Re: oooo...kay

[Ted Nelson <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Welcome to ZigZag!

>My first question is, what's it for?

As for the question, What are **you** for?,
 it may take a while to see-- and understand-- the answers.

>Is there some kind of multidimensional linking going on?

Yes, exactly.

It is a generalization of rows and columns to multiple dimensions
 without imposed structure-- either size, shape or connectivity.

>Is this an OS, a program, a programming language, an API, a philosophy?

Yes, exactly.

I intend this to be the basis for a whole new world
 of software-- without icons, without metaphors,
 and most of all-- without "applications."

Orthogonal connections can be assigned useful
 visual meanings and useful programming meanings.
 I hope to establish conventions for both.

>Are the two windows it, as far as the UI is concerned? Or is this interface
>more or less not the point?

The latter.  Once you understand the space,
 the interface could be anything.

The system is presently programmed to support
 any number of cursors, but for the quickie interface
 we gave it two cursors and put each in the middle
 of a window.

>This is going to take a bit of messing around, isn't it. It just looks like
>fun. Tell me. TellmeTellme tell MEEE. ARgfffk! Rowfffbazzle!

I hope to have writings out on this Real Soon Now.
 Writing it up just for you would be great for friendship,
 but a poor use of resources.

So play with it, and hang on.

ChrzT


At 02:37 AM 6/19/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Ted,
>
>It runs off the floppy.
>
>My first question is, what's it for?
>
>Are the two windows it, as far as the UI is concerned? Or is this interface
>more or less not the point?
>
>Is there some kind of multidimensional linking going on?
>
>Is this an OS, a program, a programming language, an API, a philosophy?
>
>This is going to take a bit of messing around, isn't it. It just looks like
>fun. Tell me. TellmeTellme tell MEEE. ARgfffk! Rowfffbazzle!
>
>Peter
>
>
________________________________________________________
Theodor Holm Nelson, Visiting Professor of Environmental Information
 Keio University, Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Fujisawa, Japan
http://www.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~ted/    PERMANENT E-MAIL: ted@xxxxxxxxxx
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Quotation of the day:
"Education is the process of ruining different subjects for you.  The last
subject to be ruined determines your profession."  Ted Nelson, ca. 1970.