Abstract
We have tried and developed a whiteboard-type message board on the network and developed a message board system on WWW for asynchronous communication, which provides users with simple tools for drawing. On this board, any message can be written by hand, making use of mouse and tablets. Letters are coded as a collection of lines. We call this type of system an “on-door” communication system, and implemented a prototype based on our experience of the operation of such a board on the door of a room in a graduate student hall of residence. This paper is concerned with the evaluation of the handwriting function of our system. The question is how easy to write a message by hand using our current prototype system. We have challenged this novel issue to identify the factors of evaluation and compare the drawing function of our prototype system with the other drawing systems.