Saturday, February 13, 1999
Wednesday, February 03, 1999
Too global! Guilty as charged.
The Observation and Associated Guilt for Being, "Too Global"
Gulp, You Are Right, Hugh.
Global Perspectives Do Fill These Messages.
Hugh Brannon, director of the South Side Planning Forum, was right on the mark when he told me I was being, "too global." His valid observation was stated on February 3, 1999 at a meeting with the LTV Site' Steering Committee (a sub-group of the South Side Planning Forum). The four members of the "steering committee" were present. Also present at that meeting were people from UPMC (prospective owners), Oxford Development (partners with UPMC in site development) and the URA (Urban Redeveloment Authority, a City of Pittsburgh agency).Too Global -- An Insult and Compliment
Being global is not okay in the eyes of the chair of the South Side Forum.Guest Attendance and Worn-Out Welcome
The opportunity to attend a South Side Planning Forum Steering Committee Meeting was a special occurance. These meetings are generally closed to "concerned citizens." The closed door policy is something that needs to be changed.Inner Sanctum
The opportunity to raise questions and express some concerns at the meeting held in early February came about after I had expressed a great desire to attend such a meeting since November. I had begged repeatedly to every member of the committee for a chance to have some meetings to discuss some thoughts on these issues. I had made at least 20 specific requests to have a meeting, any type of meeting, with these people before I was granted such a meeting.It took a long time and a lot of work to get a chance to have a meeting, and then it was at a higher-level than expected.
I'm guilty of being too global. Yes, the point was made and understood.
Monday, February 01, 1999
Saturday, January 30, 1999
Reinstate a Market House Experience into the South Side
Turn Back the Clocks to a Past Era
The Market House of the past buzzed of a real Market House. Butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers with push-carts, fruit stands and a fluid array of shops made for a special place. The Market House was a mall before surburban sprawl and suburban malls. The Market House was a super market before supermarkets.Pittsburgh has Market Square too, sans the market part. Pittsburgh's Market Square does get a weekly visits from a few local growers in the summer for an open-air farmers market.
To some degree, one of the visions makes a Market House Reinstatement to be much like a farmers market. Rather than the selling and buying of food-stuff, the new Market House can be built for idea transactions and building releationships.
Re-Set the Clock to Today's Era
We can re-create a Market House for the next century within this region, within these plans, and with your help so as to share the visions and possibilities. The Market House can succeed because of today's digital economy, struggling retail sector, outsourcing of production, specialized workforce, wired internet, booming lunch and dinner crowd, virtual corporations and need for community connections to schools and young people.The Market House Concept Map
Be sure to scroll around, left to right, as this is a wide map. It might take a moment to load into the browser window below if you are using a slow net connection.
We Need a Convention Center for Everyday People
The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is a huge place for Fortune 500 Companies to showcase in mega-costly exhibits. Meanwhile, the Market House Concept creates a place for the small, young, activitist, artistic, grass-roots, casual to find nurture and flourish. Pittsburgh can capitalize in many ways with the opening of a convention site for the rest of us. This fits the South Side.Build Upon the Past!
The South Side has a "historic designation." An interesting approach to a re-launch of a slice of our history in the Market House will be the reactions from the Historical advocates. Can a new age Market House be built to embrace the good-old days of the past glory of the Market House?Start-Up Heap
Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the heap when it comes to turning ideas into companies and startups, as mentioned on the front page of the Sunday Post-Gazette, March 7, 1999. The new Market House aims to battle against that problem and perception.Entice Cultural Tourists
Pittsburgh overriding aim of increasing tourism fits into the proposed Market House relaunch. The cultural tourists, as described in the P-G are affluent, usually college -educated and often middle-aged who enjoy traveling on weekends and can afford to satisfy their discriminating tastes.Cultural tourists spend $190 more per visit than the average tourists. Distinctive draws to museum exhibits, theater and music. Pittsburgh has a new Office of Cultural Tourism as part of the Greater Pgh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Cultural, arts and heritage experiences. Put Perigie Cookoffs into the list of events for the Market House.
Blockbuster events are to be developed. These are world-renowned international afairs, getting high expenses. The Andy Warhol Museum, Fallingwater, Symphony, Opera, Pgh Cultural Trust, Nationality Rooms, Heinz History Center, Tamburitzans, Ethnic neighborhoods,
Monday, January 18, 1999
Citiparks Pool Fees
Some Points:
The no-charge options should be part of an overall policy
No-charge admissions reasons can be for income or policy.
The City needs the revenue
No-Charge admission to young people has some support
The swim pools can become splendid opportunities for young people and others.
The City leaders, staff and citizens need to systematically sit down and begin collaboration to come to some findings and understood policies for swim pools.
Let's explore and find ways to make the pools more meaningful,
More programs cost, and the participants or other revenue streams need to be paid for. How is the city to pay for overhead of the new or expended programs.
New programs need to be created with the expectation that extra funds not going to be forthcoming out of the existing budget.
One of the suggested ideas is to close some city facilities. This suggestion could become a reality if the closing decisions are not made in a vacuum. The closings need to be augmented by better run facilities as an outcome of the closing. The point of engage community beef up more regional pools distorting figures... amendment..
Friday, January 01, 1999
FreeTeam.Org -- a defunct domain that used to be in the network, along with SportSurf.net, since 1994
Non-Profit Status
FreeTeam.Org is slated to become a non-profit organization, to be incorporated in one of the States of the U.S. as a 501(c)(3) entity. This incorporation process should occur in 1999 -- but it didn't. We are resolving issues on the FreeTeam.Org charter, original by-laws, early roles and leader members.Relationship between FreeTeam.Org and SportSurf.Net
- FreeTeam.Org's cousin is SportSurf.Net, founded in 1994.
- The Net domain is for entities and computers that represent part of the Internet's infrastructure.
- Net domains were originally intended for use by Network Information Centers, Network Operations Centers, and administrative computers (such as a name server) and network node computers.
