Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!ico!rcd From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386 Subject: Permuted indices Summary: fun stuff, but what's it mean? Message-ID: <1990Jul12.044550.19213@ico.isc.com> Date: 12 Jul 90 04:45:50 GMT References: <1990Jul08.224741.1366@virtech.uucp> <1200@s6.Morgan.COM> Distribution: comp Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO Lines: 33 amull@Morgan.COM (Andrew P. Mullhaupt) writes: > cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) writes: > > Hmm, looks like a real RTFM type of question. Let's see. I think > > we'll start at the permuted index... Lets look up the word "swap"... ... > You can start in the Bermuda index, but that takes a strong stomach; > a lot of people get lost in those and are never heard from again. ... > Has anyone ever made a utility which converts Bermuda indices into > human readable form? A fun posting, but I don't get much from it. What's wrong with a permuted index? Seems pretty obvious to me: Think of useful words that might have something to do with the topic, look them up until you find something that helps. It's far more useful than the traditional index in one particular sense: context. For example, if you want to know how to do something to a directory, it's easy to go to "directory" in the perverted index and scan down the possibilities, with a few words to suggest whether it's what you want, than to come up against a conventional index entry that will look something like: directory: 3, 7-8, 11, 35, 37, 49-51, 103, 119, 128-130, 211, 218 In fact, I've found that a permuted index is one form of computer-ish presentation that non-computer folk can grasp, and appreciate, almost immediately. It takes me about 15 seconds to explain. Obviously you disagree; can you tell us why? What do you find difficult about a permuted index? (I'm skeptical, of course...but I'm always interested in what people have trouble understanding and why.) -- Dick Dunn rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd (303)449-2870 ...Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.