cs5604n, MALO87 ARTICLE SUMMARY
INTELLIGENT INFORMATION SHARING SYSTEMS
Authors; Malone, Grant, Turbak, Brobst, Cohen
Group 2
Lauren Barton
Martin Falck
Nelson Kile
Carolyn O'Hare
Robert Ryan

This paper describes the Information Lens system which is an accessory to a 
standard E-mail system.  The system uses techniques from artificial 
intelligence and user interface design to filter, sort and prioritize 
messages.  The filters used are used: cognitive, social and economic.

There are 5 key ideas that form the basis for the information lens system.

- The system also provides a series of formatted messages with specialized 
fields that can be used as templates  These fields are understood by the 
Information Lens system.
- Sets of production rules that can be used to conveniently specify automatic
processing for messages.
- The use of semistructured message types and automatic rules for processing 
them can be greatly simplified by a consistent set of display oriented 
editors for composing messages, constructing rules and defining new message 
templates.
- The definition and use of semistructured messages and processing 
rules are simplified if the message types arranged in a frame inheritance 
lattice.
- The initial introduction and later evolution of a group 
communication systemcan be facilitated if the process can occur as a series 
of small changes, each with specialized properties.

Users can continue to use their E-mail as before, but in addition, messages 
can be sent to "anyone".  E-mails sent to anyone are compared against 
personalized rules and filters for each user.  If the rules indicate the 
E-mail is a match for the user, the e-mail is delivered.

Message templates are provided with specific fields.

The article also discusses the filtering systems that could be used and other
possible related work.

=====================================================================

KB Article Summaries by Group I: Fitzgerald, Kalafut, Klein, and Muhlenburg.
     "Intelligent Information-Sharing Systems" by Malone et al.

     Instead of just the technical aspects of electronic communication,
the focus also should be on disseminating information to the right people. 
There are 2 major issues: junk mail and possibly ignoring helpful facts. 
Something needs to be developed t hat increases the amount of useful
information without overloading the user.  People joined general interest
groups but had specific interests.  Selective, as opposed to removal,
filtering should be used.  The 3 basic approaches to filtering are
cognitive , social, and economic. 
     The Information Lens (IL) system implemented cognitive filtering
based on 5 key ideas: 1) semistructured message types (or frames); 2)
production rules are helpful; 3) display-oriented editors help with 1 and
2; 4) frame inheritence simplifies semist ructured messaging and rule
processing; and 5) installation can be facilitated by using small steps. 
IL was built on top of existing electronic mail systems so that users
could gradually add and learn its options.  It utilizes semi- structured
message te mplates with direct manipulation.  It has an inheritance
network of message types and subtypes.  It allows for group definitions of
message types; message purpose; and rules for finding, filtering, and
sorting messages base on message characteristics or group-defined message
types. 
     The future of IL holds connections with external information sources,
natural language processing and information retrieval techniques, extended
knowledge bases for topic networks, and forms processing.  Potential
problems for intelligent information -sharing systems include excessive
filtering down to receiving no messages, imperfect finding of the
information users want to receive, the "anyone" server may get bogged
down, privacy and security, and conflicts of interests among users.