RE: W3C Unified Glossary/Dictionary : gathering requirements

Hi Oliver
   I'm a lurker on this list, but I do have an interest in definitions
of Web terms.
   My particular interest is in rigourous definition of terms associated
with usage statistics for Web sites.  For example what is a "page", what
is a "user", what is a "unique user", what is a "hit", what is a
"session", etc.  This is needed in particular by the advertising
community (which gets money based on hits, visitors, etc.) and the Web
auditing community (dot com companies saying that they get xxx visitors
per day are likely to be audited to ensure that these statements are
correct).
    Both of the sectors have their own definitions which have been
agreed by neutral consortia - however the definitions may not be
consistent (whioch won't be surpising - for example, one defines a
session as hits from the same "user" within 30 minutes but another
states that a session finishes when the "user" leaves the Web site).
Both of these communities will probably have a fairly pragnmatic
approach, and may not have considered the implications of emerging
standards (Xlink, ...).
    Would the QA group wish to address the rigourous standardisation of
such terms (I know the Web Characterisation acrtivity did some work in
this acrtivity but that was several years ago)? Or would it wish to take
a ligher weight approach, perhaps by referring to the definitions used
by these other groups?
    I think it would be useful if W3C did provide some information in
this area as many Web site owners have an interest in this area.
   Note that I have started to do some work in this area - work on usage
statistics for e-journals (some links available at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/usage-processing/links) and would be
wiling to contribute some effort, if it was felt to be in scope.  

Brian 
---------------------------------------
Brian Kelly
UK Web Focus
UKOLN
University of Bath 
BATH
BA2 7AY
Email: B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk
Web: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
Phone: 01225 38 3943

> -----Original Message-----
> From: www-qa-request@w3.org [mailto:www-qa-request@w3.org] On 
> Behalf Of Olivier Thereaux
> Sent: 15 February 2002 05:50
> To: www-qa@w3.org
> Cc: w3c-translators@w3.org
> Subject: W3C Unified Glossary/Dictionary : gathering requirements
> 
> 
> Dear W3C QA Interest Group and W3C translators.
> 
> One of the goals of the Quality Assurance Activity at W3C is 
> to ensure consistency and quality in the terminology used in 
> our technical reports/specifications.
> 
> This is why the QA activity has decided to lead the project 
> of a unified W3C glossary, combined with a multilingual 
> dictionary for translators.
> 
> 
> We are now in the requirements gathering phase, and I hereby 
> ask for your input on:
> - features
> - data model
> - existing tools
> - existing similar pieces of work
> - ...
> 
> I have summed-up a few ideas at: 
> http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/01/Glossary-req
> This document will 
> grow as ideas get submitted.
> 
> Every good idea is welcome, although, of course, I cannot 
> guarantee that all submitted ideas will be implemented in the 
> actual service.
> 
> Please reply (with good sense) to me, privately (ot@w3.org), 
> to the QAIG list (www-qa@w3.org) or the translator's list 
> (w3c-translators@w3.org).
> 
> 
> When this requirement-gathering phase ends, we'll look at 
> existing software, and decide whether to use one of those or 
> develop our own.
> 
> Thank you very much in advance.
> 
> -- 
> Olivier
> 
>

Received on Friday, 15 February 2002 06:03:21 UTC