- The Net within SportSurf.Net is apparent in the hosting of hundreds of email discussion groups.
- SportSurf.Net serves as a collaborative, community message hub with top-notch bandwidth utilization and deployments. Many communication opportunities for input, feedback and grass-roots participation are fortified at the site. One aim is to better ideas, information, and participation in sports and related activities.
These Org and Net sites are not Commercial
Neither the non-profit organization, FreeTeam.Org, nor the network happening place, SportSurf.Net are commercial, for-profit, businesses. These efforts are hosted and maintained with altruistic reasons and motivations. These sites present places where re-cycled electrons collide from around the world, mingling folks from any domain (.edu, .gov, .org, .com and others) to sharpen ideas, messages, mediums, and even the masses, one-by-one basis if necessary.
Update:
Other old and gone domains are listed at Hub.SwimISCA.org.
Bundle.com.
Tuesday, December 29, 1998
Don't beat yourself!
Pitt's Problems are Pitt's Doings
Pitt want to buy a 18-acres site on the South Side and get itself into another land-locked position again. Why?Pitt's move to the LTV site gives Pitt more of the same headaches it already has. The football fields don't fit. There is no elbow room within those 18 acres. The LTV site is a long-thin strip of property. A rail-road right of way pinches the space to the river's edge and there isn't suitable room.
The entire LTV site is 130-acres. Today, in its brownfield conditions with one ugly UPMC building in another parcel, the space looks big. But, the look is an illusion that is temporary.
The LTV site isn't as dense as Oakland, but it is tight. The apartments, the entertainment places, the other buildings are coming.
Face the Facts
The 18-acres of space UPMC wants to purchase is a long, thin strip of space, suitable for a bike path and a dog run. But this space isn't okay for football facilities. This space, for sure, is not suitable for TWO football facilities, as we'll be hearing in an effort to end-run the NCAA rules.Pitt is going to go to lots of trouble to make two facilities, when one does not even fit. Pitt officials and UPMC officials are really jazzed about their ownership and their master-mindedness.
Sports Coaching Prime Mission
As a coach, one of the biggest responsibilities within the art and science of coaching, is to allow the athletes to NOT beat themselves. Sometimes a team is beaten by superior competition. Other times a team gets beat by its own actions. This is sportscaster's jargon, but the idea does make sense.On a more technical note, in the sport of swimming, coaches instruct the athletes to get out of their own way. You can't flail around and go at the highest speeds.
The principles apply to Pitt, sad to say. Pitt's loss is Pitt's fault. UPMC tripped and did itself a face plant.
Pitt has other Options -- Better Solutions Loom Much Larger
To build a Sports Performance development, UPMC should be seek 50 acres. Or, UPMC should grow where it is now. Both are talked about here.UPMC Could Move to Quarry Field, Behind UPMC South Side Hospital
UPMC owns South Side Hospital now. There is plenty of room behind South Side Hospital that would be a perfect location for a UPMC expansion.UPMC has an employee parking lot behind the rail-road tracks behind the Brew House and UPMC South Side Hospital. That is land that UPMC already owns. UPMC has employees park in that lot and get onto a bus to go to Oakland for their day jobs.
Directly across the street from the UPMC parking lot, and directly behind UPMC South Side Hospital is another parking lot that is the home of Courier Express delivery trucks. That small business owner would be willing to sell the property to UPMC for the right price.
Further behind UPMC South Side Hospital is Neville Ice Rink. The Ice Rink has a large parking lot.
Further behind Neville Ice Rink is another open space, park area, Quarry Field. This is the current home to the South Side Sabers youth football teams. A football field no less. This has lights, and room for expansion by taking over the ancient swing set at the far end of the property or taking over the crumbled basketball courts, nearer to Neville.
South Side Hospital Upside
Dr. Freddie Fu operates in a hospital. Surgery isn't going to be done at the Sports Performance Center -- unless the Sports Performance Center is moved to a hospital location. We can get the best of both world for everyone by putting the proposed UPMC site next to the existing UPMC site.Dr. Fu, if he and his fellow doctors, move into the LTV site, they will need to drive to the hospital to do their other work. Why not position Dr. Fu and the medical team next to a hospital and get more for less?
Capacity is Ready at South Side Hospital
South Side Hospital was a community hospital that was purchased by UPMC in recent years. South Side has infrastructure and capacity to spare. The hospital was designed in another era and has many less beds than what it can handle. The S.S. Hospital could double in its capacity, if not triple, without needing an extra operating or examination room as it is under-utilized.Lower Costs at South Side vs. Oakland for Operational Procedures
South Side Hospital has better economics for charges for services such as operations. To operate or do a procedure in an Oakland hospital costs a certain amount, and the costs are less at South Side Hospital. If South Side Hospital gets better utilization, then the citizens, health care, city employees and so on are going to benefit.Others have said that Pitt should build a new stadium or the new convocation on the LTV site. It is a nice idea, but it doesn't work. There is not enough space in a square, round or rectangle condition to allow for those types of facility.
Friday, December 25, 1998
Thursday, November 19, 1998
WQED Pittsburgh
Tuesday, November 10, 1998
Seeking Sports and Fitness Advocates for a newly forming Coalition
Dear Friends and Folks with connections to the 'burgh!
Advance Notice. Call for LOCAL (Pgh. PA) Political Action, No $ Solicitation
Seeking Sports and Fitness Advocates for a newly forming Coalition
Those with brain-power to spare with political, grass-roots, and community access interests are most welcome to join the South Side's Markethouse Athletic Association as we convene a coalition to champion ideas and issues central to sports participation opportunities.In November 1998: The URA (Pittsburgh, PA's Urban Renewal Authority, http://www.ura.org, and UPMC (Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, http://www.upmc.edu, began a 90-day OPEN DISCUSSION period. A $25-30M sports-medicine / sports-performance compound is on the drawing board for a large section of the LTV site on the South Side.
