Tuesday, August 19, 1997
Tuesday, August 05, 1997
Software Bundle with Apple for Educators
At the time, Pierian Spring had Digital Chisel 3 -- and they were looking to give a hard road as to getting into any bundle.
That company isn't to be found by 2005. Don't know what happened there.
Saturday, June 14, 1997
Robo Zoo
SILICON GRAPHICS and TIME MAGAZINE to sponsor THE ROBOT ZOO
Traveling Exhibit Uses Biomechanical Robots, Computer Technology to Reveal Form and Function of Real-Life Animals
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- Silicon Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: SGI) and TIME (NYSE: TWX) announced they will jointly sponsor "The Robot Zoo," a new traveling exhibit of giant robot animals that uses biomechanics and interactive computer demonstrations to show how animals function. At the unique 5,000 square-foot exhibit, children will discover how and why a chameleon changes colors, a housefly walks on the ceiling and a grasshopper hops and flies. The Robot Zoo is scheduled to visit approximately 30 major science and natural-history museums across the country over the next five years. It debuts at Space Center Houston on May 23 and the Milwaukee Zoo on June 14, 1997."With a cast of dynamic, mechanical animals, The Robot Zoo is a tremendous vehicle to capture children's imaginations and ignite their interest in science and technology," said Edward R. McCracken, chairman and chief executive officer of Silicon Graphics. "We're proud to join TIME in sharing this compelling, interactive exhibit with kids of all ages across the country. We believe children who are excited about science and technology will grow to become more informed adults, and in some cases the engineers and scientists of the future."
"The Robot Zoo is a unique, new opportunity for TIME to excite children about the world of technology and relate to them on a very engaging level," said Jack Haire, Publisher of TIME Magazine. "Our partnership with Silicon Graphics is an innovative opportunity to provide kids with hands-on exhibits and the wonder and science of technology."
The exhibit, based on the popular Marshall Editions children's book of the same name, reveals nature as a master engineer by utilizing robotics and Silicon Graphics(R) O2(TM) desktop workstations. Eight larger-than-life biomechanical robot animals and more than a dozen hands-on activities demonstrate fascinating characteristics of real-life creatures. The robots include a bat, a chameleon, a grasshopper, a housefly with a 10-foot wingspread, a platypus, a rhinoceros, a giant squid with 18-foot tentacles, and a giraffe whose head and neck alone stretch nine feet tall. Machinery in the robot animals simulates the body parts and functions of their real-life counterparts; pistons represent bones and joints, funnels portray nostrils and computers act as brains.
Children will use O2 workstations to interact with and learn more about three animals: the chameleon, rhino and giant squid. Young exhibit-goers will use a paint program to construct digital color patterns that will instantly appear on television monitors covering the giant robot chameleon's body; navigate a computer-aided design (CAD) rhino model in a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) environment using the same technology that brings compelling 3D environments to the World Wide Web; and manipulate the nervous system of a digital giant squid to simulate the animal's propulsion abilities.
Scheduled venues for The Robot Zoo include The Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia; The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, Calif. (tentative); the Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul; and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
Throughout its nearly 75-year history, TIME has been a staple in American homes and classrooms. The TIME Education Program was created 30 years ago to provide high school and college students with copies of TIME Magazine to use in their social science curricula. Most recently, TIME launched TIME for Kids, an award-winning classroom news publication for kids ages 10-12. With the news-gathering resources of TIME, TIME For Kids brings the week's latest news to over 1.2 million children each week in an engaging and lively format. In conjunction with The Robot Zoo, the editors and staff of TIME for Kids have produced a 12-page complimentary, take-home exhibit guide.
TIME has also been a leader in new media, both in its coverage of technology and its pioneering online programs. In 1993, TIME became the first newsmagazine to go online and in 1994, was the first newsmagazine to launch on the Internet. In addition, TIME Digital, TIME's technology magazine with a 2.5-million worldwide circulation (the largest of any technology magazine on the planet), gives the magazine unprecedented reach.
Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a leading supplier of high-performance interactive computing systems. The company offers the broadest range of products in the industry -- from low-end desktop workstations to servers and high-end Cray(R) supercomputers. Silicon Graphics also markets MIPS(R) microprocessor designs, Alias/Wavefront(TM) entertainment and design software and other software products. The company's key markets include manufacturing, government, science and industries, telecommunications and entertainment sectors. Silicon Graphics and its subsidiaries have offices throughout the world and headquarters in Mountain View, California.
NOTE: Silicon Graphics and the Silicon Graphics logo are registered trademarks, and O2 is a trademark, of Silicon Graphics, Inc. MIPS is a registered trademark of MIPS Technologies, Inc. Cray is a registered trademark of Cray Research, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Alias/Wavefront is a trademark of Alias/Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. TIME and the Red Border Design are registered trademarks of Time, Inc.
Wednesday, April 02, 1997
Update on biz planning process to insiders
Progress with Plans - update for April 1997
From: Mark Rauterkus, @sportsurf.net
Here is a splash of news to catch everyone up to speed on recent activities. Sorry for the lengthy period of silence, but it was necessary to get a few internal things back in order before moving forward. Some quiet strides on many fronts have occurred in the past number of months.In the near future, you and the other insiders are going to be able to take a gander at the re-launched public WWW site and the private plans. These notes do not cover the core parts of the actual business, but rather provide you some insight into our planning progress and recent activities.
At this time, nobody needs to make any promises. Hopefully you and the others are going to say, "Sure - keep me under consideration."
As always, thanks for the time and consideration. If you'd like to be removed from future correspondence and updates, or if you would like to widen or increase this communication to you and others close to your operation, please let me know.
Update News with New Partner - MDI.NET
A deal is about to be constructed with a local firm, MDI.NET. This established Pittsburgh firm is an ISP with a T1 line and a SUN reseller status. MDI is going to help with the SportSurf.Net efforts by providing in-kind services on a long-term basis. This new "partner" is considered a final cog that is going to allow these projects to advance to the next level.Timeline Construction
Phases, goals and milestones with specific time-lines of implementation are now being charted for the future.Next steps include:
- a re-write of my business plans.
- The plans will appear on a newly constructed private WWW site.
- The plans are going to set the stage for a new corporation with investor financing.
- Angel investors are needed to secure trademarks and retainers, but we quickly seek
- Venture capital funding (>$2 million) - to come in stages of access.
- a reconstruction of the public WWW site (http://www.sportsurf.net).
- The site is going to include offers for sales/services in both a freeware and cash-producing manner. Many chat rooms, forums, mailing lists, and book-content things and such are going to be free. Our product line-up for the near-term is going to be catered to the sports business marketplace and start with small, specialized items -- not comprehensive bundles.
Some of the short-term goals include:
- The Proving Ground is going to be the mechanism for creating alliances with developers/resellers/consultants.
- The Proving Ground activities include satellite services and value-added tech-support. This more formalized line-up of service offerings should provide for the short-term common ground between the smaller, cutting-edge software developers and this organization. Plus the Proving Ground activities are going to expand into future resale operations with the pending bundles.
