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7.8. Options for the future development of DIALogue
From
an operational point of view, DIALogue has some considerable differences from
DIAL Index and DIAL Search:
- The DIAL Index and DIAL Search facilities are technically very closely
inter-related and need to run from the same Internet host. The DIALogue
facility is not so tightly integrated with the other two components, and need
not be run from the same host computer. From a user's perspective, this would
make little difference, as hypertext links from the DIAL home page and
elsewhere would continue to give the appearance of one system.
- The administrative requirements of DIALogue are also very different from
those of the other two facilities, as they are likely to require the DIALogue
operator to communicate with very senior legal experts (the Panelists), and
senior government and other officials in the DMCs (the Authorised Users) on a
regular basis on such matters as lost passwords, understanding of the
facilities, and possibly even removal of messages. As the OGC of the Bank is in
regular contact with these experts and officials, it is best placed to choose
which are to be allowed access to DIALogue, and would be able to communicate
with them appropriately about use of DIALogue. Otherwise, the DIALogue
operator must be able to be depended upon to use a great deal of care and tact
when dealing with these users.
- There are greater potential legal risks in the operation of e-mail
facilities than in the operation of directory and search engine facilities,
particularly in relation to defamation and breach of copyright[144]. The risks may be more in theory than in substance, due
to DIALogue participation being limited to legal experts and government
officials. They can be addressed but cannot be ignored entirely. It may be
necessary for a University host or a commercial host of any ongoing DIALogue
facilities to obtain indemnities from the Bank in order to operate the full
DIALogue facility. The Bank's legal immunities may give it protections that
other potential hosts of DIALogue do not enjoy.
In summary, it is
technically feasible for DIALogue to be run on the Bank's own host computer,
and there would be administrative advantages, and possibly legal advantages, in
the Bank maintaining the necessary relationships with the DIALogue
participants.
Against this, there are some advantages in ease of maintaining consistency of
appearance between DIALogue and the other facilities, and in maintaining the
most useful interlinkages between them, if they are run from the same host. The
Bank may also have reasons to wish to have DIALogue run independently. If so,
the additional burden of work and responsibility that this places on the DIAL
host facility should not be underestimated. DIALogue work will of necessity
have to be given a high priority, and will reduce the amount of time available
for staff to devote to the other DIAL facilities.
The communications options developed for the DIALogue prototype, as described
above, give users a rich set of options which include sending mail to any of
the following:
- all DIALogue Panelists; one of more categories of Panelists; or
individual Panelists;
- all Authorised Users; Member Country Users only; ADB Office of General
Counsel Staff only; or individual Authorised Users;
- all DIALogue participants, both Panelists and Authorised Users;
- all DIALogue participants, reflected in a permanent archive, the DIALogue
Discussion List;
- a more public e-mail Discussion List, the LAW-DEV List.
Having
developed these facilities in accordance with the terms of reference as
detailed at the outset of the consultancy, we now have some concern that they
may create too complex a set of options. There is a risk that some potential
users of DIALogue who do not have extensive prior experience with use of e-mail
facilities may be unaware of exactly how broadly their message will be
transmitted, particularly when they reply to messages. This has the potential
for embarrassment, particularly when a person thinks that they are replying to
only the sender of a message, but in fact it is going to many recipients.
Any e-mail discussion list raises this problem to some extent, and e-mail
users must always be vigilant to ensure they do not inadvertently send a
private reply to a list. However, the DIALogue prototype offers an unusually
sophisticated facility which offers a graduated scale of communications ranging
from single recipients to every user of the facility.
There are two potential uses of DIALogue which were not explicitly required by
the project specifications, but which seem desirable:
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