The Past: At the Washington's Landing development, the URA invested $3M in tennis courts and park space. Furthermore a .9 acre site is leased at nominal charge to the non-profit Three Rivers Rowing Association, http://www.threeriversrowing.org, for its boathouse, fitness center and offices. Gems like these found in other development projects are uncertain -- quote: community access issues are nebulous at best -- when it comes to the LTV site.
The Future: Ideas and voices needs to be organized and shared.
Please send email to: Backyard@SportSurf.Net
Get further information and a kit geared to getting yourself, community agencies and regional businesses into this extended planning process.
Mark Rauterkus
Thanks for listening. This advance notice was posted by Mark Rauterkus, convener's chair, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net. The message went to a number of contacts such as yourself via BCC. Your address is part of Mark's personal email address listings. News agencies, thanks for NOT publishing, rather wait for the pending OFFICIAL Press Release. Feel free to forward this message others you know who might be keenly interested. Please do NOT post as spam or broadcast to USENET Newsgroups.
Monday, September 21, 1998
Thursday, August 06, 1998
Emails to those in Canonsburg
One quote:
I'm thinking that talking with you that you are really serious about coaching and using progressive ideas. Would you be happy coaching a medium-sized USS club using one pool?
Tuesday, May 05, 1998
ATI filings
See the Filings from Allegiant Yourself:
The official filings are to be found at the above page. However, these documents are in Word, WordPerfect and PDF formats. We've taken these documents and used cut-and-paste, with a bit of HTML mark-up to save everyone the pains of getting the documents transfered to be read on your system.Document Date: April 28, 1998
ALLEGIANT TECHNOLOGIES INC. 1500-609 Granville Street, Vancouver B.C. V7Y 1G5 Telephone: (604) 687-0888 Fax: (604) 687-0882 April 28, 1998 Trading Symbols: Vancouver Stock Exchange: AGH.U OTC Bulletin Board: ALGT
PRESS RELEASE
The Company has reached an agreement to sell all rights, title and interest in and to the Company's software products and technology marketed under the trade names "SuperCard", "Marionet" and "Flamethrower" to IncWell DMG, Ltd. of Arizona, U.S.A., an arms'-length private company controlled by Keith Shaw, for US$40,000. The sale is subject to shareholders and Vancouver Stock Exchange approval._______________________________
Bill McCartney, Director
The Vancouver Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
Document Date: May 5, 1998
ALLEGIANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.1500-609 Granville Street, Vancouver B.C. V7Y 1G5
Telephone: (604) 687-0888 Fax: (604) 687-0882
May 5, 1998
Trading Symbols: Vancouver Stock Exchange: AGH.U
OTC Bulletin Board: ALGT
PRESS RELEASE
The Company has arranged, subject to Vancouver Stock Exchange approval, to:borrow US$50,000 from a director of the Company. The Loan will be unsecured and payable on demand at any time after May 1, 1999 together with interest accrued at the rate of 10% per annum. The loan proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes.
amend the terms of an existing $100,000 secured Note payable to a director of the Company. The holder of the Note has agreed to waive default and interest payment provisions under the Note and to extend its term to May 1, 1999 after which time the Note together with accrued interest will be due and payable upon demand. The holder has also agreed that any proceeds received by the Company on the proposed sale of the Company's technology assets and inventory may be retained by the Company for general working capital purposes.
issue a maximum 150,000 common shares of the Company, after giving effect to a proposed four for one reverse split of the Company's common stock, as a bonus in consideration for the Loan and the amendment to the Note
_______________________________
Bill McCartney, Director
The Vancouver Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
Document Date: May 4, 1998
ALLEGIANT TECHNOLOGIES INC. 1500-609 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V7Y 1G5 Tel. (604) 687-0888 Fax (604) 687-0882 May 1, 1998 British Columbia Securities Commission 200- 865 Hornby Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H4 Attention: Anne McTeer, Statutory Filings Department Dear Madame,I am writing in response to your letter of inquiry dated April 30, 1998.
Year Ended December 31, 1997
Sales & Marketing expenses-$287,386
- Trade Show Expense = $ 60,321
- Advertising = 55,924
- Salaries & Wages = 171,141
- $287,386
Research & Development expenses-$231,260
- Technical consultants = $ 15,863
- Supplies = 3,308
- Engineering salaries = 212,089
- $231,260
This information is filed as an addition to the original submission of the Company's financial statements and FORM 61 for the year ended December 31, 1997 on SEDAR, project #82326.
Yours truly,
Bill McCartney
Sunday, April 26, 1998
Going out to hold meetings about the budding SportSurf.net
News Media Alert and Invitation
Please pass along this message and pointer to others who might be interested.
April 26, 1998 - updated
Contact: Mark Rauterkus
Publisher, SportSurf.Net 108 S. 12th Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA mrauterkus@SportSurf.Net Voice: 412-481-2540 - Eastern Time Daylight Only PLEASE Cell: 412-720-0108 - When on the road
E-books (Electronic Books) Technology Briefings and FREE SuperCard Concepts Visits Eastern US Cities
Open invitation. Everyone welcome to attend.
Past Tour Locations:
San Antonio, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Corolla, NCFuture Tour Locations:
PITTSBURGH, PA -- 1998: E-books present a fantastic solution to a wide audience of readers and content authors. Learn about E-books and discover why the FN E-book document type is well positioned to become a "killer-application" in 1998 and beyond. Furthermore, an in-depth discussions of the possible future acquisition and resulting setting FREE of the technical assets of SuperCard family of titles, is part of the agenda.
New York City, Long Island, Hartford, Boston and Corolla, NCFootNotes is an internet-linked, interactive multimedia electronic publishing, authoring and delivery system target to the education sector.
Students and teachers can use point-and-click methods to create documents that engage the internet. These web-linked E-books with pages, chapters, index, glossary, citation references give access unlimited multimedia files. The client-side E-books can grab files on any local disk, CD, Syquest, Zip or network. The E-books remove most mysteries of downloading any FTP file or http page. The E-books also live-link to the user's Browser for direct URL connection.