Bundles of Tomorrow
The future bundles are going to be called:- Sandlot Servers and
- Stadium Servers.
These will be turn-key server bundles (to include software, hardware, customization, integration with the headquarters, leasing options, extra support meetings, value-added content offerings) are to be marketed to the 6,000 sports magazine publishers in North America.
Sandlot and Stadium Server packages provide server platform options for the customers. The servers are going to be built for the following operating systems:
- Macintosh,
- NT,
- Linux and
- SUN
Without Investor Strategy
At this time, there isn't any "investor strategy." However, I am starting to craft a draft INPUT strategy. Without the legally formed business organization, and paperwork for the new one is expected to be filed in the late spring of summer of 1997, talk of "investors" is premature. Instead, these ideas only relate to Input Contributors.The A-B-Cs of Input...
Begin with "Angels"
The finance input strategy is soon to turn to the discover and solicitation of much needed "Angels." The input from Angles can fund the next phases. Early finance requirements project a need of approximately $50,000.The Angel-level-finance amount, given the scope of these plans, is modest. A great distance has already been traveled through our collective careers and with these associated plans and prototypes. Great cost reductions are in place from lots of sources including family. Present day overhead is low, and nearly all of the tools we've been utilizing are getting crafted to fabulous levels of power and sophistication.
Furthermore, the pending sale of the SSS book business could yield additional income and turn back the tide on some debt issues. The prospective income from the transfer of the SSS book business is a tenuous situation however and not to be counted as a liquid asset.
The goal of the Angel finances is to allow for the growth of the on-line activities to a self-sustaining level while allowing for the completion of the business plans. Angels are needed before any serious audience with the Venture Capital crowd can occur with confidence. For instance, angel income would allow for fees associated with obtaining trade-marks for program-specific names, business plans re-writes, law-team retainers, and expert accounting consulting.
After Angels
After the Angels come the Venture Capital investors. This progression from one to the other can occur quickly.The pending pitch to Venture Capital people includes two main points:
The full extent of the service offerings can be taken into the marketplace in a matter of weeks -- almost everything has proven to work!
Today's venture capital crowd is NOT interested in funding long-term internet research and development efforts. Funding for Sport Surf Net is a sure thing as all the computer systems are proven to work as advertised. The venture funding is needed to enter into the marketplace and handle the resulting demands.
If there are incomplete elements of the project lurking, they can be completed in one quarter and can be tested just before sales get underway.
The first stage of expenditures comes as these plans and finished prototypes head to focus group research stages.
A respected local focus group company that works with advertising agencies is ready to help. The fee is about $100,000. Focus group research is a wise investment.
If these products and services should pass through the rigors of independent demographic-type studies, the the organization is going to need additional funds for marketing (advertising, seminars). The advertising/marketing campaign for dealers and consumers for the new product roll-outs could cost $500,000 or more.
Both of those investments (focus groups & advertising) are "short-term investments" and can offer a quick returns.
Modest Infrastructure Costs
Some venture capital money is going to be needed for infrastructure support. The organization will need back-ups, engineer staff, demo units, telephone operators, mailings to magazine publishers, meeting reservations. As far as the net transactions are concerned, today's access capacity is already strong.The full product launch is going to require available cash for overhead, plus there is the matter of acquiring or retaining our key partners -- with and without stock equity.
Jack, I'm counting on you to be the one who is going to be able to provide the Linux server packages.
Furthermore, this is a pipe dream at this stage now, I'd like to be able to have a section in the pending business plan that is going to deal directly with the acquisition of your services -- either in a retain basis or more -- so that you can be fully-funded and a part of our total mission. I don't think these venture capital people are going to be in the mind set to invest money into this project unless we have a good amount of control/ownership and assurances that things are going to get done/happen at a top priority. Obviously, for this type of control to happen, $ needs to come into play first. Plus, my present business and capabilities are not nearly big enough to engage the type of market-cap potential that is going to lure the interest of venture capital types. We need to have proven assets that are worth the investment dollars or else those guys just are not interested. I feel that my team of cutting-edge developer buddies -- all small guys when you look at the likes of Fortune 500 companies -- could band together in some manner and be able to command a sizable equity investment.
To make this work, we're going to need to go on some type of "acquisitions" spree and be able to circle our wagons and say -- hey -- for $10-million you get A, B, C, D and so forth all the way to L,M,N,O, P -- or Z. But, as you might guess, the hand-holding is going to get to be a chore - and we are going to need to have everything pulled together in tight, neat packages for this to succeed.
So, you can see how it is of prime importance that you work these days with this in-mind for the future. All the players will have to have an eye toward this "summary day" and would be able to present some valuable plug-and-play business facts and figures for inserting into the master plan. I'll create the overall master plan but include parts of your data. I'd even say a 1-page executive summary would be too long for the Venture Capital Crowd to digest.
Then comes the matter of $ amounts. Part of this could be with "funny money" in the form of equity, stock options, etc. But, it will also need to boil down to knowing the following:
1. How much is your present business worth in real money at that point in time?
2. How much value does your contributions bring to the overall value of the whole business?
3. How much (on the low, medium, and high side) would you be willing transfer in your venture's ownership -- given that you are still going to play a most valuable role in the continuation of your efforts.
4. How much investment is really needed to take your products and services to the next level of profitability for the short-term and long-term.
5. How much of your day-to-day challenges, work-load and management can be better optimized with OUTSOURCING to the Headquarters staff - resulting in increased productivity for all? ---- As to the EASY-Server side of things: Here is what I'm thinking.
It is going to be great to be able to go to any magazine publisher and say, you need to buy into either our Stadium Server ($50,000) or Sandlot Server $15,000. You'll get everything you need, plus full integration into our headquarters' site databases, traffic, resources. And, our server line-up comes with many different flavors: Macintosh, NT, Linux, SUN -- with many options. On the low end, a publisher can just rent rooms on our site. So, the Linux solution is more of a middle-line-up product. The Easy-Serve gives great bang for the buck. Plus, it allows for local dial-up support for the magazine staff out of the office. Heck it uses the #1 server in the world wide web - Apache. This is important to our efforts.
Tuesday, April 01, 1997
subscribers dashboard for mailing lists - code
Welcome Members of the E-Mail Marketing Digest
Subscribers' Dashboard Examples to Empty Locations
The following buttons show the various supported servers. The server matters as some discussion groups are hosted on Majordomo servers, while others are hosted on ListServ. There are plenty of others too. The commands for each server host are not the same. You'll need to know what type of list-server software is being utilized.These buttons are empty, so the end-user needs to type in not only his or her email address, but also the list address and the list name. The slightest typing error shows the unforgiving nature of the internet and the commands fail.
A better set-up puts hidden content inside the code so that the Subscribers Dashboard can open with various elements already in place.
Tip:
- Select the right server from the buttons below.
- When in doubt, view source on this HTML page (and others) to see how everything is accomplished.
