G'day Brian Thanks for your email. I understand your comment, but from a personal point of view, I work in an environment that contains a variety of sound levels and I am regularly working on other projects. I have found that that having "listen" on and having someone yelling out "are you free Jason" works well (I have been doing this for around 3 years now). I guess in some way, it works like a door bell, but instead people are calling out your name. The other advantage is that people can see if you are in the local area, before they say hello :-)
I guess in my opinion, someone asking for you personally is better than having some form of alarm going off. Though I guess there would be some cases where having something directly alerting you (similar to a phone) would be necessary. Again, this is just my opinion, though I think this is an interesting topic. Once again, thanks for your reply and I look forward to hearing what other people have to say. Cheers, Jason. -----Original Message----- From: Brian Tieman [mailto:tie...@aps.anl.gov] Sent: Thursday, 13 April 2006 10:29 PM To: Jason Bell Cc: Cindy Sievers; Ivan R. Judson; Thomas D. Uram; Tom Coffin; ag-tech Subject: Re: [AG-TECH] Doorbell for the grid? The beamline is a noisy place where people are focused on their experiments--not a computer that may or may not have someone at the other end. Never-the-less, the someone at the other end may be someone I wish to speak with. I can look out my window to see if someone is standing on my front porch...but a doorbell is more convenient...I agree not everyone needs this functionality, but I think of the AG more as a bag of tols than a single application. I may need tools you don't, but I still need my tools and would like them to play well with others. Jason Bell wrote: >G'day All > >I thought I might add my 2 cents worth here. In my opinion, I don't >know if the "On Air" type of thing is really required... As we have the >tools already that highlights whether (for example) audio is on or not. > >The reason that I mention this is because I recently have been >displaying "Rat" on the display screen/wall for users to view whilst >participating within an AG session. This has multiple benefits: > >* Users can see there audio transmission level; > >* Can see that the "Talk" button is enabled, thereby informing >users they are currently "On the Air"; > >* Also allows users access to switch off the "Talk" button if they >require a private conversation. > >In my opinion, if we education users, (this button turns talk on and >off, etc) the users will have enough information already to determine >whether that equipment is on or not. Therefore, why not simply use Rat >to determine is you are "on the air" or not. > >Secondly, a number of my Australian colleagues (including myself) have a >portable machine that run continuously in the APAG lobby. I have found >this invaluable, in which you simply say hello, if you or anyone else >has have any questions, want to conduct a quick test, etc.... The >simple "Are you there Jason" or whoever works well. And if you don't >wish to be disturbed, you turn off the listen button. You can also tell >when transmitting a message who receives it (By the green lights within >rat) as well. > >Sending a message through the VenueClient is also useful for getting >peoples attention as well. > >So I guess I would like to ask, do we "really need" a doorbell or an "On >Air" function. I my opinion, I don't think it is required. Just >educate people with the use of the already supplied tools with the >Access Grid. > >Anyway, I am happy to hear other people's opinions and I'm curious to >see what everyone else thinks. > >Cheers, >Jason. > >-----Original Message----- >From: owner-ag-t...@mcs.anl.gov [mailto:owner-ag-t...