FootNotes E-books are extendable by the addition of home-grown or third party plug-in modules. Supplied modules include an HTML Publisher, eMailer, Launcher and Browser-Assistant.
The Books are lockable by the author and the free player allows for unlimited distribution. Registered users get to deploy the "Send to Bookshop" menu to automatically publish on the internet.
The latest release includes better email, LiveLinks to any browser and unlimited use of graphics as links.
Future releases, very speculative at this point, center upon the possible acquisition of the technical assets that are now being sold by Allegiant Technologies, Inc -- that include SuperCard. SuperCard makes the core foundation to the FN E-books platform. The S.S.S. Trust has been established to accept donations for the possible acquisition and freeing of the code base to SuperCard.
Independent publisher, Mark Rauterkus, of Pittsburgh, Pa. is touring to present information on E-books and the upcoming release of an academic E-book authoring tool, FootNotes Mac.
Rauterkus' book-imprint, Sports Support Syndicate, produced more than 100 titles in the past 10 years. "We've abandoned all book production and associated costs of paper, ink, storage, shipping and returns. The transition to strictly digital delivery has been a bumpy."
In 1989 the SSS released books with computer-disk supplements. Those E-books failed to gain marketplace acceptance. "Publishers and teachers with valuable lessons materials have living the saga of content positioning, hitting all the stops: CDs, web sites, email responders, e-zines, discussion groups, hybrids and shareware. We are gearing for DVDs as well. But, by far, the most elegant, most compelling, and most astonishing process and tool suite centers around FootNotes E-books."
The half-day events are being held to convey an understand and future vision for the E-book framework to early adapters and cutting-edge publishers. Authors, independent publishers, educational technology leaders in school districts, college professors, webmasters and multimedia producers should be interested in these tools and insights. Furthermore, Mac users who have used SuperCard and HyperCard should have keen interested in the advantages of these publishing format options.
The entire FootNotes on-line user manual is 44 pages in length. It is simple, interactive and extendable. Junior High classrooms can master these documents right from the start. Quizzes, homework assignments and lesson plans can all fit into FootNotes E-books. The E-books make sense for an academic setting.
The official new-product release date from the USA publisher was set to occur in March, 1989. However, a digital version of SuperCard could not be provided for the bundle as exected. So, the FootNotes E-book program has been made available, but without the fanfare of a first release, yet. Nonetheless, school site license options are available.
FootNotes Mac trial version is posted to the web and FTP site for free downloads. The trial version is free and allows for E-book authoring with a restricted number of pages.
Only the paid version of FootNotes entitles web authors to utilize the built-in posting to the publicly accessible internet bookshelves. The E-book contents can be exported into HTML and posted to the web. Or, E-books can be put onto the internet with a special FTP location set-up for each author and their E-book users.
A schedule of technology briefings includes:
Boston, Phili, New York, Hartford people should send an email message to Mark, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net.
These "work presentations" and discussions are part focus group, tutorial and consulting/feedback. The topic areas cover software development issues central to multimedia, RAD and software developmentIf you, or user-groups you know, are interested in meeting and spending a half-day of your time covering these topics with me this week --- please write.
The Phili meeting is going to be in Hatfield on Wed AM. (South of Allentown) The other meetings, Thurs, Fri. Sat. Monday the 30th, 1, 2, and 4th.
San Antonio, Tx., 2:00 pm, February 21, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort
9800 Hyatt Resort Drive, San Antonio, Tx 78251 phone: 210-647-1234Local Host: Tommy Simmons, Employment Law Advisory Network, Inc.
www.hirenfire.com
Dallas, Tx., 7:00 pm, February 25, Univ. of Texas Dallas, Callier Center
1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235Map to the Callier center on the SportSurf.Net/tour web page.
Located half mile north of InfoMart.
Exit I-35 at Inwood. Right onto Medical Center Drive. Center on Left.
Look for Green Awning for entry.
Host: Paul Dybala, dybala@audiologyinfo.com phone: 214-905-3041
Dallas Part 2: 11:30 am, February 26, Tony Romas, Addison, TX
Beltline Road and Addison - Tony Romas Restaurant 972-661-2671Local Host: Jeff Hoffman, jeff@timeleverresources.com
Time Lever Resources phone: 214-943-4522
Pittsburgh, Pa., 2:30 pm, March 6, Pittsburgh International Airport
Main Concourse, Air-Side, Fridays Restaurant, Fridays = 412-472-5160Special Visitor: Robert Abrams, rhabrams@cats.ucsc.edu
Local Host: Mark Rauterkus phone: 412-481-2540
Cleveland area, Mentor, Ohio, 1:00 pm, March 17, Performance Concepts Inc.
7855 Division Drive, Mentor, Ohio 44060 phone: 216-974-9550Host: www.pcioh.com
March 17 meeting is the date for the new product release.
Corolla, N.C., May 17, 1:00 pm.
Contact Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@SportSurf.NetBackground:
SportSurf.Net is teaming with academic programmer, Hugh Senior, Flexible Learning Company of the UK to promote, resell and support the FootNotes E-books. The hosting of the technology briefings are in preparation of the official USA release. The technology briefings include some focus group activities. There are no admission charges to attend the technology briefing, sans food and drinks.FootNotes Mac is a new commercial software title that is geared for the Educational vertical markets. FootNotes Mac is the first in a series of FN E-book products. Various white papers and information tours are forthcoming to be delivered on or before March 17.
K-12 Solution Bundle Expected! Probable titles include:
- SuperCard, www.Allegiant.Com
- FootNotes, www.SportSurf.Net/FootNotes
- WebAlias, www.Lakewoodsoftware.Com
- Life Map for Concept Mapping, www2.ucsc.edu/mlrg/clr-conceptmapping.html
- Cascading Style Sheets editor, http://interaction.in-progress.com
Thanks for your interest.
FAQs
I live near Philadelphia and may be interested in attending, but please fill me in a little more on the agenda. Is this SuperCard or FlameThrower or both?
