scope:

PURPOSE. This Instruction promulgates policy in the areas of Coast Guard POISE Internet, site management, process, page content, page development, and usage.

APPLICABILITY AND SCOPE. POISE is a path to port related information that exists on the World Wide Web (WWW). It contains pages of links and has no data of its own. The web pages are organized into 45 geographic areas. Each web page is maintained at the Captain of the Port in the locations shown in Enclosure (1).

Most data sources within POISE are located outside the US Coast Guard. POISE contains links to services already available on the WWW ... like the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) operated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). POISE categorizes links and provides an index or overview of on-line information available for the major waterways in the U.S. See Enclosure (4) for an example of required and optional links.

Who might use POISE? Anyone. Typical users may be mariners, harbor pilots, voyage planning & Coast Pilot-like users, port authorities, shipping agents etc. It is a free web site that points users to other information links, some of which may require conditions of entry (i.e., a credit card number or an account agreement with a commercial enterprise.) Coast Guard units will also use POISE to improve outreach and customer satisfaction.