- For long-term security reasons, this page is not going to be kept up on the net. Get this info now.
Create an HTML form like the following:
Make the following substitutions in the above code:
server
- One of the following:
- listserv
- listproc
- majordomo
- mlp
- smartlist
- subscribe
- This button's description
- Suggested Name: Subscribers Dashboard for the expanded name of the service.
- Avoid jargon and short names to lessen confusion.
err_address
- The address to which bounced messages should be sent.
- Use your full email address please.
list_addr
- The address of the list server.
- For example: Majordomo@SportSurf.Net
list_name
- The exact name of the mailing list.
Make Your Own Subscribers Dashboard for your favorite discussion groups
You can make your own subscribers dashboard without the need for your own web server. Use the SportSurf.Net server instead. Simply visit the SportSurf.Net site -- or -- build your own HTML form to kick-start the communications with the SportSurf.Net server. The HTML form can be a button place on a public or private HTML page. These instructions contain the specifics for that form. Once the dashboard is built, you don't have to remember and re-type remote server email addresses and user commands.- Use a text editor to cut-and-paste the code between the snips.
- Save the text into a new file. Create the file in an obvious place within your hard-disk drive's file directory.
- Name the file something like, "subskey.html."
- Make the necessary changes to the code. The section on this page tells you how to create the form. The form needs some advance knowledge so that it can remember the location and commands.
- Connect to the intenet and have your web browser open. You have to be able to visit other sites on the web.
- Within your web browser, use the pull-down menu and "open file" -- and select from your hard disk drive, "subskey.html."
Local Operations - because you have to master these various groups yourself.
Questions:
Please feel free to contact the List-Clerk, Mark Rauterkus, for additional help if needed.
Other Pointers
- Article #2
- MajorCool Interface at SportSurf.Net
- SportSurf.Net Home Page
- Smartbounce Home Page
Tuesday, March 18, 1997
Email about the Avatar Book and concepts with author
From Mark R (helper guy)
To Peter Small - Author of the Web Avatar Project
Hi Peter,
All along one of my biggest pushes for you have been to "write some example, real-world avatars." In a selfish way, I've got some needs for them now. But I was thinking that the avatars would be good end of book example cases. I said you should start working on the end of book now, getting an income, and getting those all-important examples working, filtering, generating results. The examples are going to take time.
You seemed to want to delay avatar creation.
Well, after seeing these reviews -- I think my original ideas were on the money. I should speak it even louder. You need to give Avatar Examples (specific case studies with big results) right away before anything else. Do the book in reverse order. All the philosophy, A-Life examples and wonderful things you've already expressed need to be headed to the back of the book.
This is a how to book. Even better, learn how the sport surf network put avatars to work on its web site and became the #1 web-site in the world.
NEW BOOK OUTLINE:
- This is me and my "client". (who)
- Here is what we did:
- Here is what could be done in general for your business.
- Here is how we did it:
- Here is why we did it:
- Back of book timeline (when)
- Here is why you too will be faced with avatars today and tomorrow. (your book goes here)
- Prepare yourself so you can sell these ideas to your organization.
Peter asked:
I now appeal to you for you help in getting this book across. Where am I >going wrong? Where do I go from here?
Examples: Working Models. Prove it from the get go. You gotta put the cart before the horse. The good get delivered - and it is easy to see that the goods are good. Put some avatars right into their faces from the get-go. Then, you can put chapter 1 as chapter 10 (nine examples later). Proof of what I'm thinking is found in the reviewers notes:
>without a strong endorsement from people more expert in the field than I am, I cannot pursue this book.
Have them endorse the avatar or the agent. Not the concept of the avatar book.
> I need books that are cutting edge, yes, but also books with a clear purpose, tight focus, and solid grounding in available technology.
Clear purpose! - this pathway for this avatar is x --> y --> Z. Very clear. Very focused. Very tight. The grounding is solid in a commercial endeavor.
>I could find no interesting technical insights
The technical insights are right in the example avatars. Put the avatars and agents in there first and then you have interesting technical insights.
> I think the majority will be broadly interested in the techniques and applications,
Let's do a book on the interesting techniques and applications that you applied to Sport Surf.
>In my experience people buy technology books to understand technology on a high level (business managers), or to solve technical problems on a detailed level.
Give the readers the - solved problems on technical level first - I did X, Y, Z with sport surf - . Then give them the high level business manager for the later part as to the wave of the future.
>This book doesn't state what it will help you achieve.
The Sport Surf site is going to jump from nothingness to greatness with avatars. Your site can do the same. Let's make a fairy tale come true and then people will know it is not a fairy-tale any longer.
Nuff said on that.
Now what. I think I need to give you a better tour as to what I have in mind with my mega site and my plans.
There are areas in my plan where I can see you playing a key role. I visualize this whole operation. How to share all of these ideas (mine and yours) is another matter that would best be solved with a face to face visit of a few days.
How are your frequent flyer miles? Can you come to Pittsburgh, PA, USA?
- Things to still talk about:
- Peter building a list of lists
- Peter building the list avatars for Sport Surf.
Take care.