Both
Is this you showing some of your work product,
Just a little bit -- as we talk about the possibilities of Killer Applications -- and FN E-Books come up in the talks.
Is this talking about the future of SC/FT based apps on the internet, or what?
Mainly the future.
Have you done these before?
Yes. 3 in Texas 2 months ago. Cleveland, Pgh.
Who has attended?
I've now met about 10 from the SuperCard list, and so. Some of my vendor partners and a couple authors have attended too. These are just small group meetings, but some have take some trips of some miles to attend and meet.
How have the meetings gone?
Very well. Great feedback. I realize objections. Lots of extra examples come out of them.
What are the objectives/goals for these meetings?
In part, to explain plans -- so to sharpen the saw when going to VCs (Venture Capital) in due time to help save the SC Assets.I'm the one, who for the past year nearly, has advocated putting $ up to buy SC and FT and such, and then putting the code into the FREE REALM. I call this FREE SC. Not no-charge -- but rather OPEN SOURCE Code. I've got a trust fund open now to collect money to make this occur.
I think some info on the meetings is on my www site about tour, alert.
And, some info on the FREE SC promise is on the site too, about /Allegiant and the trust.
E-books (Electronic Books) Technology Briefings and FREE SuperCard Concepts Visits Eastern US Cities
Please pass along this message and pointer to others who might be interested.
April 26, 1998 - updated
Contact: Mark Rauterkus
Publisher, SportSurf.Net
108 S. 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA
mrauterkus@SportSurf.Net
Voice: 412-481-2540 - Eastern Time Daylight Only PLEASE
Cell: 412-720-0108 - When on the road
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-books (Electronic Books) Technology Briefings and FREE SuperCard Concepts Visits Eastern US Cities
Open invitation. Everyone welcome to attend.
Past Tour Locations:
San Antonio, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Corolla, NC
Future Tour Locations:
New York City, Long Island, Hartford, Boston and Corolla, NC
PITTSBURGH, PA -- 1998: E-books present a fantastic solution to a wide audience of readers and content authors. Learn about E-books and discover why the FN E-book document type is well positioned to become a "killer-application" in 1998 and beyond. Furthmore, an in-depth discussions of the possible furture acquisition and resulting setting FREE of the technical assets of SuperCard family of titles, is part of the agenda.
FootNotes is an internet-linked, interactive multimedia electronic publishing, authoring and delivery system target to the education sector.
Students and teachers can use point-and-click methods to create documents that engage the internet. These web-linked E-books with pages, chapters, index, glossary, citation references give access unlimited multimedia files. The client-side E-books can grab files on any local disk, CD, Syquest, Zip or network. The E-books remove most mysteries of downloading any FTP file or http page. The E-books also live-link to the user's Browser for direct URL connection.
FootNotes E-books are extendable by the addition of home-grown or third party plug-in modules. Supplied modules include an HTML Publisher, eMailer, Launcher and Browser-Assistant.
The Books are lockable by the author and the free player allows for unlimited distribution. Registered users get to deploy the "Send to Bookshop" menu to automatically publish on the internet.
The latest release includes better email, LiveLinks to any browser and unlimited use of graphics as links.
Future releases, very speculative at this point, center upon the possible acquisition of the technical assets that are now being sold by Allegiant Technologies, Inc -- that include SuperCard. SuperCard makes the core foundation to the FN E-books platform. The S.S.S. Trust has been established to accept donations for the possible acquisition and freeing of the code base to SuperCard.
Independent publisher, Mark Rauterkus, of Pittsburgh, Pa. is touring to present information on E-books and the upcoming release of an academic E-book authoring tool, FootNotes Mac.
Rauterkus' book-imprint, Sports Support Syndicate, produced more than 100 titles in the past 10 years. "We've abandoned all book production and associated costs of paper, ink, storage, shipping and returns. The transition to strictly digital delivery has been a bumpy."
In 1989 the SSS released books with computer-disk supplements. Those E-books failed to gain marketplace acceptance. "Publishers and teachers with valuable lessons materials have living the saga of content positioning, hitting all the stops: CDs, web sites, email responders, e-zines, discussion groups, hybrids and shareware. We are gearing for DVDs as well. But, by far, the most elegant, most compelling, and most astonishing process and tool suite centers around FootNotes E-books."
The half-day events are being held to convey an understand and future vision for the E-book framework to early adapters and cutting-edge publishers. Authors, independent publishers, educational technology leaders in school districts, college professors, webmasters and multimedia producers should be interested in these tools and insights. Furthermore, Mac users who have used SuperCard and HyperCard should have keen interested in the advantages of these publishing format options.
The entire FootNotes on-line user manual is 44 pages in length. It is simple, interactive and extendable. Junior High classrooms can master these documents right from the start. Quizzes, homework assignments and lesson plans can all fit into FootNotes E-books. The E-books make sense for an academic setting.
The official new-product release date from the USA publisher was set to occur in March, 1989. However, a digital version of SuperCard could not be provided for the bundle as exected. So, the FootNotes E-book program has been made available, but without the fanfare of a first release, yet. Nonetheless, school site license options are available.
FootNotes Mac trial version is posted to the web and FTP site for free downloads. The trial version is free and allows for E-book authoring with a restricted number of pages.
Only the paid version of FootNotes entitles web authors to utilize the built-in posting to the publicly accessible internet bookshelves. The E-book contents can be exported into HTML and posted to the web. Or, E-books can be put onto the internet with a special FTP location set-up for each author and their E-book users.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A schedule of technology briefings includes:
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Boston, Phili, New York, Hartford people should send an email message to Mark, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net.
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These "work presentations" and discussions are part focus group, tutorial and consulting/feedback. The topic areas cover software development issues central to multimedia, RAD and software development
If you, or user-groups you know, are interested in meeting and spending a half-day of your time covering these topics with me this week --- please write.
