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Finally, if PC access to the CRDSS is not feasible because of technical reasons, are there hard-copy <br />products that are required by users? For example, could a standard report or graphic be produced <br />each month (day, week) which could be faxed or mailed to users? Another option would be to allow <br />a PC user to dialup a menu-based bulletin board to select report type and output format (e.g., hard- <br />copy, disk, electronic mail). The request could then be put into a queue for later execution. <br />Can Communication be Two-Way? <br />Allowing two-way communications between a PC and the CRDSS identifies technical and policy <br />issues, some of which cannot be answered in this memorandum. Technically, it is easier to allow <br />queries to a system than to allow updates to the data. Allowing updates requires that safeguards be <br />put in place both to prevent unauthorized persons from changing the database and to prevent bad data <br />from being entered into the database. Politically, it is important that everyone know who is the <br />?owner? of the data and that ?non-owners? accept the fact while still being willing to use the data. <br />Also, the maintenance of the database is easier if data is being fed into the database from a limited <br />number of sources. <br />The administrative and scenario-handling capabilities of the database will be fully implemented after <br />Year 1 of the CRDSS. Such capabilities may allow a PC user to submit data to the CRDSS so that it <br />can be processed. For example, a PC user may want to use a certain time series in an analysis run on <br />a CRDSS workstation. To do so, the PC user might create a time series in a standard format, load the <br />time series into the CRDSS database (at which time the time series is tagged with some type of <br />scenario ID), and then run a model (or request a run). <br />RTi proposes that electronic mail (E-mail) avenues be available for all users such that two-way <br />communication between PC users and workstation users is possible. This will facilitate the <br />development and maintenance of the CRDSS. <br />Who are the Water Users? <br />In order to fully evaluate the technical needs related to supplying CRDSS access to PC users, it is <br />important to identify the water users who will have access to the CRDSS, and this identification <br />should be as explicit as possible within reasonable limits (e.g., ?Joe X at the xxxx office wants to <br />access the CRDSS from a PC on his desk,? not ?the water commissioners?). If current water users <br />do not have access to the State's existing database, then it is unreasonable that the CRDSS effort will <br />immediately supply access to them now, especially if such an effort requires a large investment in <br />labor and equipment. <br />What Level of Support can the State give to PC Users? <br />If access to the CRDSS is given to PC users, then the State should be prepared to provide long-term <br />support for those users, regardless of the technology used to provide the service. The consultant, if <br />instructed to, would provide necessary hardware and software to allow PC users to access the <br />CRDSS; however, users invariably like to call someone to discuss the data and the system. If a point <br />of contact for CRDSS access questions is not established, then the system may fail because users <br />cannot get answers to their questions. Alternatively, several State people may be burdened with <br />answering questions until a point of contact is developed. <br />6 <br />A275 06.29.94 1.05-29 Malers <br />