Mark Rauterkus mrauterkus@pittsburgh.net
Reviews of avatar book
Subject: Reviews of avatar book Received: 3/18/97 10:10 AM From: Peter Small, peter@genps.demon.co.uk Avatar book reviewers, Being an author is not the fun life everyone would believe. Below are some of the comments from a rejection slip I have just received from one of the publishers I've been talking to. The comments are not untypical as I have received many similar comments in the feedback I have received from many of you. Fortunately, I've also had a whole batch of complimentary posts which have stopped me dragging everything I've written over to the trash can and starting again. However, it does indicate that the way I am explaining this avatar stuff just isn't getting through to a lot of people, so, I need your help in trying to find a way to do it more successfully . What I am writing about is the implications of a technology which is only just starting to come on stream - the protocol engines which allow documents to communicate over the Internet. Allegiant have started this all off with Marionet. Director 6 is coming out in June with a whole lot of Web tools which will achieve a similar effect. SuperCard and HyperCard are soon to be brought out as cross platform multimedia authoring packages which will have similar Internet communication tools built into their players. The burning question now is how to use them. They is going to make a large difference to the way the Web will be used and the point is that this is not some "airy fairy" idea for the future, but, is going to happen within a few months. The second important issue is that the ability of applications and documents to communicate with each other opens up a completely new way to think about and apply communication techniques and information processing. This is no bull-shit theoretical stuff - it is a real need for an eminently practical way to think about and design new applications and services for the Internet. The only problem is that it involves a novel and, to most people, unfamiliar mind set - namely object oriented thinking. Understanding this stuff is about conceptualizations and mental modeling and *cannot* be taught using conventional step by step instructions. This presents a huge problem as to how to explain it. Do not be confused by the CC+ use of object oriented programming. Although similar, this conception of OOPS is mostly applied in top down situations and is quite different from the bottom up approach needed for the design of Internet stuff. One way to describe OO thinking, would be to explain the construction of a complex interactive working model as a proof of concept. The only problem with this approach is that it would involve masses of technical code and it would bore most readers to death before they ever got around to getting the gist of it. The alternative is to use metaphors. However, the ephemeral nature of the concepts needed to explain OO requires the use of metaphors which appear completely unrelated to any practical application. The use of biological metaphors is, to my mind, apt for this new Internet technology. Biologists are now getting around to thinking of cells and biological mechanisms (even life itself) in terms of information transfer. Those of you who have read "Lingo Sorcery" will be aware of the way in which complex applications can be constructed from interacting software objects. Those who have read "How God Makes God" will be aware of the way in which complex mechanisms of life can evolve from very simple interacting "objects" which evolve from the mixing of elements in a gene pool. The point is, this book I am working on is not about some fanciful theories which I have dreamed up by myself. It is about applying a practical conceptual framework to the Internet which calls upon recent developments in a whole number of related areas of science. Evolutionary biology, medical research into drugs and theories about the nature of life have changed dramatically over the past five years. These new ideas and methods are only just beginning to filter through. It is the application of these new idea to the Internet which I am trying to explain in this book. Unfortunately, many older unsuccessful ideas get in the way. In particular I refer to the concepts of "life" and "intelligence". Up until fairly recently, MIT have been seen as the leaders in these fields with their huge research into Artificial Intelligence (AI). This has not produced the expected breakthroughs or practical applications. It has now been superseded by the concept of artificial life - or "A-Life" as it is commonly known as - where the creative center is at the Santa Fe Institute. A few years ago, all of this A-Life stuff was pooh-poohed as irrelevant nonsense by the AI world. Now it is providing the answers and breakthroughs which AI so dismally failed to do (BTW An excellent primer and background to all this A-Life research is Steven Levy's book "Artificial Life" Penguin Science ISBN 0-14-023105-6). I now appeal to you for you help in getting this book across. Where am I going wrong? Where do I go from here? I am now working on a third chapter where I am going to try to bring out the biological metaphor more strongly, give a more accessible explanation of the object oriented concept and define the principle of "intelligence" as it applies to avatars and software objects. I shall also be arranging with a number of universities and private Web site owners to set up ftp sites for biotelemorphic cells and will be arranging a list serve to allow the exchange of programming documents as described in chapter 2 (if any person or group would like to come in on this please let me know). In case any one asks, I shall not be getting onto the direct Internet communication of cells using protocol engines until later in the book. There is a lot of interesting stuff to cover before this which would be overly complicated by bringing in Internet communication too early. Please, I need your help and feedback on this. Take a look below at the excerpts from my recent publisher's reject slip and see what attitudes I have to contend with. Regards Peter ----------- The Avatar book can now be read on the Web at: USA http://192.41.36.58/avatars/Index.htm UK http://www.obsolete.com/dug ----------------------------------------------- Below are snippets of the rejection slip I have just received from a publisher. You may well agree with the comments. Peter, The reviews are in, and I'm afraid I will not be able to offer you a contract on "Web Avatars". Of the three reviewers and myself, I believe that my enthusiasm for the project is the highest, but without a strong endorsement from people more expert in the field than I am, I cannot pursue this book. I tried, as I do on every proposal, to get a team of reviewers at least as qualified as the author. The three reviewers on your proposal have impecable credentials: one is an expert on virtual communities, one was part of the original CERN-NCSA-industry coalition that created the Web, and one is a Web master for a major online search engine. I have included their reviews below; you will see that they range from disgusted to luke warm.I am at liberty to take risks, much more than editors at larger publishing houses. But in terms of image, I cannot afford risks. Our first few books in this area will determine how customers and future authors perceive us. I need books that are cutting edge, yes, but also books with a clear purpose, tight focus, and solid grounding in available technology. Your book may evolve to meet those standards, but it does not meet them yet. Review One: --------------------------------- >Well, I think it's bullshit. I could find no interesting technical >insights in the "Web Avatars" material. Apparently the guy has >written an interesting book on Lingo tips, and now has "second-system >syndrome": he feels his next book should be some great vessel of wit >and wisdom. > Review Two: --------------------------------- >The audience these days is pretty large. I think the majority will be >broadly interested in the techniques and applications, but not to the >depth of a book. > >After reading of the proposal, it's on-line comments, and chapter 1, >I believe that only digital media people, with an interest in the Web, >and, at a push, online comunity people are going to be sufficiently >intrigued and excited. >I feel the main use of the metaphors is to attach questionable validity >to the author's models and claims. Some of them are contrived, some >distract from the topic and make it appear complicated. >There is no clear purpose. In my experience people buy technology books >to understand technology on a high level (business managers), or to solve >technical problems on a detailed level. This book doesn't state what it >will help you achieve. Worse, it talks about its techniques as the new >True Way, to be embraced by everyone. The Internet doesn't work that way. >I don't have time to invest my attention into a fairytale. > >>The author makes use of philosophical parallels. Is this helpful. > >They [philosophical parallels] suffer from similar problems as the >metaphors -- they distract, they >complicate, and worse, the have an attitude: "I have enreached enlightenment, >if you can understand this subject and agree with me you are also a cool dude, >otherwise your brain must simply be missing something". Give me a break. > >I find language like "it does not take long to realise", >"triggered some form of enlightenment", and >"perhaps you have already clicked on" >condencening. > >Also, there are always limits to anything. Describing the limits to >your approach is helpful, and shows a deeper understanding. The material >I have reviewed is positioned as limitless, with a holy ring to it. >But there is no philosophy involved. You need not be a guru to think this up >or understand it. It is not "life". It is not a standard. It is limited. >It is not cross-platform. It is not language independent. Security/privacy >issues are not addresses. Efficiency and performance is not addressed. >This does not instill me with great confidence. > > >Finally I'm not that impressed with the author's writing. Of course it has >not gone through editorial control, but some of the language just doesn't >flow very well. My own spelling skills are not the best (as a non-native >speaker), but I am pretty attentive when it comes to parsing sentence >constructions on paper (maybe because I'm a non-native speaker). > >In summary, thumbs down, some salvageable material, eccentric/dubious author. > Review Three: --------------------------------- >However, the general population >of Web professionals is highly unlikely, in the beginning of >something this new and technically difficult, to purchase >this text. >This reviewer would not initially purchase a text of this >type. With limited resources, proven, existing tools are >preferred. Eventually, if "Web Avatars" prove fruitful, a >purchase of this text would be likely. >
Reactions from Mark Rauterkus and reply to Peter. The letter is titled, the cart goes before the horse.
Monday, February 17, 1997
Notes with bundle partner meeting(s)
I had been a beta tester for Adobe Acrobat 3.0 and was good at 'distilling' the documents with hyperlinks and making them so they could be served on the web, a page at a time and with quicker downloading.
agenda notes:
bundles (resale agreements and next phases of products)
digital duplication rights and policies for CD-ROM delivery
joint marketing of products. Do you want to extend your product line and better interact with others in the bundle?
co-location of documents. Edits of documents. Un-official sites for power-users (SIGs).
outsourced services based on utilities of software bundle. Ping sites for a fee with PageSentry, for example.
