Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!amdahl!ames!hc!ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex
From: wex@milano.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.hypertext
Subject: Re: Does this group really exist
Message-ID: <6030@milano.UUCP>
Date: 26 Jan 88 16:30:04 GMT
References: <3468@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <757@brandx.rutgers.edu>
Sender: wex@milano.UUCP
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 49

In article <757@brandx.rutgers.edu>, webber@brandx.rutgers.edu (Webber) writes:
> There are, of course, many groups where the hype (pie in the sky application)
> of hypertext has been discussed.  To approach the nitty-gritty details
> of hypertext, we seem to lack two things: a common implementation of hypertext
> and a body of information to contemplate the hypertexting of.  
> 
> The first problem should be the simplest to solve.  Curses gives one a fairly
> portable terminal interface that would allow text to be displayed in a manner
> permitting portions of the text to be pointed to and actions taken as a result
> thereof.

YECCH!  Going via a curses (or for that matter, any character-based
terminal interface) is like putting training wheels on a 747.  The
point of a new technology is to move people forward, and bitmapped
screens are no big deal.  Further, they make it possible to insert
marks (for link info) between characters, as well as making it easier
to delineate regions of text.

And while we're at it, let's not lose sight of the fact that much
useful information doesn't exist in text form.  A bitmapped screen
allows graphics to be more naturally included in the hypermedia web.

Lastly, in order to get a good idea of the layout of the web, one
needs some kind of browser showing the nodes and links - MUCH easier
to do on a bitmap (color can come in handy here too).

I think a hypermedia system needs a bitmapped screen and a pointing
device (mouse, joystick, touchscreen, etc) in order to have a hope of
succeeding.

> The second problem, that of discussing what it means to organize information
> via a hypertext approach would appear to be much more difficult because
> it requires finding some set of information that is relatively accessible
> to a large portion of those interested.

That's only part of the problem.  The power of hypermedia lies in its
organizational and referential capabilities.  Any set of information
that needs heavy crossreferencing is a good candidate for entry into a
hypermedia web, especially if there are powerful search tools
available for manipulating the web.  The availability issue helps, but
even if I'm the only one using the information, I can still benefit
from hypermedia capabilities.

-- 
--Alan Wexelblat
ARPA: WEX@MCC.COM
UUCP: {harvard, gatech, pyramid, &c.}!sally!im4u!milano!wex

The Pentagon has "fire and forget" systems; I have "file and forget."