@mcs.anl.gov] On >Behalf Of Cindy Sievers >Sent: Thursday, 13 April 2006 2:12 AM >To: Ivan R. Judson; Brian Tieman >Cc: Thomas D. Uram; Tom Coffin; ag-tech >Subject: Re: [AG-TECH] Doorbell for the grid? > >Actually if you are talking about a more or less persistent space, in >addition the doorbell idea, it might be good to have just a signal that >the >"Grid is ON" or "Grid of OFF".....even in monitored spaces, the biggest >concern that participants have is whether the cameras and mics are >transmitting or not.....some sort of visual indicator would be very >useful... > >At 08:31 AM 4/12/2006, Ivan R. Judson wrote: > > > >>It'd be interesting to couple a standard (but non-annoying tone, or >>chime) with the little red light that can plug in via usb I got a >>couple of years ago (Tom has it now ask him about it :-). >> >>Then you could ring/ping/tap whatever and it'd play the chime and >>blink the light as a cue someone was remotely trying to get your >>attention. >> >>In general this visual cue would be useful for other things like >>question and answer during lectures, visual indication of network >>problems for a speaker, or other things... >> >>--Ivan >> >>On Apr 12, 2006, at 8:11 AM, Brian Tieman wrote: >> >> >> >>>Tom, >>> >>>Yes, the beamline is a fairly noisy place. Speakers turned up loud >>>enough for a user--who may be several feet away--to hear will >>>likely also have lots of static--especially in our electrically >>>noisy environment. My thoughts were to couple a tone--likely a >>>sonalert of some sort which can be very distinctive even in noisy >>>environments--with a strobe. It can be set up to "ring" >>>occasionally rather than incessently. >>>I was just wondering if maybe this sort of issue has already been >>>resolved for cases other than the trivial ones where leaving the >>>"listen" button on is sufficient. >>> >>>Brian >>> >>>Thomas D. Uram wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>>Well, if the audio is on at the beamline, the remote researchers >>>>could just begin talking >>>>to the guys on the beamline, right? The beamline is likely a >>>>noisy environment, so >>>>this may not be heard well, but just as much as some tone, I would >>>>think. Maybe I'm thinking >>>>of the situation differently than you are; clarify as needed. >>>> >>>>Tom >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>On 4/12/06 8:34 AM, Brian Tieman wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>Tom, >>>>> >>>>>But only if you looking at your email...or have your email >>>>>forwarded to a pager, etc... >>>>> >>>>>We'd like to leave an AG room open and live at an APS beamline >>>>>where people will be working on equipment and not necessarily >>>>>looking at computers--or at least not the computers running the >>>>>AG. If a collabarator wants checks in via the grid--the will see >>>>>the guys working, but how do you remotely tap a guy on the >>>>>shoulder to make him look up from his work to notice you? The >>>>>phone works, of course, but a way to ring a bell and/or light up >>>>>a strobe would be very usefull to us. >>>>> >>>>>Thanks! >>>>> >>>>>Brian >>>>> >>>>>Tom Coffin wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>>email notifications via the agscheduler work pretty well. >>>>>> >>>>>>_________________________________________ >>>>>>At 02:07 PM 4/11/2006, Brian Tieman wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>>Hi all, >>>>>>> >>>>>>>We're hoping to use the AG in more of an "always on" >>>>>>>environment for collaboration with users. We'd be doing this >>>>>>>at an experimental facility where people will generally be >>>>>>>paying more attention to the facility equipment than a random >>>>>>>user who may pop in to collaborate, monitor, etc...And so we're >>>>>>>looking for something like a doorbell or telephone ringer that >>>>>>>would alert someone at the facility that a remote collaborator >>>>>>>may wish to chat with them. >>>>>>> >>>>>>>Has anyone implemented something like this? I can think of a >>>>>>>couple of ways to go about it, but thought if anyone had a >>>>>>>"standard" solution, we could just glom onto that. >>>>>>> >>>>>>>Thanks! >>>>>>> >>>>>>>Brian Tieman >>>>>>>Advanced Photon Source >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>___________________________________________________________ >>>>>>Tom Coffin .......................... tcof...@ncsa.uiuc.edu >>>>>> >>>>>> NCSA-ACCESS cel: 703-477-5948 >>>>>> 901 North Stuart Street, #800 tel: 703-248-0105 >>>>>> Arlington, Virginia 22203 fax: 703-248-0100 >>>>>> >>>>>>_________________________ http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/~tcoffin >>>>>> >>>>>> > > >============================================ >Cindy Sievers Los Alamos National Laboratory >siev...@lanl.gov Group CCS-1 MS B287 >tel:505.665.6602 Advanced Computing >fax:505.665.4939 Los Alamos, NM 87544 >============================================ > > >
