Mroom User Questionnaire

This questionnaire is intended for potential users of Mrooms, task-oriented environments that support collaboration in the Internet. Mrooms are currently being developed in the Distributed Systems Research Group, Department of Computer Science at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.

Mrooms support collaboration by providing a work space where users share applications and information such as documents, multimedia presentations and whiteboards. Mrooms can be accessed with Web browsers, and access can be restricted to group members. Users have tools for awareness of and communication with other users in the Mroom; when users occupy the Mroom at different times, they can observe one another's changes to information. Mrooms also guarantee persistence and consistency of information.

More information on the project can be found on its home page at http://www.dcs.qmw.ac.uk/research/distrib/Mushroom/.

The questions are divided into two sections. First, we ask you to describe a recent or current project in which you have been involved. Second, we would like to hear your needs and requirements for collaboration.

1. Collaboration in a recent or current project

In this first section we would like information about a recent or current collaborative project -- preferably one using computer support of some type, and/or one in which the collaborators are geographically dispersed. If you can think of several such projects, then please submit a form for each of them.

Characterise your collaboration, in terms of shared tasks, goals and information:
Number of people you collaborated with directly:
How were people distributed geographically?
What different roles did collaborators play?
How often did collaborators meet face to face, and what was the purpose of these meetings?
Did the meetings achieve their purpose, and how important were they to the project?
Which tools or systems (e.g., e-mail, whiteboard, conferencing) did you use in the project, and how?
Were you satisfied or dissatisfied with the tools? Why?
What kind of problems or good aspects in collaboration have you encountered with the project?
Do you have any other comments on the collaborative aspects of the project?

2. Requirements for collaboration

Which tools or systems (whether or not they exist) would you like to use, and for what tasks?
What support would you like for coordinating activities and tasks?
What kind of objects would you like to share in collaborative activities?
Can you envisage using a system that enables you to 'encounter' users while browsing or searching for information on the Web, and to hold on-line discussions and interactions with them? If so, how?
How else would you like to see the Web enhanced to support collaboration and interaction?
Beyond the Web, what other requirements do you have for computer support for collaboration and user interaction?

3. Personal information (optional)

Provide this information if you don't mind us contacting you with further questions.

Your name:

E-mail address:

Company or organization:

Comments on this questionnaire:

June 1996

Mushroom project