LTER Information Management

The LTER IMC Meeting will be held September 8th, followed by a larger meeting on 9/10-11 for the Environmental Information Management Community. The theme for the larger meeting is "Managing Streaming Sensor Data - Handling Large Quantities of Data in Near Real Time".

Join us on Monday, June 23, 1-2pm OR Tuesday, June 24, 9-10am, MDT for community-wide VTCs to schedule updates and reports leading up to our 2008 Annual LTER IM Meeting! Please contact James Williams, LNO at jlwilliams@lternet.edu regarding your VTC setup.

Draft Agenda for VTC update for IM Community
Monday, June 23, 1-2pm and Tuesday, June 24, 9-10am, MDT

1:00pm/9:00am – 1:30pm/9:30am VTC configuration
Settings
The mute button
Virtual space available for impromptu meetings for working groups or individuals
Discussion

1:30pm/9:30am – 2:00pm/10:00am
Goals of regular VTC updates, particularly leading up to IMC 2008
What do we need to hear about?
Suggested topics for updates prior to IMC08 may include:
IMexec Report
Exec Board Report
NISAC Report
LNO Report
EcoTrends Report
NIS Progress Report
NEON Report
Working Group Reports: Governance, GIS, Unit Dictionary, EML, Training

When should we schedule updates? Schedule necessary updates leading up to IMC 2008
How should we schedule updates, Doodle?
Discussion

Notes from June 23, 2008, Margaret O'Brien
it went well this afternoon. we had about 12 connected at once, with 1-3 using voice only. Some people had to reconnect, and the video was poor for awhile (voice takes precedence).

Generally, people were pretty open to VTC being a way to get updates. As expected, some people were mostly listeners. We tried the hand-raising method - which worked well, but then people seem to feel they need to wait to be called on, rather than that a raised hand is the signal for 'I'm going to talk now". But it's partly a matter of choosing the protocol, and getting used to the medium, as Don says. I think they liked the opportunity to be connected more than 1/year. Your group tomorrow is smaller - maybe that will make it easier to get input from everyone.

Topics: These are the high priority topics that Monday's group came up
with:
1. NISAC/CI implementation planning (Wade) this was a clear first choice 2. IMexec (apparently no one reads the notes!) 3. LNO proposal status, and project status, specifically Ecotrends 4. Working group reports. This discussion kind of segued into a short discussion of the need for working groups to get together (with vtc?) before theri update, and also that imexec needs input on what working groups to host this year.

Scheduling: For the most part, IMC seemed to like a regular schedule, with the list of topics and dates to be posted in advance. They asked if IMexec had already decided on biweekly, and I think I said "in theory..." so they may be looking forward to a NISAC report july 7&8?
The lno people want to be in August, due to vacation scheduling.

and finally - we did get off topic for awhile. The recent rfp for supplement funds came up. Not really a problem, though we did run over the hour. I think though - that any kind of VTC will always be an opportunity to get some side info, as neccessary. And if a scheduled update takes only 20 minutes (ie, the length of a powerpoint presentation), then that leaves quite a bit of time for discussion of either pertinent or side matters - generally, a Good Thing.

Perhaps IMexec should make the status of the working groups a high priority for the next conf call, so that we can start lining up WG-chairs for VTC updates.

Here are the links you needed:
doodle link with list of participants:
http://www.doodle.ch/participation.html?pollId=vaidx7tin5eh3bnp

your adenda is linked from the 2008 agenda page, since I didnt have permission to add to the main imc2008 page:
http://intranet.lternet.edu/im/news/meetings/2008event
http://intranet.lternet.edu/im/news/meetings/2008/agenda
I think we need a section "meetings/2008/preparation" or something like that.

Notes from June 24, 2008, John Porter
LTER IM Conference Call - 6/24/06

A. In attendance
1. Brunt
2. Boose
3. Kaplan
4. Ackerman
5. Porter
B. Discussion
1. meeting went well yesterday - 14 people
2. Margaret & Don's feedback
a) If we plan a meeting for an hour, stick to an hour
b) stay muted when not speaking, then raise hand to be
recognized before unmuting
1) be sure to include audio-only
2) try not to collide
c) say your name before you speak
d) note taker independent of leader
e) updated VMS technology
1) good chance for IM to show way
2) EB using, but not science council
3. Monday's group
a) NIS development update
b) LNO looking at web conferencing - evaluating 4 candidates
1) Meritec, WebX, Infinite Conferencing, Adobe Connect
2) for sharing powerpoint on web
3) play is to use polycom in concordance with Polycom
c) discussion
1) Maybe do testing with smaller group....
2) presenation is easy - interactivity is issue
3) issues of single screen access for PPT and Polycom
4) some have hand raising capability
4. probably keep splitting group
C. Goal
1. prepare for 1-day IM Meeting
a) report presented followed by moderated discussion
1) 20 min report, then discussion - cut off at end of hour
D. Scheduling VTCs
1. LNO "blackout" dates
a) starting in August - every other week
b) IMEXEC is on the July 1st - without LNO aid
c) want some info. meetings July 7-11 - can do
1) then LNO goes on vacation July 13 for 2 weeks
d) week of July 21st, we can still talk
e) August = week of 4th (ESA week), week of 11th (Brunt Gone)
1) will poll IMs to see...
f) Sept. 1-5 (1 is labor day)
g) plan for 5 meetings (conservatively) prior to IM Meeting
E. Topics
1. yesterday
a) NISAC - CI planning
b) instead of talks, prepare for working groups
1) VTCs may take place of 5-min presentations
a> data access tools Mark Servilla working on
b> 09 CI survey
c) time for 4 working groups
d) LNO proposal status
1) Ecotrends
e) Decadal plan working groups
1) need to do really quickly since due 15 July
2) but we should be well-positioned
3) technical details on dialing in
4) could IMEXEC VTC invite people interested in people with
ideas for supplements?
a> just need to know who they are
b> email brainstorming?
c> last IMEXEC had potential project links
f) Reports of interest?
1) see list in agenda
2) NEON report
a> need to broaden
3) also work on Web Services
4) EIMC meeting will provide lots of information - maybe too
much!
a> would be good to get reports on "new things" from EIMC
b> should we provide time at meeting or VTC for reporting back
c> could also have expanded "good reads" section in Databits
5) Unit Taskforce?
a> could that be potential topic for VTC?
b> small enough group that we don't need to take time of full
group
1> better to have private VTC of select group
2> still have some hurdles
6) Controlled vocabulary
a> need some new focus
b> could be VTC
c> issues -
1> developing or selecting vocabulary
2> how will we implement it?
a: what tools?
d> simple vs. complex
e> plan for week of Aug. 25
7) NEON
a> might be able to get technology officer for NEON to talk to
us in VTC
b> Marshall Peterson is their Tech Officer
c> Todd could check with him to see if they are at a point
where a conversation would be worthwhile
F. Scheduling
1. when is best time for LNO Report
a) 19th - could do two in one day.... or just do 2 hour?