Xref: utzoo comp.org.ieee:129 alt.hypertext:325 Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mmackay+ From: mmackay+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael MacKay) Newsgroups: comp.org.ieee,alt.hypertext Subject: Re: "IEEE Standards Launches Hypertext Series", quote with comment Message-ID: Date: 18 Jul 89 14:14:01 GMT References: <8014@hoptoad.uucp> Organization: Information Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 42 In-Reply-To: <8014@hoptoad.uucp> What personally strikes me a little strange about the IEEE announcement is the choice of the HyperTRANS software from TI. It would seem that Guide would have been a more universal choice given that it runs on Sun3-X11/Vax-X11/Macs (all) /PC-MSDOS (all). Guide also has a reader package that enables easy distribution at cost-effective duplication rates for the publisher (from OWL). Of course, I have not seen HyperTRANS, so I can't argue the capabilities of the two systems (HyperTRANS vs. Guide), I can only presume that HyperTRANS must provide a more automated means of markup and building links, and a better environment for readers to build and save custom paths through the documentation. Obviously, if the standards were not authored (in terms of their text) with an eye towards hypertext architecture, it is not clear that this form of distribution will assist readers in understanding the standards themselves. For a good discussion of the problems of authorship, see Robert Glushko's paper "Transforming Text into Hypertext for a Compact Disc Encyclopedia" in the 1988 SIGCHI Transactions. --Mike Special Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the Guide product professionally, I have only used it. This is not a product endorsement. ----------------------------------------------- Michael MacKay Information Technology Center Carnegie Mellon University ---------------------------------------------- ARPA: mmackay+@andrew.cmu.edu UUCP: !harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!mmackay Office: (412) 268-6744 Snail mail: Carnegie Mellon University Information Technology Center Attn. Michael MacKay, UCC203 4910 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 ---------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed herein are my own, not my employer's... ----------------------------------------------