The Phili meeting is going to be in Hatfield on Wed AM. (South of Allentown) The other meetings, Thurs, Fri. Sat. Monday the 30th, 1, 2, and 4th.
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San Antonio, Tx., 2:00 pm, February 21, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort
9800 Hyatt Resort Drive, San Antonio, Tx 78251 phone: 210-647-1234
Local Host: Tommy Simmons, Employment Law Advisory Network, Inc.
www.hirenfire.com
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Dallas, Tx., 7:00 pm, February 25, Univ. of Texas Dallas, Callier Center
1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235
Map to the Callier center on the SportSurf.Net/tour web page.
Located half mile north of InfoMart.
Exit I-35 at Inwood. Right onto Medical Center Drive. Center on Left.
Look for Green Awning for entry.
Host: Paul Dybala, dybala@audiologyinfo.com phone: 214-905-3041
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Dallas Part 2: 11:30 am, February 26, Tony Romas, Addison, TX
Beltline Road and Addison - Tony Romas Restaurant 972-661-2671
Local Host: Jeff Hoffman, jeff@timeleverresources.com
Time Lever Resources phone: 214-943-4522
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Pittsburgh, Pa., 2:30 pm, March 6, Pittsburgh International Airport
Main Concourse, Air-Side, Fridays Restaurant, Fridays = 412-472-5160
Special Visitor: Robert Abrams, rhabrams@cats.ucsc.edu
Local Host: Mark Rauterkus phone: 412-481-2540
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Cleveland area, Mentor, Ohio, 1:00 pm, March 17, Performance Concepts Inc.
7855 Division Drive, Mentor, Ohio 44060 phone: 216-974-9550
Host: www.pcioh.com
March 17 meeting is the date for the new product release.
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Corolla, N.C., May 17, 1:00 pm.
Contact Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@SportSurf.Net
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Background:
SportSurf.Net is teaming with academic programmer, Hugh Senior, Flexible Learning Company of the UK to promote, resell and support the FootNotes E-books. The hosting of the technology briefings are in preparation of the official USA release. The technology briefings include some focus group activities. There are no admission charges to attend the technology briefing, sans food and drinks.
FootNotes Mac is a new commercial software title that is geared for the Educational vertical markets. FootNotes Mac is the first in a series of FN E-book products. Various white papers and information tours are forthcoming to be delivered on or before March 17.
K-12 Solution Bundle Expected! Probable titles include:
SuperCard, www.Allegiant.Com
FootNotes, www.SportSurf.Net/FootNotes
WebAlias, www.Lakewoodsoftware.Com
Life Map for Concept Mapping, www2.ucsc.edu/mlrg/clr-conceptmapping.html
Cascading Style Sheets editor, http://interaction.in-progress.com
Thanks for your interest.
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FAQs
I live near Philadelphia and may be interested in attending, but please fill me in a little more on the agenda. Is this SuperCard or FlameThrower or both?
Both
Is this you showing some of your work product,
Just a little bit -- as we talk about the possibilities of Killer Applications -- and FN E-Books come up in the talks.
Is this talking about the future of SC/FT based apps on the internet, or what?
Mainly the future.
Have you done these before?
Yes. 3 in Texas 2 months ago. Cleveland, Pgh.
Who has attended?
I've now met about 10 from the SuperCard list, and so. Some of my vendor partners and a couple authors have attended too. These are just small group meetings, but some have take some trips of some miles to attend and meet.
How have the meetings gone?
Very well. Great feedback. I realize objections. Lots of extra examples come out of them.
What are the objectives/goals for these meetings?
In part, to explain plans -- so to sharpen the saw when going to VCs (Venture Capital) in due time to help save the SC Assets.
I'm the one, who for the past year nearly, has advocated putting $ up to buy SC and FT and such, and then putting the code into the FREE REALM. I call this FREE SC. Not no-charge -- but rather OPEN SOURCE Code. I've got a trust fund open now to collect money to make this occur.
I think some info on the meetings is on my www site about tour, alert.
And, some info on the FREE SC promise is on the site too, about /Allegiant and the trust.
Sunday, April 12, 1998
Discussion, Ads in online journals - flames came close
Subject: Re: Ads in online journals, was: Re: CBC and Liblicense list Sent: 4/12/98 3:18 PM Received: 4/12/98 4:42 PM From: Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu Hi, The following message, my first here, is a wake up call of sorts - be it a bit on edge and "counter culture" to what I'm seeing in this discussion. I've been lurking on this list for a few weeks, and I'm scratching my head with shock at the nature of some of these comments. Mine is an attitude to promote the freedom of expression and the free-marketplace of ideas. I was under the impression that libraries are for "access" --- yet most of you want to be playing gatekeepers of old school methods. Hold onto your hat. Reactions welcomed. >I agree with Ann's concerns. By subscribing to the product we may be >implicitly endorsing the products being advertised. You must then unsubscribe your library from every newspaper and popular magazine published. You must unplug all computers from the internet. You might as well poke out your eyes, plug your ears and live life through your nose. > If the cost of >aggregation and distribution are covered by advertising we should not have >to pay anything. In that case, we would add a disclaimer stating that we >do not endorse the products. Miriam Drake Take a ride down the road -- notice the billboards. Notice the handbills, perhaps near the door to your library and/or around campus. I'm going to take an unpopular stance here -- but I have the impression that the people who walk into libraries have brains between their ears. Readers are smart and can think for themselves without "added disclaimers stating that YOU do NOT endorse the product because of this AD." In another post an acquisition librarian wrote: >We seem to be using terms like "sponsorship" and "advertising" almost >interchangeably here -- but am I wrong in thinking that the two are >actually very different? Yes. The two terms and the meaning of each are very different. However, if one is sitting high in an ivory tower or riding on a "high horse" -- they might look to be the same. >I'm thinking of the difference between the >underwriting that you see with public broadcasting (where sponsors are >mentioned and their products or services described, but there's little or >no "hyping" of the product itself) and the advertising that you see on >commercial TV or in magazines. Might you be in a dream world? Hyping? Who wants to carry around a "hype-meter?" > I'd feel more comfortable about seeing the >former in online journals than the latter, although I'm not sure I can >justify that feeling philosophically -- after all, most of the