The SEG consists of volunteers, including non-technically oriented users, from a variety of backgrounds. The membership of the SEG will range from literate and intelligent Windows user to technically competent Linux programmer interested in the SEG tasks. Currently it is composed primarily of scientists, but that may change.

The group is led by Aldo Solaris.

Who?

The SEG exists to research what is needed in the SEUL system, from the point of view of potential users.

Market Research

Initially, the basic goal of the SEG is to get an exact idea of what our target users really want, and provide that information in a clear form to the rest of the SEUL project. This is beginning to happen here.

More specifically, the SEG would produce clear and concise reports of these initial questions. They would also include the raw data and their methods for drawing their conclusions, so these results or processes can be checked or reproduced in the future. Also, they should compare everything with the user-types/percentages in the sample, so we know how the survey results correlate with our target group's interests.

Design & Testing

Later in the project the SEG will interact with 'coders' (i.e. the programmers of the SEUL project) to produce a high quality, very easy to use operating system (OS) and ported applications suite. This interaction will be carried out through the design and statistical analyses of questionnaires which all SEGers should respond to.

Members will be requested to download via file transfer protocol (ftp) the OS and applications to test. Furthermore, you will be asked to tell what you think an OS should allow (no technical jargon needed), what applications you need for what tasks, what you feel comfortable with while working with a personal computer (PC) as well as several other questions. The final output of SEUL will be the product of this interaction between the programmers & the expert group.

All of this work will be carried out via the internet, using electronic mail and up- and downloading of files by FTP.

Every SEUL group will be able to take advantage of the SEG and its reports. Each group should also make sure to provide Aldo with the specific information that is important to that particular group, so the SEG can focus on getting the answers that SEUL needs to progress on all fronts.

What/How?

The SEG is organised over the seul-seg mailing list. This forum will serve as a medium to gather the information needed by the project to assure research & quality control. To subscribe, you may either drop us a line to owner-seul-seg@seul.org or send a message to Majordomo@seul.org with the command (in the body of the message, not the subject field) subscribe seul-seg your@email.here.

Alternatively, you could fill in the form below.

N.B.: All subscriptions must be approved by the SEG leader, So there may be a small delay.

All standard disclaimers for public mailing lists apply to seul-seg. Messages are distributed automatically and neither institutions nor individuals affiliated to SEUL, SEG or any other SEUL related entity, now or in the future, may accept any responsibilities whatsoever for the use of any products or information received through this forum.

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