinform or misrepresent the facts.
The Internet's full potential may not be fully appreciated until every household which has a television also has the capability of accessing the Internet. Joseph Deken said on the first page of his book, "The Electronic Cottage" that the computer "promises not only to change the way we live, but ultimately the way we think." That statement was made in 1981. Today, the Internet has made enormous strides in making the world smaller, more personal and definitely more informed. ACURI's goal is to provide that same value to its members and to browsers interested in low-level radioactive management and disposal issues when they access http://www.acuri.com.