A UK book author is doing project on agents and avitars and we'd like to get a chapter in there about your software.
Non-exclusive speakers booking service.
Cross platform development issues.
Apple Computer Demonstrates First DVD-Enabled Macintosh at Milia 97
Subject: Apple Demos DVD Mac Sent: 2/16/97 12:16 PM Received: 2/17/97 4:17 PM From: MacDev-1 Moderator, MacDev-1-Moderator@listmail.xplain.com To: MacDev-1, MacDev-1@listmail.xplain.com This message comes to you from MacDev-1(tm). See below for more info on this list (including sub/unsub details).
Apple Computer Demonstrates First DVD-Enabled Macintosh at Milia 97
Company makes commitment to DVD, among the first computer makers to standardize on DVD-ROM; announces intent to establish DVD Web site Milia 97, Cannes France - February 12, 1997 - Apple Computer, Inc. (Cupertino, CA) today publicly demonstrated the first DVD-ROM Macintosh(R) prototype and announced support for the DVD-ROM format throughout most of the Apple Macintosh product line. DVD is a new industry standard for consumer electronics and computers that delivers vastly superior audio and video compared with current CD-ROM technology. As part of a MILIA presentation, Apple also noted that the first DVD-enabled Macintosh system could appear as soon as late 1997, with several new PowerBook(R) and desktop models expected to be shipping with DVD-ROM by early 1998. "Just as Apple was the first computer vendor to standardize on CD-ROM ten years ago, we now expect to take a leadership position with Macintosh and DVD-ROM," said Carlos Montalvo, vice president of Apple's Interactive Media Group. "Integrating DVD-ROM with our leading multimedia and upcoming processor technologies is a top priority for Apple Computer. These include QTML (QuickTime(R) Media Layer) for integrated A/V, 3D and VR technologies, 500 MhZ + PowerPC chips from Exponential for blazing speed, plus cutting-edge multimedia processing power from the Philips TriMedia(TM) chip." The Apple DVD-ROM prototype, a modified Performa(R) 5400, culminates several years of Apple research and development on DVD technology, in collaboration with leading Japanese and European consumer electronics companies. DVD-ROMs - which look identical to CD-ROM discs - can hold up to 18 GB of multimedia data, including any mixture of CD-quality sound, AC-3 surround sound information, MPEG-2 video and computer binary data. The current CD format holds only 680 MB of content, with no built-in provisions for surround-sound or MPEG-2. At Milia, several leading DVD developers and pre-mastering software vendors, including Sonic Solutions (Novato, CA), Sumeria (San Francisco, CA), Short Cinema Journal (Venice, CA), Wired, Inc. (Mountain View, CA) and Daikin (Novato, CA) pledged their support for Macintosh as the ideal pre-mastering and content delivery platform for rich multimedia DVD titles. Lastly, Apple announced its plan to create a DVD Web site in the near future. The Apple DVD Web site will serve as a clearing-house for interested consumers and developers on the latest DVD information, as well as providing links to third-parties with DVD solutions for the Macintosh. "As the leading multimedia computer platform, Apple plans to take an aggressive role in promoting the latest technologies to keep our customers on the leading-edge of content development," said John Cook, DVD program office director with Apple Computer, Inc. "DVD-ROM is the next step in bridging the gap between big-screen entertainment and the desktop -- Apple fully intends to have the best possible solution for this technology. We are collaborating with the leading vendors in both software and hardware to integrate best-of-breed multimedia technology on the Macintosh and DVD-ROM is clearly the future for content delivery on our platform." Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized pioneer and innovator in the information industry, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software and personal digital assistants. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) develops, manufactures, licenses and markets products, technologies and services for the business, education, consumer, scientific and engineering, and government markets in over 140 countries. Press Contacts:
Saturday, February 01, 1997
Market Week speaker
I also got to explore the National Business Incubation Assocation, http://www.nbia.org, and talk with the Asst. Director of On-line Services Clearninghouse for Strategic Alliances, Gregory Kaple.
Disney and online sports
Internet Site Founders Give Back to Their University
* Yahoo! internet service founders, David Filo and Jerry Yang, have funded a new chair at Stanford University and are the youngest persons ever to have done so.- they quit their PhD studies at Stanford to turn their Yahoo! Internet search site into one of the Web's most successful companies.
- donated $2 million to Stanford.
Sports Sites Go for Big Bucks
* Walt Disney Co. is reportedly in talks to buy a major stake in Starwave, the Web site company owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.- Starwave operates sports and entertainment websites and operates, with Disney, the ESPNet-SportsZone site.
Sunday, November 10, 1996
Colin and Mary get hitched in California -- we're there!
We share the same anniversary.
Colin McKinney, and his two brothers, Kevin and Pat, lived just two doors away from us growing up.
Saturday, October 12, 1996
Prayer for Geri Ann and John -- as they get hitched.
For people of all religions everywhere, that we spread God's messages of love and peach though our actions and words. ....
For those hwo have travelled to be with us, may they continue to have a safe journey...
May the love that we witness between John and Geri Ann remind and rekindle the love we share in our own relationships...
For Geri Ann and John, that they grow together as friends, lvoers and soul mates...
For those special people who have come before us in the past and have helped to make us who we are today...
For the creative and artistic people of today, may they all have the confidence of their creativity and let us pray for the creativitiy found in each of us...
For all teachers and wrestlers everywhere. May they have the patience and wisdom to meet their challenges head on throughout all of life.
