A framework for interactive end-user web automation

This research investigates the feasibility and usefulness of a Web-based model for end-user Web automation. The aim is to empower end users to automate their Web interactions. Web automation is defined here as the study of theoretical and practical techniques for applying an end-user programming model to enable the automation of Web tasks, activities, or interactions. To date, few tools address the issue of Web automation; moreover, their functionality and usage are limited. A novel model is presented, which combines end-user programming techniques and the software tools philosophy with the vision of the “Web as a platform.” The model provided a Web-based environment that enables the rapid creation of efficient and useful Web-oriented automation tools. It consists of a command line for the Web, a shell scripting language, and a repository of Web commands. A framework called Web2Sh (Web 2.0 Shell) has been implemented, which includes the design and implementation of scripting language (WSh) enabling end users to create and customise Web commands. A number of Web2Sh-core Web commands were implemented. There are two techniques for extending the system: developers can implement new core Web commands, and the use of WSh by end users to connect, customise, and parameterise Web commands to create new commands. The feasibility and the usefulness of the proposed model have been demonstrated by implementing several automation scripts using Web2Sh, and by a case study based experiment that was carried out by volunteered participants. The implemented Web2Sh framework provided a novel and realistic environment for creating, customising, and running Web-oriented automation tools

A framework for interactive end-user web automation

This research investigates the feasibility and usefulness of a Web-based model for end-user Web automation. The aim is to empower end users to automate their Web interactions. Web automation is defined here as the study of theoretical and practical techniques for applying an end-user programming model to enable the automation of Web tasks, activities, or interactions. To date, few tools address the issue of Web automation; moreover, their functionality and usage are limited. A novel model is presented, which combines end-user programming techniques and the software tools philosophy with the vision of the “Web as a platform.” The model provided a Web-based environment that enables the rapid creation of efficient and useful Web-oriented automation tools. It consists of a command line for the Web, a shell scripting language, and a repository of Web commands. A framework called Web2Sh (Web 2.0 Shell) has been implemented, which includes the design and implementation of scripting language (WSh) enabling end users to create and customise Web commands. A number of Web2Sh-core Web commands were implemented. There are two techniques for extending the system: developers can implement new core Web commands, and the use of WSh by end users to connect, customise, and parameterise Web commands to create new commands. The feasibility and the usefulness of the proposed model have been demonstrated by implementing several automation scripts using Web2Sh, and by a case study based experiment that was carried out by volunteered participants. The implemented Web2Sh framework provided a novel and realistic environment for creating, customising, and running Web-oriented automation tools

October 28, 1996

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia

Rethinking access to address the digital divide in news

Professional project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Journalism from the School of Journalism, University of Missouri--Columbia.U.S. citizens with disabilities are being denied their constitutional right to information because of barriers-to-access on news websites. Mainstream media organizations such as CNN, Fox News, NBC News, New York Times and USA Today aren't taking accessibility seriously. By prioritizing access, the media industry is treating impaired users like second-class citizens. In order for journalism to fulfill its responsibility in a democratic nation, the industry must adopt and prioritize Web accessibility.Includes bibliographic references

Minority education and curriculum in the multilingual and multicultural society of the UAE

This thesis is about the multicultural and multilingual aspects of the UAE society and the school education system. It investigates the educational system in the minority schools in Dubai and explores the effects of this heterogeneity on teaching in general and language teaching in particular. The focus however, is the teaching of the UAE language, Arabic, in minority schools. The study also attempts to answer questions related to changes in curriculum. Chapter 1 introduces the study and describes the UAE geographically and gives its historical background from the 1960s. It then describes the multilingual population and the statement of the problem and the areas for research are identified. The significance of the study, its limitations and finally an overview of the chapters are given. Chapter 2 is concerned with the general view of private and public education. It also includes the sociolinguistic situation and the diglossia situation of Arabic. The language policy and the education system are described. The Mulla System of Education is discussed. Modem education system and education after the establishment of the state of the UAE also find a place here. The school system is detailed with the education policy in the UAE. It finally deals with the place of language in education. Chapter 3 is the theoretical framework of the study. The concept of minority and the unusual minority in the UAE are described through the literature. Studies on immigrants and on their education are reviewed. Literature related to issues of minority education and second language teaching to these immigrants and recommendations for bettering their education is discussed with relevance to the UAE. Finally, the research questions are formulated. Chapter 4 covers the methodology and design of the study. It explains the approach, the population and samples and the main steps. The study is both quantitative and qualitative In that it uses both, the questionnaire and structured interviews to research facts and collect opinions concerning central issues of language teaching and the teaching of Arabic. The respondents are students, teachers and principals of minority schools and some officials from the Ministry of Education. Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 present the data for the seven research questions and the analysis. Along with explanation of the variations, statistically significant variations are also calculated. It includes the various results that come up from the analysis. Chapter 7 summarises the findings, presents cautious conclusions and tentative recommendations for the situation described in the study. It also points out areas for further research

Interpolated Editorial Design

Established practices of editorial design for fiction and non-fiction primarily focus on the visual communication and curation of meaning to a user of a given text. This is usually accomplished via art direction, delivery platform, and overall form as defined by a designer. While within these parameters exist opportunities for designers to make significant interventions in a text, a text’s content proper is primarily defined by editors earlier in the book publishing process. According to this model, the relationship between editorial and design is vertical and linear in nature: editors handle initial publishing interventions in the text, while designers later intervene as facilitators of form and production. This thesis project challenges these established industry practices with regards to the publishing process of new editions of long-form literary classics: it defines new editorial roles for designers and proposes a collaborative and cyclical publishing process wherein the designer further defines the meaning of the text. Moreover, through consultation with professionals in literary education, extensive case studies, user group interviews and profiles, and experimental prototyping, this thesis defines new ways for designers to serve contemporary users of textual artifacts; these users engage in an increasingly multimedia environment of texts, images as texts, and texts as images. Prototyping of this project has yielded a new edition of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and an editorial design system that the researcher calls Interpolated Editorial Design, or InterED.Personal, noncommercial use of this item is permitted