print >magazines and many of the journals we provide to patrons are full of >traditional advertising, so why should anyone expect an electronic product >to be different? You shouldn't. You are right. Advertising is in the magazines and popular press things. Advertising is everywhere and you can't and should not bat another eye at its presence. Background: I'm a publisher. Over the past 15 or so years I've put out products (books, (hardcover, softcover, trade paperbacks, workbooks) videos, software, magazines, E-books, and even a few subsidized titles) I've been miffed by various librarians and even bookstore managers who have rejected some of these titles out of hand because of their back-cover advertisings. Case in point. We published a 400 page trade paperback with 300 illustrations by 4-time Olympic water polo coach. This is the very best book ever on the sport by far. I've given away more books in Pennsylvania (my home state) than I sell. Then there is a whole season's of practices from a N. California for Masters Swim Team. Both books have back cover ads, and they would not have been put into print without a bit of help from those advertisers. One firm sells fins and the other firm does swim parkas. Neither book had a hope of being published by S&S. I'm a very small publisher. Those backcover "sponsorships / ads" paid to get the covers printed. Those books are not in some libraries now because of block-headed thinking (in the past) by those in the library marketplace. Yet, the big publishers, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated -- well, those titles are in libraries and bookstores. How-to tactical books SHOULD have advertisments within the books, and even on the back-covers. The popular newspapers, magazines and even Journals should have advertising. And, folks, so to should all the electronic media outlets too. >From Belgium writer: >As to the question of ads in online journals, I am very cautious >about it. In the United States, advertising is present in every >human activity since a long time. Here in Europe, the invasion >is more recent. Yes, but the American folks here (overstatement) don't realize that ads are present. They seem to think that they are a watch guard for propaganda and a disclaimer agent too. >Only naive people can really think that such >an introduction is for the sake of quality. It is for profit and >nothing else. Well, naive people think that they can think for others and influence the business world too. >I think it is dangerous because it may divert >young uncritical souls from education and leave them like sheep >in a society of wolves. "It" being advertising in above statement. Perhaps, ads in journals. But, in America, we already have ads everywhere, as stated above. How about STATE RUN PRESSES. Does that suit the fancy of the folks here? If we only had state run presses and all ads had to go through a screening process -- some here might be very happy, right? Here is another point I'd like to raise. Do you ever consider that the authors themselves might have agendas too? Important scholars often rule their whole fields of study by selecting and killing certain articles for peer-review journals. Research that challenges their positions is never welcomed. This happens too, and the only way to get out the word to a flock of sheep being starved by a large tooth leader can occur in the advertising realm. This then makes ads a flashpoint for freedom. My position is not to defend ads. My position is to say that those in professional roles need to provide access and let the people think for themselves. We all make decisions every moment in life. And, FWIW, institutions and people have already made the decisions that ads, sponsorships, grants, scholarships, state-aid, fee-based subscriptions, subsidy-works, web sites, white papers, and what not are fine sources for information access -- and ads are here to stay in all endeavors of communication. -------------- Mark Rauterkus, Publisher E-books work in classrooms! mrauterkus@sportsurf.net http://SportSurf.Net/ --------------
Subject: Re: CBC and Liblicense list Sent: 4/13/98 5:44 PM Received: 4/13/98 7:13 PM From: Pete Goldie, pg@lbin.com Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu At 04:18 PM 4/12/98 -0400, you wrote: >The following message, my first here, is a wake up call of sorts - be it a >bit on edge and "counter culture" to what I'm seeing in this discussion. Dear Mark, Well done, your opinion on the anti-business slant of some of the commentary from librarians. Many of the comments in the lib-list reflect naive thinking that gives a bad name to a good liberal arts education. I am in a similar situation, being a small publisher of academic titles, and I am continuously amazed at the demand of some librarians that I become a non-profit organization because any behavior otherwise is morally suspect. Yet these same librarians complain about the difficulty with ordering from small publishers, how we should use an aggregator, become part of a major distributor chain, and must discount single copies because of the inconvienience we cause them with a small order. Add to these reasonable requests that we provide our titles for next to free, do not offend the eye with advertisements, use the browser software they personally approve of, and place no restrictions on access or use. As the Internet and e-pub medias are purportedly an equalizer for small publishers, how come so few small publishers manage to survive producing quality titles? That answer must address the maturity of market.. which to no small part is the librarians. To them I say, show some purchasing discrimination, critical analysis of quality (both content and delivery media), and put your money where you mouth is. Like you, I have a very liberal policy of giving away CD-ROMs to teachers and worthy educational organizations. On one title of ours, the "Darwin CD-ROM", I have given away over half as many as we have sold. This title has received many exceptional reviews by scholars (not computer magazines), and how many libraries have purchased a network license? ZERO. Why do academic libraries subscribe to Time, Newsweek and People anyway? All they seem to record is the failure of journalism. Pete Goldie **************************** * Pete Goldie, Ph.D. * * President * * Lightbinders, Inc. ****** * 2325 Third Street - Suite 324 * * San Francisco, CA 94107 * ********************************************* * Internet: pg@lbin.com http://lbin.com * ********************************************* * Voice: 415-621-5746 Fax: 415-621-5898 * ********************************************* *** NEW! DARWIN Multimedia CD-ROM - The Collective Works of Charles Darwin on CD-ROM (2nd Edition): http://lbin.com/darwin/ *** NEW! Orchids of the Tropical New World CD-ROM: http://lbin.com/orchids/
