Why the PNW 2011 Tour?

"Listen to what the preacher says, but note carefully what he/she does"

Good design must reconcile common discrepancies between perception, self-awareness and behavior. In other words, "Listen to what the preacher says, but note carefully what he/she does."

In defining project requirements, OOI CI has listened to hundreds of prospective users to understand their needs. This led to the plan for developing the interactive ocean observatory network over the course of four incremental releases:

1. Data Distribution NetworkCore support for taking in and managing real-time data streams and archival data sets, and for enabling users to browse available data and sign up for notifications about changes.
2. Managed Instrument NetworksCore support for managing real-time networks of marine instruments and observatories, and making their data available to users.
3. On-Demand Processing
   Basic suite of tools for scientists and educators along with an open framework for them to develop and share tools and results.
4. Interactive ObservatoryAll the other stuff that has to work to deliver live oceanographic data and provide universal interactive access to them.

(OK, there's a whole lot that goes into making all that works, and making sure that scientists get credible data.)

We are now starting development of Release 2, supporting the marine networks that generate data and connect them to the infrastructure that delivers them to people, so it is time listen to what the marine instruments and network preachers say, and, more importantly, see what they do, so that we can deliver not only what they say they want, but design it to work for what they do.