Provisional Title: Balancing Confusion: How might we better understand the interaction between our traditional dotLRN My Space and the return of the Windows Desktop with WebDAV?

I will examine this problem in three parts: 1) visually, 2) logically and metaphorically, and as the problem involves a conspicuous use of the permissions system, 3) as it challenges the concept of seamless integration.

1. As you will see in the diagram below, among WebDAV's significant features is the use of the Windows Desktop and Windows Explorer file manager to copy and move files from the user's computer to Dotlrn. The question is to what degree this additional level distracts, confuses, and perhaps even encourages the user to leave dotLRN much as some users have returned to using the "reply to all" feature of their own email client and so escaped the Forums. In the table below, the green arrows indicate actions which lead the user out of dotLRN.

We worry that this feature challenges the application's "sovereignity", (About Face, p. 483) and wonder if:

• The profitable use of WebDAV might require additional interface design.

• If we this might lead us to reconsider dotLRN's hitherto sovereign design.

2. Secondly, turning n Cooper's concept of sovereignty. (e. g. striving to be the desktop, occupying the entire screen, etc.) in dotLRN, consider the logical and metaphorical organization of dotLRN::

• file display within dotLRN's framing

• the full-window design of the folder views,

• the tabs metaphor of the (new and graphically splendid) tabs design (which suggests that all you need is reachable through these divider tabs),

• emphasizing the revisions as if the dotLRN filestore copy were the only decisive one, and

• terminological confusion about name and title, public, shared status, etc.

We would like to explore how WebDAV might confuse the reliable use of "My Space" (see also my Thoughts about Navigation) and the understanding and functioning of the tabs: are we disturbing a logical and functional consistency?

3. There is a third problem in crossing the boundaries of the "outpost" desktop of My Space and the genuine local desktop, and this is made obvious when, using WebDAV, outpost items are only reachable after authentication and a process involving yet another pop-up. Even if users were recommended to store their credentials (which would be irresponsible from computer center staff's view), there would still be much bother at the first time of access. Therefore, it is not really so simple as "clicking this bookmark will cause Windows to open up an Explorer window" (openacs.org).

I therefore would recommend WebDAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning) only when

• Authoring (loading up materials), and

• Versioning (bothering about revisions other than normal word processor internal revisions)

and clean the rest of the dotLRN and, particularly, filestore UI from confusing, sovereign, and versioning architecture design elements.

Matthias, 4.11.04 (with much help from Bruce, 8.11.04)