Subject: Proof is in the pudding - was Ads in online journals, Sent: 4/12/98 3:20 PM Received: 4/12/98 4:42 PM From: Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu Hi, Feeling a bit like I should back up my rather harsh posting just sent to the list, -- check out this news blurb from the front of The Internet Advertising Discussion List, Digest #211 - Friday March 10th, 1998. See: http://www.internetadvertising.org/ -- snip starts --- News: Microsoft Plans Stealth Blitz to Mend Its Image Source: LA Times Stung by the public relations fallout from antitrust investigations of its business practices, Microsoft Corp. has secretly been planning a massive media campaign designed to influence state investigators by creating the appearance of a groundswell of public support for the company. The elaborate plan, outlined in confidential documents obtained by The Times, hinges on a number of unusual and some say unethical tactics, including the planting of articles, letters to the editor and opinion pieces to be commissioned by Microsoft's top media handlers but presented by local firms as spontaneous testimonials. --- SNIPPED ---- Full story: LA Times http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/BUSINESS/UPDATES/lat_microsoft0410.htm Didn't Bill Gates make some PR mention in a southern state days before talking to the US Senators? Did that librarian throw out Bill Gates? Of course not. Point being -- those who want to play gatekeepers to advertising -- would be foolish. -------------- Mark Rauterkus, Publisher E-books work in classrooms! mrauterkus@sportsurf.net http://SportSurf.Net/ --------------
Nancy Fadis@SCIOS 04/13/98 09:24 AM "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Although I do not recall the author of this line which has become commonly mispoken, I share with you its correct expression. Nancy Fadis Scios Inc. Mountian View, CA
Received: 4/15/98 From: ferguson@columbia.edu To: Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net ...I sent you a message saying, right on! for your contribution to the liblicense list. Many of my cohorts live in lala land. .... tony
Subject: Re: CBC and Liblicense list Received: 4/15/98 From: Pete Goldie, pg@lbin.com To: Mark Rauterkus, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net > >Hi, > >Thanks for the back-up on the lib front. I was sure I'd be toasted with a >flame war -- as I said some cutting things. Your points are great too. >Thanks again. Dear Mark, Looks like I succeeded in diverting any flame war directed at you! Geez, some of these librarians have thin skins. Always glad to stir up the stew. Best regards, Pete
LIBRARY GROUPS CALL FOR NEW POLICIES ON E-JOURNALS
The International Coalition of Library Consortia, a group comprising more than 40 library groups, has issued a statement calling for an end to the "excessive pricing" of electronic publications and for a cease-fire in "attacks" on libraries' rights to redistribute documents. "We're saying that, during this period, it is important not to be locked into a pricing model that is difficult for libraries to afford," says one of the statement's authors. The coalition's statement suggests that subscription rates for e-journals should be lower than those for printed versions, and that libraries should have the option to subscribe to the electronic version only. In addition, libraries should be allowed to follow fair use guidelines in dealing with electronic material, and store archives of e-journals on their own systems. Publishers have been noncommittal in their response to the statement: "I don't think our pricing model is unreasonable," says a spokesman for Elsevier Science, adding that his company is "trying to expand the options on pricing models" for online publications. (Chronicle of Higher Education 10 Apr 98)
Subject: Re: Ads in online journals Sent: 4/15/98 7:22 PM Received: 4/16/98 7:10 AM From: Lois Weinstein, mlcny@metgate.metro.org Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu After reading Steve Melamut's comments, I wondered whether any of the physicians ever rented a video from Moovies or Blockbuster. And if so, did they just sit through all the previews and ads for musical products OR did they simply "FAST FORWARD" until they reached the feature presentation. And if they knew how to do that, why not "fast forward" through the ads on the medical videos? If ads in online journals are a problem then why aren't we also discussing ads in print journals, on the side of packages, on billboards, on tv shows and in movie theaters? Face it - this is part and parcel of the American way of doing business. Just because an ad appears in an online journal or web site does NOT mean that the online journal or web site endorses the product. A disclaimer can be added to the ad from the journal or web site if they want to indicate that they do not endorse the products of their advertisers. TV stations do it all the time. Lois Weinstein, MLS, AHIP Executive Director The Medical Library Center of New York Phone: (212) 427-1630 Fax: (212) 860-3496 email: mlcny@metgate.metro.org On Mon, 13 Apr 1998, Steven Melamut wrote: > Users are not necessarily rational beings. I know of a major medical library > where the patrons (MDs) complained about the pharmaceutical advertisements in > the first few minutes of a series of videotapes that the library had. The tapes > are unavailable without the ads and the physicians said they would rather do > without them. > > steve > > ******************************************** > Steven Melamut > Kathrine R. Everett Law Library > University of North Carolina > CB #3385 Ridge Road Chapel Hill, NC 27599 > melamut@email.unc.edu melas@ils.unc.edu > work: 919-962-1196 fax: 919-962-1193 > ******************************************** > > > >
Subject: Re: Ads in online journals Sent: 4/15/98 7:21 PM Received: 4/16/98 7:10 AM From: Ann Okerson, aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu MOD NOTE: Re. Pam Matthews' well-taken point, the list isn't for "dissing," though at the same time we try not to "censor" messages that might be seen as disagreeable by some readers. My point in raising the *specific* resource and the probably substantial advertising that will be found in it (and is indeed likely tie up scarce resources, namely workstations in libraries, when others would want to use them to search the online catalog, say) -- was to raise the question: how can librarians as customers, work with producers to shape a future in which advertising is going to be likely? How can we set some best practices for such advertising? Can we? The producer in question wants to work with library customers in exactly this way. So, once again I'd challenge the readers of liblicense-l to come up with some statements of what the acceptable features of advertising in WWW academic Internet resources might be. I don't think this is inappropriate in the least, no matter how much advertising there is everywhere we look. The fact is, all of us (librarians, readers, publishers, vendors) have a stake in this matter. Publishers do not want to overdo and give offence; we do want them to contain costs. Looking for ideas here, Ann Okerson Ann.Okerson@yale.edu P.S. A couple of people have written that advertising in online resources has gotten away from the licensing topic. We think not, as advertising is closely linked to pricing which in turn we all agree is one of the major stumblingblocks in licensing negotiations.