Micforum-Electronic Networking

Summary

Micforum is an electronic system for conferences, letters and bulletin boards. It is designed to serve as the electronic network for the medical community in the Nordic countries primarily, as well as in the rest of Europe.

The system has been in operation since autumn 1989 when it was opened for testing by a selected group of users. At present, there are some 30 on-going test conferences in Micforum. During April 1992, a total of 119 persons not including MIC staff entered the system 978 times, during which they sent 299 messages and read 6,141.

So far, the test period has demonstrated the importance of expressing ideas in a way appropriate for an electronic conference system. People with a common interest should be encouraged to join at the same time in order to give everyone someone to communicate with. The role of the chairperson in supervising and guiding the conference cannot be emphasized enough.