Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!hoptoad!ptsfa!pyramid!decwrl!ucbvax!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!brandx.rutgers.edu!webber From: webber@brandx.rutgers.edu.UUCP Newsgroups: alt.hypertext Subject: Re: Hypertext Usenet Message-ID: <557@brandx.rutgers.edu> Date: Sun, 8-Nov-87 01:02:44 EST Article-I.D.: brandx.557 Posted: Sun Nov 8 01:02:44 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 9-Nov-87 06:31:54 EST References: <3296@hoptoad.uucp> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 46 Summary: ok, first things first. To: pleasant@rutgers.edu In article <3296@hoptoad.uucp>, gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes: > ... > (2) We already have a representation for the major thing we need > -- document to document links. This is the > notation. Yes, and these documents are generally small enough to not need substructure addressing. > ... > A major problem with turning the Usenet into a hypertext system is > the automated following of links. Let's say I have an article which > references article <1234@hop.toad.com>. I don't have a copy of 1234. > (Maybe it expired, maybe I didn't subscribe to it, maybe it got dropped > by somebody 3 feeds away.) How do I get a copy? The simple thing would be to have each system that participates in the database archive all messages posted from it (using mag tapes where necessary). If someone was interested in giving general access to messages from multiple sites, they could simply request a copy of the tapes [assuming that the original holders would view the reduced request handling as being worth the price of a blank tape :-) ]. A catalog of sites that are keeping archives and what sites they are archiving then becomes our equivalent to the library Serials List and the whole system is our ``inter-library loan.'' Minimal technical implementation problems. As to the other, you will find the solution on page 290 of Suzette Haden Elgin's The Judas Rose (DAW Books, Inc., Feb. 1987). [How was that for a comment in the true spirit of hypertext :-) ] > ... > Ideally I'd like to see a distributed database, updated when any user > does an "s" command to save a copy of an article (if that user & site > are willing for other people to be able to get it from them), that > would allow anybody else to locate and retrieve that article. Hugh > Daniel and Jeff Anton and I sat down and designed a candidate database > setup a month ago, and it may be doable with a year or two of work. Hmmm. I guess we would all be interested in hearing more about your design. But, from what I have heard of the success of the arpa people with their ``named'' distributed database, I would rather try and build a central computer big enough to support everyone in the world connected simultaneously instead. First things first, but easy before hard :-) -------- BOB (webber@aramis.rutgers.edu ; rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!webber)