BSCW has a highly tailorable HTML-based user interface. There are not many Workspaces that have an identical "look and feel" for all members. One dimension of tailorability in BSCW is the proficiency of its user. This is based on the assumption that, as users get more involved with BSCW and more accustomed to using it, they can cope with -- and effectively utilize -- a wider range of functions.
BSCW servers may offer their users a series of predefined HTML-based user interfaces with growing functionality and complexity. GMD's public BSCW server, as an example, offers HTML-based user interfaces for three levels of proficiency:
As a new user of GMD's BSCW server you start at the Beginner level. As soon as you feel comfortable with this restricted set of functions, and need more functionality to do your job effectively, you may want to switch over to Advanced or to Expert mode:
to bring up the 'Edit preferences' form and
Set user interface to:
to make BSCW display the user interface at the selected level of proficiency with BSCW.
On other servers, the number of levels may vary, they may be labeled differently and may group functions differently. To find out if your BSCW server offers different HTML-based user interfaces,
Set interface mode to
To see which actions are available to users at the different levels of proficiency, it is always possible to switch to another interface mode ( = level of proficiency) and then change back again -- it is a completely reversible process.
to bring up the 'Edit preferences' form and