Given the wide selection of breakfast items on the menu these days, many users still prefer to crack their own eggs.
The above analogy references an observation made in a class this summer at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Given the proliferation of WWW applications today (extractors, subsetters, kids' versions of federal agencies' sites, etc.), some serious researchers have begun to ask if data will continue to be provided in its raw form. Will the demand for user-friendly applications eventually outweigh the need for flexible manipulation of raw data? What impact will compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for WWW accessibility standards have on future (and continuing) websites offering data? These are just a few of the questions that will be addressed in this session.