Gathering the necessary people at one time and place is often a challenge to prompt and economical dispute resolution. This is especially difficult when the parties are busy, numerous or geographically distant. Online Dispute Resolution may efficiently resolve disagreements without the parties ever meeting or speaking directly, or may supplement face-to-face and telephone conferences.

Alan Wiener offers a variety of technologies to help resolve disputes in a convenient, effective and efficient manner. Depending on the needs and circumstances of the parties, these may include telephone conference calls, videoconferences, e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, Resolution Room, WebBoard, and SmartSettle technologies. Other tools for Online Dispute Resolution are continuously being examined, tested, and used in appropriate cases.

Alan Wiener is committed to promoting the ethical use of technology to facilitate dispute resolution. He is a member of the American Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution Technology Committee, for which he chairs the Online Standards Subcommittee. He also belongs to the Online Dispute Resolution Sector of the Association for Conflict Resolution (formerly the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, or SPIDR). He has authored several articles about Online Dispute Resolution, and given a number of presentations on the subject.

Articles by Alan Wiener about Online Dispute Resolution:

• Regulations and Standards for Online Dispute Resolution: A Primer for Policymakers and Stakeholders, by Alan Wiener (February 2001). For several years, stakeholders have been debating whether government regulation or industry self-regulation is appropriate to protect consumers on the Internet. A more recent issue is whether online dispute resolution providers should be regulated and monitored by government or should develop and observe voluntary standards of practice. This article provides the detailed background and status of the principal government, industry, consumer and dispute resolution profession’s initiatives in this area, and includes extensive references. Click to view the Table of Contents in html or for the full article in pdf.