Sunday, September 01, 1996
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Tuesday, July 23, 1996
Market Research Software for World Wide Web to be part of New High-Performance Software Bundles
Cover Letter
Executive Summary
Some of the original goals for the Village Compass Bundle have been reached. The sales of the VCB has been below expectations - due to a number of reasons. We have plenty to do - and progress is occuring. Sales for the Village Compass Bundle are poor and well below expectations. Some of my original goals for the VCB have been reached. Successful happenings: Right from the outset of this bundle process, I thought that it was important for the first release of any bundle to be a high-performance, cutting-edge, money saving, better than Apple Computer’s Internet Server Solution - eye-popping bundle. Well, IMHO, I feel that the VCB is a great solution, and it is better than Apple’s. The VCB is huge in terms of product titles and capabilites. It was too big for us to master in a couple of months given our starting point. Here we are in September, and I have played with each product but I’ve not been able to master them. The desire to team with smaller to mid-sized developers with hot technology applications from all-across the USA and world has been met. Getting a “turn-key” solution to the marketplace was also a priority. Media Fact: The Trade Press does NOT cover bundle news. Bundle news is considered a non-news event. New products are news. Bundles are not newsworthy. Trade Products Among Bundle Players Long Shot Ideas Java Use and the Java Venture Capital Fund Use server-side Java and take InfoDepot documents onto the WWW. Use server-side Interaction and client side Java for CHAT faces from DB Presentation Program for the WWW Original Goals Thirty-Six Web Developers Join iCat Monday 96.09.23 - (E.COMMERCE TODAY) - Seattle, WA USA - iCat Corp. announced that 36 Web development companies have joined the iCat Commerce Partner (iCP) program. These firms are now using their Web development expertise to customize and extend the iCat Electronic Commerce Suite, offering their business customers the most complete and flexible electronic commerce solution for selling products and services via the Internet and CD-ROM. The following list of iCat Commerce Partners can assist those merchants and businesses that need help in developing commerce-enabled Web sites: Compudoc of Warren, NJ (www.compudocinc.com) Oculus Interactive of New York, NY (www.ocu.com) Vision Graphics of Ludlow, MA (www.visiongroup.com) Didax LLC of Chantilly, VA (www.didax.com) Image Soft, Inc. of Halifax, PA Shablow/Beaumont of Birmingham, AL (www.sbmc.com) Web Adept of Daytona, FL (www.webadept.com) Free Range Media of Seattle, WA (www.freerange.com) 01 Publishing of Seattle, WA (www.01pub.com) DigiCOLOR of Seattle, WA (www.digicolor.com) Printing Control of Seattle, WA (www.printingcontrol.com) AcmeNET of Woodinville, WA (www.acmenet.com) ComVista of Bellevue, WA (www.comvista.com) Quebecor Interactive of Bellevue, WA (www.qinteractive.com) Ogle Publishing of Lake Oswego, OR (www.oglepub.com) The Catalog Site of Santa Monica, CA (www.catalogsite.com) Hybrid Media of Palo Alto, CA (www.hybridmedia.com) Computer Network Specialists of Irvine, CA (www.netspec.com) Entrusted Design of San Jose, CA Internet Commerce Company of Exeter, CA (www.icomco.com) Intermedia Synergy of Aliso Viejo, CA (www.intermediasynergy.com) On-Line Foods of Oakland, CA (www.onlygourmet.com) Insentiv Media of Oakland, CA (www.insentiv.com) Network Architects of San Ramon, CA (www.archnet.com) Interactive Cafe of Vancouver BC (www.icafe.com) COSMO21 of Burnaby BC (www.cosmo21.com) Characters of Houston, TX (www.characters.com) POS one of Houston, TX TruNet / Truco Enterprises, Inc. of Dallas, TX (www.truco2@airmail.net) Tesseract Systems Group, Inc. of San Antonio, TX (www.liquidwebs.com) Data Pub Group of Chicago, IL (www.datapub.com) Mmedia.com Industries of Manhattan, KS (www.mmedia.com) The Virtual Flyshop of Ft. Collins, CO (www.flyshop.com) Custom Tech Systems, Inc./Cosmo21 of Milwaukee, WI (www.customtech.com) Netalliance, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN (www.netalliance.net) Pathlight Data Systems of Rocky River, OH iCat is at http://www.icat.com
Saturday, May 18, 1996
Pondering domain uses at SportSurf.Net - names
Domains for Email Usage domain description example priority
Friday, May 17, 1996
Name Spectrum Standard, part 2
Name Spectrum for Majordomo Services at SportSurf.Net The community email lists, web pages and MajorDomo services in operation at SportSurf.Net utilize a spectrum of names to help organize your mailbox, clarify topics areas and customize content interests. With so many lists and such a wide audience, please become familiar with this name spectrum standards. This tutorial covers the subject in full detail. Under Construction: Suggestions and changes are welcomed. Mailto:List-Clerk@SportSurf.Net Outlets: This tutorial is available via web-pages, email auto-reply messages and PDFs. Name Spectrum Standard: A Cornerstone This tutorial details one aspect of our services. Mastering this network includes an awareness of this name-spectrum standard, as well as: swelling, stimulating, splintering, syncronizing and sub-hosting. Name Spectrum: Three-part naming structure of Prefix-Topic-Suffix. Could become a new internet/community standard. Syncronizing: Easy on and off subscribing with one-stop command. Swelling: Starting and growing a subscriber and scratch for subscribers on the way to a viable virtual community Stimulating Injecting ideas and discussions so the load of conversation is spread among other services Splintering: Dividing one major topic area into sub-groups for specializations for various topic areas and various populations. Sub-Hosting: Groups in various locations can ride aboard this server's sub-hosting bandwagon. ----------------- Name Spectrum Standard: three-part identificiation The name spectrum uses a three-part naming structure with Prefix + Topic + Suffix. Hyphens, not plus signs, join the three words into one. The hyphen is on the top row of the keyboard between the zero and the equal sign. For example, the first list ever hosted at SportSurf.Net was the Better-Swim-List. This identification system can confuse at first glance. In due time, the names help to understand, grow and navigate these virtual communities. Various names, much like part numbers, are used to better identify, locate and describe things. For example, the term of "football-player" can come to represent number of various things to different people in different places. These names help to ground the conversations in shared meanings with various spaces and times. Specializations are important, as is shared understandings. Within the spectrum of names, the middle word describes a specific topic. Obviously, to talk about swimming, go to a list with "swim" in its title. Then check to see if your understanding of swimming matches that found in the info and intro documents you'll get as a process of your subscription welcome. Behavior ramifications, both implied and expressed, become a secondary purpose for this name-spectrum formula. Public email messages should blend with one's expectations and fit within appropriate settings. Behaviors differ at scientific seminars, honor banquets, marketplaces and competitive events. For example, you'll find that it is okay to blab about one's new commercial invention with postings to better-swim-noise. However, blabing about commercial products isn't a good idea unless you've got some new supporting research data to back-up your claims when posts go to better-swim-peer. Smorgasboard of the Various Names within the Name Spectrum Standards A combination of more than 50 words are used with the various names. Some of the names used here are obvious. Others are not. Bluff lists are about geographical locations. Local lists are about body-parts. Look stands for futurists. Peer comes to represent scientific peer-review. A Name is a Name is a Name: The decision to create additional top-level domains may not solve the current crowding in Internet domain names, says columnist Wendy Grossman: "Judging from the comments I've seen, people hate the names: .firm, .store, .web, .arts, .rec and .nom (for personal domains). 