[If you're on the TGN mailing list you should=20
already have received one of these. We apologise if=20
you have received duplicate mailings but we wanted=20
to reach as wide an audience as possible.]
Dear Colleague,
You may have already heard of the Electronic=20
Glycoscience Conferences:- (Wilson I.B.H. and=20
Hardy, B.H. (1996) Glycoscience and the Internet.=20
Trends in Glycoscience and Glycotechnology 8: 301-
10=20
http://www.ifnet.or.jp/~pubsite/TIGG/TIGG42/42GOe.ht
ml; Hardy, B.H., Doughty, S.W., Parretti, M.F.,=20
Tennison, J. and Wilson I.B.H. (1997) Internet=20
conferences in glycobiology, Glycobiology 7: R9-
R12). These are international conferences in the=20
glycosciences held on the Internet which have been=20
running since 1995.
The organising committee for the fourth Electronic=20
Glycoscience Conference (EGC-4), which is scheduled=20
to take place in 1999, comprises Dr David Ashford=20
(York University, UK), Dr Bob Lauder (Lancaster=20
University, UK) and Dr Tony Merry (BioMed Labs, UK)
We are proud to announce that this conference,=20
which will take place exclusively on the Internet,=20
is to be hosted by VEI Ltd. (http://www.vei.co.uk),=20
VEI, a leading service provider in virtual=20
conferencing events. For a demonstration of the=20
Virtual Conference Centre see=20
http://www.vei.co.uk/openday/
As part of the initial phase we are discussing=20
different ways of running the conference and=20
deciding just what people want. This is hard=20
because we know what we want: however, we need to=20
find out what YOU want.
We would be very grateful if you would take a few=20
moments to answer the few questions below. As an=20
incentive we are offering free registrations to EGC-
4 for three people who return their questionnaires.
I know that filling out questionnaires is a drag=20
and that you throw most away, but if you fill this=20
one out you'll help us a lot.
Please mail your completed questionnaire to=20
r.lauder at lancaster.ac.uk (you may be able to use=20
the "reply to" or "reply to sender by mail" buttons=20
on your mail program or newsreader) or FAX it to=20
+44-(0)1524-843854 marked for the attention of Bob=20
Lauder or if you prefer, got to=20
http://www-de.gnacademy.org/glycores/cgi-bin/egc4q=20
to fill in a web-form version of the questionnaire.
If you know of any colleagues who might be=20
interested in receiving this, please send it on to=20
them. (If you have received this as a forwarded=20
mail you may need to check the reply address).
Thanks,
EGC-4 organising committee.
----------------------------------------------------
-------------
Electronic Conference Questionnaire.
------------------------------------
1. Did you attend any of the previous EGC=20
conferences?
Yes........
No........
If yes, please answer the following questions.
If no, go to 2.
1a. Specific questions about previous EGCs.
Which ones did you attend?
What impressions did each one leave you with?
Were they useful? (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 as=20
no and 10 as yes).......
Did you think that it was time well spent? (1 =3D not=20
at all, 10 =3D very much).......
What aspects were good?
And which were bad?
Can you help us by making any other comments?
2. Have you ever been to any of the TGN Live! or=20
ChemWeb virtual lectures?=20
[http://chemweb.vei.co.uk/index.html]
Yes........
No........
If yes, please answer the following questions.
If no, go to 3.
2a. Specific questions about TGN Live! and ChemWeb=20
virtual lectures
What did you think of the lecture/s?
Was this a good way to attend a lecture? (1 =3D no,=20
10 =3D yes).......
Was it easy for you to follow what was going=20
on?.......
Yes........
No........
Did you think that it was time well spent? (1 =3D not=20
at all, 10 =3D very much) .......
3. Would you like to see another virtual=20
glycoscience conference (EGC-4) in 1999?
Yes........
No........
If no, please give reasons why not.
If yes, please answer the following questions.
3a. Would you attend EGC-4?
Yes........
No........
Maybe........
If yes, please answer the following questions.
If no, please give reasons why not. Then go to 4.
If maybe, please explain what your decision depends=20
on, then go to the next question.
3b. At the EGC conferences papers and posters are=20
presented just like in a conventional conference -=20
would you consider presenting a poster or paper at=20
the conference?
Yes........
No........
Maybe........
If yes, please answer the following questions.
If no, please give reasons why not. Then go to 4.
If maybe, please explain what your decision depends=20
on. Then go to the next question.
3c. It is proposed that the proceedings could be=20
published as a CD-ROM rather than a book. Which=20
would you prefer?
Prefer a book........
Prefer CD-ROM........
No preference........
Should not be published........
3d. How do our plans for publication of the papers=20
and posters affect your decision whether to present=20
at EGC4?
a) Would be less likely to present if the papers=20
and posters were published........
b) Would be more likely to present if they were=20
published........
c) Would present whatever........
3e. What is the highest amount you would pay for=20
registration?
a) Nothing........
b) =A320/US$32........
c) =A340/US$64........
d) =A360/US$96........
e) =A375/US$120........
f) =A3100/US$160.......
3f. If the organisers included several carbohydrate=20
databases and other resources, in addition to the=20
conference proceedings, on a CD-ROM, which would be=20
available to all attendees, how much extra on top=20
of the registration fee would you be prepared to=20
pay for this?
a) Nothing........
b) =A310/US$16........
c) =A320/US$32........
d) =A330/US$48........
e) =A350/US$64........
f) =A375/US$120........
4. What computer operating system (type and=20
version) do you use most often?
5. What type and version of WWW browser do you use=20
with this platform?
6. What would you expect from an Internet=20
conference? (e.g. in terms of registration fees,=20
facilities, availability, lectures, posters,=20
discussion groups, "social" activities, etc.) If we=20
know what you expect then we can try to provide it.
7. Could you please tell us a few things about=20
yourself so we can get some idea of the sorts of=20
people who may want to come to EGC-4.
7a. What is your position? (e.g. Lecturer, Reader,=20
Assistant Prof., Post Doc, Graduate Student,=20
Technical Assistant.)
7b. Please tell us which research areas you are=20
active in. This will help us decide the most=20
popular areas with people who might attend. It will=20
also help us make sure you know who in your field=20
is presenting.
8. We need to decide which are the best dates to=20
hold this on-line meeting during 1999. When would=20
be convenient for you? During the:
Middle two weeks in September.......
First two weeks in November.......
Some other time - when would be most=20
convenient?.......
9. Is there anything else you can tell us which=20
would help us to organise the conference.
10. What do you think of our questionnaire? (1 =3D=20
lousy, 10 =3D brilliant) .......
