A Controversial Proposal: ExternallyHosted Web Services

1
A Controversial Proposal Externally-Hosted Web
Services

• Brian Kelly
• UK Web Focus
• UKOLN
• University of Bath

Summary This talk describes a variety of
externally-hosted web services and ponders on
their applicability for UK HEIs.
Email B.Kelly_at_ukoln.ac.uk URL
http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/
UKOLN is funded by Resource The Council for
Museums, Archives and Libraries, the Joint
Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the
Higher and Further Education Funding Councils, as
well as by project funding from the JISC and the
European Union. UKOLN also receives support
from the University of Bath where it is based.
2
Ring Any Bells?

• You manage a Web service or create departmental
  Web pages
• Your job was fun once, but now it's difficult to
  keep on top the job
• You need extra resources, but cant get them
• Your good Unix systems staff have left for
• There is a software solution, but it's expensive
• You tried to install the 14 day evaluation
  version, but couldn't get it to work
• When you eventually got it to work, your PC
  wasn't powerful enough to run it
• You can't afford an upgrade to your PC

3
An Answer To The Webmaster's Prayer?

• A solution may be available
• A solution which is free (in many cases)
• A solution which requires no software
  installation
• A solution which requires no investment in
  hardware
• A solution which exploits the network and keeps
  UKERNA in business
• The solution is deployment of externally-hosted
  Web services

Sounds great? But will it mean outsourcing your
IT department?
4
What Do We Mean?

• Remember HTML Validation services
• Enter a URL into a Web form and check it
  validates
• Add an image if your page is valid HTML
• Link the page to the validation for on-the-fly
  validation - an externally-hosted web service

5
Your View So Far

• Sounds great, no software to install, available
  for free. What else can be done in this way?

Question Has anyone made use of externally-hosted
web services?
Sorry I'm indecisive.I can't decide.
What edge of this spectrum are you closest to?
No way! I don't want to be reliant on anyone
else. Besides, I'll be out of a job if this idea
takes off this is out-sourcing.
6
Hit Counters to Web Stats
D

• Hit counters have developed into comprehensive
  Web statistical services

• Model
• Link to image held on remote Web site
• Follow link to remote site to get graphical
  display of hits
• Use JavaScript to record PC profile

See lthttp//www.exploit-lib.org/issue5/indicators/
gt Comparison of externally-hosted and licensed
approaches to be published in Exploit Interactive
in issue 7.
7
eGroups Mailing Lists
D

• eGroups lets you set up free mailing lists
• eGroups provides an email and Web interface
• Calendars, polls and databases are also provided
  by eGroups
• How does this compare with Listproc or
  Majordomo installed locally?

You can use www.smartgroups.com if you want a
UK-based equivalent
8
Content Management
D

• Manilla is a Web-based content management tool.
• You can buy the softwarefor 899 or use it for
  free at Editthispage.com

9
Managing Link Gateways
D

• LinkBank.com enables link gateways to be managed
• Bulk upload
• Email notification of broken links
• Summaries of usage
• User "sort by" option

See also JumpList.com
10
User Feedback
D

• User feedback can include voting systems,
  quizzes, etc.

http//www.responders.net/
See lthttp//www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue23/web-focus/gt
and lthttp//ezpolls.mycomputer.com/gt
See also lthttp//www.freepolls.com/gt
11
Notification Services
D

• You can register a page at Netmind.
• You will receive a message when the page is
  updated.

The Netmind service is used at Exploit
Interactive to provide notification of a new
issue.
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Server Down - Notification
http//www.internetseer.com

• Recently the Exploit Interactive Web server
  crashed after a virus checker caused memory
  leaks.
• Internetseer's free Website monitoring service is
  now used to check the site hourly.
• Up to 230 URLs can be checked for free.

