SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS FOR MOOSBURG
The following improvements or additions can be made to the interface and features of MOOsburg, as it stands on Nov 16, 1997.
BUGS
Several bugs have been detected in the functioning of MOOsburg:
- While interacting in MOOsburg, if a user links to an external website, then MOOsburg cannot recover when the user returns to MOOsburg. An error message window pops up, and the telnet window goes blank. Also, the message-window goes blank and does not accept user commands. Probably, the user is logged off MOOsburg once he/she connects to an external site, and then on returning, is not informed of the situation. MOOsburg programmers need to take this anomaly into account - either the user must be able to connect to external sites and return unharmed, or the user must be informed that he/she has been logged off. Already fixed.
- Sometimes few streams of Java code appear in the compass window, obscuring it partly, and making it look moth-eaten. This bug is an indication of the instability of the application, and should be fixed.
- Sometimes if the user clicks on a hyperlink while the main frame is still busy loading a page, an error message window pops up indicating an error in the Java code. Once this error message window is closed, MOOsburg proceeds normally. Even though this is a minor bug, it should be looked into.
- On resizing the browser window, the telnet client goes blank and the message area is de-sensitized.
INTERFACE
- For a novice user, it is not easy to figure out that messages can be typed in the one-column window at the bottom of the screen. There should probably be some indication of this on the interface like context-sensitive balloons which tell the user more about a window.
- If there are many people logged onto MOOsburg, messages scroll down the telnet window so fast that it is impossible to make any sense out of them.
- The interface should display the list of possible sites a person can visit in Blacksburg, or a clickable map, otherwise the user has no way of knowing what sites Blacksburg has to offer. This information could be displayed in the same window as that of MOOsburg, or in a separate window which the user can open and close at will. So, for example, an experienced MOOsburger may not like to have this additional window open beside the main window, but it is very helpful for the novice user in exploring the place effectively.
- A separate window must also indicate the available commands the user can type to help him/her interact in MOOsburg.
- The main window of MOOsburg needs to be refreshed each time a person enters/leaves a room. Currently, only the telnet window is refreshed constantly. If this is not possible, then at least the main window must be refreshed at some pre-set interval of time, that too, only if there has been a change in the scene since the last update.
- Users should have the option of choosing from pre-customized interface layouts, depending on user preferences. Already done.
- Users should also have the option of customizing their interface depending on which features of the interface they use most. For example, if a user spends most of his time chatting rather than exploring the place, then he can maximize the chat window and close all other windows.
- Clickable image maps that transport the user automatically to a particular location in Blacksburg will be a great enhancement to MOOsburg. This can help the user explore Blacksburg more quickly and more efficiently.
- There could be a search engine that brings up all the sites in Blacksburg related to the user's search. For example, if a user searches for "post office", the search result must display the list of post offices in Blacksburg, and possibly mark their locations on the map of Blacksburg.
- A small window on the interface could indicate the current time and time zone.
- Adding a "Quit" icon in the web interface will be a good idea. In that way, quitting will be more intuitive, and the user need not look for commands to type in order to quit
FEATURES
- The capability of browsing VRML models of Blacksburg can add a third dimension to MOOsburg. It will be exciting if a user can pick up objects by clicking directly on them rather than by issuing text-based commands to accomplish the same (direct manipulation). Implementation of VRML worlds must create a camera for each user, which the user can use to look around and explore Blacksburg. VRML worlds coupled with background sound will be a sure winner. This will be a significant deviation from the traditional text-based MOOs. Needless to say, these features will make MOOsburg more appealing and intuitive, and hence easy to learn and operate.
- Users should be able to leave notes/messages for others to pick up on login.
- The first user that logs in must have the option of setting the time of the year, so he or she can see what Blacksburg is like during winter or summer. This will helpful for a person who is considering moving to Blacksburg in the near future.
- An interesting feature that could be added is the facility to show web pages to individuals in a room. The user may simply supply the URL to the users, and the page appears on their monitors, in the same or in a different browser window.
- As well as being able to show web sites to other people, the user could show pictures, sounds, movies, VRML worlds - in fact anything at all that Netscape or a Netscape plugin will support.
- Users must be able to, on the basis of a majority vote, throw out a trouble-maker from MOOsburg.
- Sound can be used to capture the surroundings effectively. For example, a user standing in the open may hear the sound of rain falling.
- Another use of sound could be in that a pre-recorded voice could explain to the user where he or she is, so the user need not spend time reading descriptions of the pages he or she is visiting, and can concentrate more on navigation and interaction.
- On entering MOOsburg, or on entering a particular room, users should be briefed about what has been happening in that room recently (if the users so desires), so users have a better understanding of events leading to the present situation and can participate more effectively in ongoing conversations.
- Finally, how is taken into account the different time zones all over the world? For example, how can people around the world meet at MOOburg at the same time? It may be noon in the West, and midnight in the East, and scheduling meetings becomes impossible. So MOOs tend to become applications with localized use.
Some important things like the opening of a new window or the change of the main frame when clicking in an external link were changed after a first demo of Moosburg.