'What is the problem we are trying to solve?' asks Donna Hoffman, an electronic commerce specialist at Vanderbilt University. If, she argues, we want to create more 'good' names, this system fails because companies will register multiple names. If the goal is a directory structure, it fails again, because the names are confusing. 'The categories should be mutually exclusive and exhaustive but also flexible enough to accommodate evolution,' she says... The right structure could solve a number of persistent problems if it took into account the changing nature of the Net, the fact that rules will always be broken, and the increasing value names and concepts acquire with use. The current plan does not do enough of the first two things, although it correctly says that domain names are a public trust, reflecting the human ability to create something valuable out of nothing." (Scientific American Oct 97) PrefixTopicSuffixSubject-line PrefixFamily Strata Spectum words in no particular order. <TABLE BORDER=3 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC"> <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Noise Hype Chat Folks Lime Globe Talk <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> List Peer Forum Course Sum Announce Aid <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Digest Dig Study Peeks Pride Trips Tours <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Stretch HQ Test ABCs Devs Hurt Injury <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Rehab Peek Case Peer Honor Gateway Synk <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Score Swell Pros Meca Look Tykes TitleTs <TR ALIGN=Center VALIGN=Middle> Midas L2k: Splash: News: Schools </TABLE> Prefix Spectrum Names Include: Subject-Line Prefix Include: L2k: Splash: News: Topic Terms Include: Suffix Terms Include: Subject-line Prefix <H5>Sports-Specific Suffix Spectrum:</H5> <H5>Sphere of Mostly Water Suffix Spectrum</H5> <H5>Sphere of Proving Ground Spectrum</H5> <H5>Sacks of Mostly Water Suffix Family</H5> TitleTs <P ALIGN=Right><FONT SIZE=-1>* Key: <FONT COLOR="990099">Read Only <FONT COLOR="663300"> In-house use for moderators/volunteers </P> Prefix Keywords The prefix part of the name helps to group lists in various target groups. For example, all the competitive sports lists with a focus of self-improvement and performance have the prefix, "Better". Prefix keywords in use include: Better, covers competitive sports, self-improvement, higher performance Bluff, covers geographical destinations Elsewhere, covers topics not dealt within SportSurf.Net - and perhaps ANTI overviews too Inside, covers SportSurf.Net insider and agent news Local, covers body-parts Look, covers lookout and future Midas, covers finances, greed, money, professional-sports, poverty issues too Prove, covers technology-related topics of the Proving Ground Topic Keywords The middle word in the name spectrum deal with the central topic, activity or location. With so many keywords and a growing list, don't expect to see all the topics listed here. However, the best way to get a look at the listing is to visit our <A HREF="http://www.sportsurf.net/majorcool/majorcool.cgi" TARGET="MajorCool">MajorCool Interface. <H4>Sports Keywords</H4> In time, nearly every sports, health, fitness topic is going to be covered. <H4>Elsewhere Keywords:</H4> TicketsSteroidsTobaccoGamblingDrugsHuntingMotorizedAnimalisticFishingCelebrityFlaming Suffix Keywords Suffix keywords are utilized in the name spectrum for easy identification of content-flavors and list-policies. The suffix keywords come in a few different families. Each suffix family has an associated string of siblings. Suffix Families: Sport-Specific (and Technology-Specific) Suffix String Spheres of Mostly Water Suffix String Sacks of Mostly Water Suffix Strings/UL> <H5>Specific Suffix Strings</H5> Noise - Hype - Chat - Folks - Lime - Tykes - Globe - Swap - Dealers - Talk - List - Peer - Sum - <FONT COLOR="990099">Announce - <FONT COLOR="990099">Dig - <FONT COLOR="990099">Digest - <FONT COLOR="990099">Dust - Gate - <FONT COLOR="663300">Aid Example: <BR> Email your messages to: <FONT COLOR="0000FF">Specific_Topic-Noise@sportsurf.net Key: Noise Okay for advertisers, sponsors, commercial content, sorta-off-topic posts. Boasting, "sky-is-falling" posts, and in-depth-personal insights of the $.02 and $.03 varieties are tolerated. If something screams, "Eeeks" -- it should be on noise. ChatInformal talk and wondering around the topic areas are okay. Younger-participants go here! HypeMessages for the masses. Sports leaders often wonder about how to bring their games and athletes to a wider audience. Often rule changes need to occur, but those drastic measure can upset the traditions. Another option is to bring the masses to the games and not the game to the masses. My sport is better that that hype is fair grounds here too. Plus, all the PSA (public service announcements) take root here. FolksPersonal introductions, welcome messages. The postings to folks must follow the rigid guidelines. See the info files. Any and all follow-ups to the introductions at Folks go to that person and not to any list. The introductions help build community and provide insights and all the people in these discussions. Everyone can posts introductions from scientist to volunteer to youthful athletes. Lime: i.e., LimelightHeadlines, breaking news, covering those people, events, and happenings in the limelight, media and analysis. Globe: i.e., Global/International/Multi-LingualNon-english posts are welcomed here. SwapPerson to person swaps, trades, barters concerning sport-specific goods, services and equipment. DealersShop owners, institutional equipment providers, inventors, dealers, manufactures, trade-show coordinators, sales reps, sponsors, publishers, import/exporters, bulk-specials mentions are all welcomed. TalkSuited to serious posts, more advanced knoweldge base, only on-topic tips/hints ListOften owned by closed organizations or must join "club" with FAQ guidelines Peer: i.e., Peer ReviewMost academic, high-minded, science supported facts desired Sum: i.e., SummaryFAQs, summary posts, significant follow-ups where information is synthizied from a few different sources AnnounceModerated. Includes news releases. Read only. DigDig is an informal digest. Batches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for the more informal siblings. Read only. DigestBatches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for the more formal siblings. Read only. DustDust in short for digital dust. The pack-rat subscribers get all the posts to all the lists in the family in an individual fashion with one "subscription" message. Read only. to the dust lists get individual posts as they occurto this family in an indiv sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format. Read only. GateGate stands for gateways(s). A gate is like a meta lists, Gate lists are often best-of lists hosted at other locations on the net. Mirrored lists can converge on a meta lists at SportSurf.Net. Even usenet discussions can be gatewayed to these lists. Read only. <BR> Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & VoluneersFor the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers. Sphere of Mostly Water Suffix Tips The subscriptions in this section utilize the following suffix plan. For further information visit the tutorial on the SportSurf.Net's Name Specturm Standard. <A HREF="#study">Study - <A HREF="#peeks">Peeks - <A HREF="#pride">Pride - <A HREF="#trips">Trips - <A HREF="#tours">Tours - <A HREF="#stretch">Stretch - <A HREF="#hq">HQ - <A HREF="#test">Test - <FONT COLOR="990099"><A HREF="#dig">Dig - <FONT COLOR="990099"><A HREF="#digest">Digest - <FONT COLOR="663300"><A HREF="#aid">Aid Suffix Key for Bluffs -- Center of the Universe Family <A NAME="study">StudySuited to school studies, pen-pals, language exploration, easy research. Posts from abroad are welcomed here. Noisy school-yard study stuff tolerated. <A NAME="peeks">PeeksOn and off-topic tips, hints, insights. Commercials need to be about sports and localized! Digital landscape posts welcomed too. Pointers to politics, weather, cutlure, industry, entertainment and such must be very brief. <A NAME="pride">PrideCulture, Sports, teams, leagues, professionals, updates, news. Positive first-person accounts are fine. <A NAME="trips">TripsFor those planning individual and small group travel, and locals who might like to offer suggestions. <A NAME="tours">ToursSuited for those with advanced travel plans and group travel. All-star matches, training