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Submit-it Services
http//www.submitit.com/

• Rather than manually submitting key resources to
  many search engines you can
• Purchase and install an application locally
• Subscribe to a Web-based service
• Use a free Web-based service

Exploit Interactive has used ScrubTheWeb
reviewed in issue 6
http//www.scrubtheweb.com/
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Search Engines

• If you are one of the 50 HEIs without a search
  facility on your Web site, why not let a
  third-party index your Web site?
• All you need is a few lines of HTML

Nene College and St. Mary's College use FreeFind
and Derby University uses AltaVista
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Content
http//ezpolls.mycomputer.com/

• Free news feeds, classified ads, jokes, cartoons,
  quotations) can be included on your Web site

Get Guardian news feeds for free from
lthttp//www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/free/gt
http//notinmybackyard.com/
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Calendars
lthttp//my.netscape.com/gt

• Why bother with Outlook when you can get calendar
  facilities for free?

You can also add your own local news feeds
See also http//www.when.com/
http//www.ft.com/personaloffice/
17
File Store

• Your file store can be stored remotely

See lthttp//www.idrive.com/gt

• Note
• Tools can integrate with Windows Explorer
• Growing interest in Storage Area Networks (SANs)

18
Your Intranet

• Why not host your Intranet remotely?
• Intranets.com provide
• Document management tools
• Email capabilities
• Group calendars
• Instant messaging

19
Issues

• Many externally-hosted web services are
  available, but
• What about the dependencies of the network(s)?
• What about the reliance of the third-party? Will
  the company stay in business?
• The interface isn't as rich as desktop
  applications
• If the service is funded by advertising revenue,
  with use contravene the JANET AUP?
• Will large-scale use of such services generate
  large network bills?
• Is my data secure and private?
• Is my data reusable and available in an open
  format?
• Is is sensible for a mission-critical service?

Remember the WebTechs incident?
20
RDN Include

• The Resource Discovery Network Centre (RDNC)
  coordinates the work of RDN hubs, such as SOSIG,
  EEVL, BIOME, etc.
• Institutions may be reluctant to link to hubs as
  they want users to stay on the University Web
  site.

The RDNC is developing the RDN-I (Include)
service to give the appearance that the hub is
located within the institution.
The RDN will be providing an externally-hosted
service
21
The DNER

• The DNER
• JISC-funded initiative managed by Lorcan Dempsey
• Distributed National Electronic Resource
• Seamless access from institutions to national
  resources (MIMAS, BIDS, EDINA, etc)
• Based on intelligent server software (broker) and
  support for standards (XML, Dublin Core, Z39.50,
  etc.)
• An example of Business-to-Business application

JISC's vision for the DNER has many similarities
to the externally-hosted Web services we have
seen, but based on open standards.
22
What About The Users?

• "I use the external services because the
  University doesn't allow me access to install on
  the server and because it doesn't make any
  appropriate tools available."
• Tom Wilson, Department of Information Studies,
  University of Sheffield
• "Our search facility is currently hosted by
  atomz.com , some calendering by Yahoo!, so I'm
  increasingly drawn to externally hosted
  solutions... more time to catch up on other, more
  pressing work, until they all stop working."
• Ian Usher, Webmonger, Department of Geography,
  UCL

• At one university 60 of UGs arrived with a
  HotMail account, which they used in preference to
  the University email account.
• Should the university support use of HotMail?
• Can they afford not to?
• What will happen when they arrive with a calendar
  service?

23
ASP

• Application Service Providers (ASP)
• Commercial sector already moving in this
  direction
• Sun promote access to StarOffice across network
  in preference to MS Office on local PC
• Futurelink.net renting MS Office across network
  for 79 / month
• Search Yahoo! for ASP for directories

Are Athens and Mailbase early examples of ASPs?
24
Conclusions

• Externally hosted web services
• Are available in many different areas
• Arguments against their use (reliability,
  privacy, trust, performance) should diminish as
  they mature
• Their usability will improve as W3C developments
  (DOM, XHTML, SVG) become more available
• Your user community will use them (are using
  them) in any case
• Of particular interest to the FE community?
• Will we see a move towards use of Application
  Service Providers (ASPs)?
• A valuable resource for the Web Manager
• What "the Joined-Up Web" is about?