Re: HI. Wow. Thanks. [this version OK for publishing]

[Edward Cherlin <cherlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

Andrew Pam <xanni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>{Ed Cherlin wrote:]
[snip]
>> I have been designing an integrated book/Web site/CD-ROM/MOO using
>> Xanadu principles, which is why I'm waiting for news of implementations on
>> this list.
>
>I am also interested in your work - please tell us more if you can.
>
>Cheers,
>	*** Xanni ***

The basic idea is that current Internet books are just that--books. They
are inherently out of date before they are published. The few Internet
books that have an electronic version are simply the text of the book in
HTML. They make no use whatever of the resources of the Net. This is
basically the same as the state of movies before Griffiths invented camera
moves, where they were simply stage plays on film. Even other Newbie sites
on line are largely built this way.

I have written an introduction to the Net,
<http://www.newbie.net/Newbie_Pages>, which incorporates the rest of the
Net by reference. I provide direct links to all the information sources a
Newbie needs, which together make it possible to find almost everything on
the Net. These links are embedded in the necessary explanations of how
things work and what there is, including all the standard Internet
services, and all the different ways of finding and contacting people who
are willing to offer their own knowledge. So it is not just the Internet I
transclude, in effect, it is the whole Internet community.

For example, I define the Internet as a collection of computers, software,
communication links, and people, all bound together to the extent that
there is agreement on how to communicate: protocols over the comm links and
between software modules, GUIs between the hardware and wetware, and
Netiquette between the people. This definition leads to links on the
various topics mentioned.

I have also done a lot of other thinking on information design, which is
reflected in the threaded tree structure of internal links on the Newbie
Pages, and will be reflected in the design of the book, CD-ROM, and MOO.

My agent, David Fugate at Waterside, has the proposal out to a number of
publishers. I am about to see whether I can educate them sufficiently on
what this all means and what it accomplishes to get a contract.

In the face of their current skepticism, I have to remind myself that Frank
Baum couldn't sell The Wizard of Oz because it was obvious that there was
no market for American fairy tales. There weren't any on the market. He had
to pay the printing costs for the first edition himself. If I have to
produce my own CD-ROM, I'll do it.

--
Edward Cherlin       Help outlaw Spam     Everything should be made
Vice President     http://www.cauce.org      as simple as possible,
NewbieNet, Inc.  1000 members and counting      __but no simpler__.
http://www.newbie.net/    17 May 97   Attributed to Albert Einstein