trips, etc. <A NAME="stretch">StretchStrictly business, high-class travel talk that is suited for those with gold-card credit, corporate limo expectations, cyber-hook-up requirements, and high-performance fact-of-life mentalities. <A NAME="hq">HQDesigned for the national and state sports authorities, Olympic Committee folks, scholastic sports organizers. Calling for tryouts, team directors, regional coordination. <A NAME="test">TestAll things about TEST Matches, any sport. In test matches the teams are most often fielded from different countries. <A NAME="dig">DigThe Digest format for the more infomal lists in this family. Included: Study - Peeks - Pride - Trips. <A NAME="digest">DigestThe digest format for the more formal lists in this family. Includes: Tours - HQ - Test. <A NAME="aid">Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & VoluneersFor the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers. English only. Additional digests for regions are expected later. <H5>Sacs of Mostly Water Suffix Family</H5> Hurt - Injury - Rehab - Case - Peer - <FONT COLOR="990099">Digest - <FONT COLOR="663300">Aid Example: <BR> Email your messages to: <FONT COLOR="0000FF">Specific_Topic-Noise@sportsurf.net Key: Hurt Okay for advertisers, sponsors, commercial content, noise, sorta-off-topic posts. Boasting, "sky-is-falling" posts, and in-depth-personal insights of the $.02 and $.03 varieties are tolerated. If something screams, "Eeeks" -- it should be on hurt. Also the place for folks, limelight, meta, global, talk-like posts. InjuryFormal talk and wondering around the topic areas are okay. Hangout for trainers, coaches, those with new injuries. Suited to serious posts, more advanced knoweldge base, only on-topic tips/hints/help. RehabClinicians, injured atheltes, long-term motivations and progress reports are okay. CaseFormal case study presentations, poster-type sessions. Dedicated mainly to college students, continuing eductation, clinicians, coaches. Peer: i.e., Peer ReviewMost academic, high-minded, science supported facts desired. DigestBatches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for all the siblings. Read only. Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & VoluneersFor the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers. Additional digests for regions of the body may be started later, such as upper-body, lower-body. <H4>For Future Standards:</H4> <DL> Needs41: i.e., Needs for oneNeeds postings for one person, most often for yourself. Includes swaps. Needs4org: i.e., Needs for organizationNeeds postings for an organization, group, team, league, school. Obviously more than one person. SorrySorry Sports. More news to come. GiversGive it up here. More news to come. TakersLog in here. Componet with Givers. More news to come. ForumForums can be for classroom use, and even for distance learning. More news to come. </DL> Gateway Lists Gate lists, gateways, and meta lists are coming. Meta lists are cool. However, no further information on meta lists, their policies and operations are going to be posted here at this time. Deployment Various services are being rolled out this month. However, openings are expected to continue for some time into the future. The fluid creation process means that some lists are open but inactive. You are encouraged to submit your subscription but don't be surprised to find little or no mail at this time. Suggestions Welcomed If you have a way to improve upon our name spectrum standard, or the explanation of this standard, please send email to: list-mom@sportsurf.net. Still Confused? Email your messages to: <FONT COLOR="0000FF">Feeder@sportsurf.net<BR> People operate a help-desk at the feeder address. If you are confused, send the message to that address, and the message gets reviewed, altered slightly if needed, and posted to suitable locations on the net. The feeder is a great place to go if you are unsure of things and if you don't want to make a goof with your email. <H5>A Tip on CAPS and lower-case typing</H5> Capitalizations and lower-case letters are not a factor with Majordomo. The webmaster types " Better-Swim-List" for easy reading, but all of the following names work the same way: BETTER-SWIM-LIST; <FONT COLOR="FF0000">better-swim-list; or even <FONT COLOR="FF0000">bETTER-sWIM-lisT. When you send in your email to majordomo, you can use either caps or lower-case typing for the both address and the command. Of course, the hypen between words is a hypen and not an underline. Just so you know, the CAPS and lower-case letters are very important when it comes to URLs (such as http://www.sportsurf.net/PROVING). The domain name part is not case sensative, but everything after "net" must be typed with the correct case. The domin here is SportSurf.Net, but you can type the domain with or without capitals. In the example within this paragraph, the word "PROVING" needs to be in capital letters. Other servers may or may not be case-sensative. On this server, typing "www" is optional.
Thursday, May 16, 1996
Name Spectrum Standard, part 1
Name Spectrum Standards
The community email lists, web pages and MajorDomo services in operation at SportSurf.Net utilize a spectrum of names to help organize your mailbox, clarify topics areas and customize content interests. With so many lists and such a wide audience, please become familiar with the name spectrum standards.This tutorial is available via email auto-reply message and PDF.
Name Spectrum Standard: A Cornerstone
This tutorial details one aspect of our services. Mastering this network includes an awareness of this name-spectrum standard, as well as: swelling, stimulating, splintering and sub-hosting.- The Name Spectrum Standard: (below) Three-part naming structure of Prefix-Topic-Suffix
- Swelling: Starting and growing a subscriber and scratch for subscribers on the way to a viable virtual community
- Stimulating: Injecting ideas and discussions so the load of conversation is spread among other services
- Splintering: Swells splinter into splashes of various topic areas for various populations
- Sub-Hosting: Special interest groups for various locations can ride aboard this server's sub-hosting bandwagon
Name Spectrum Standard: three-part identification
The name spectrum uses a three-part naming structure with Prefix + Topic + Suffix. Hyphens, not plus signs, join the three words into one. The hyphen is on the top row of the keyboard between the zero and the equal sign. For example, the first list ever hosted at SportSurf.Net was the Better-Swim-List.A combination of more than 50 words are used with the various names. This identification system can confuse new users at first. Once people become aware, the names help to better understand, grow and navigate our virtual communities.
Various names, much like part numbers, are used to better identify, locate and describe things. For example, the term of "football-player" can come to represent number of various things to different people in different places. These names help to ground the conversations in shared meanings with various spaces and times. Specializations are important, as is shared understandings. Within the spectrum of names, the middle word describes a specific topic. Obviously, to talk about swimming, go to a list with "swim" in its title. Then check to see if your understanding of swimming matches that found in the info and intro documents you'll get as a process of your subscription welcome.
Behavior ramifications, both implied and expressed, become a secondary purpose for this name-spectrum formula. Public email messages should blend with one's expectations and fit within appropriate settings. Behaviors differ at scientific seminars, honor banquets, marketplaces and competitive events.
For example, you'll find that it is okay to blab about one's new commercial invention with postings to better-swim-noise. However, blabbing about commercial products isn't a good idea unless you've got some new supporting research data to back-up your claims when posts go to better-swim-peer.
Smorgasbord of the Various Names within the Name Spectrum Standards
Some of the names used here are obvious. Others are not. Bluff lists are about geographical locations. Local lists are about body-parts. Look stands for futurists. Peer comes to represent scientific peer-review.- Prefix
- Topic
- Suffix
- Subject-line Prefix
- Family Strata
Spectrum words in no particular order.
| Noise | Hype | Chat | Folks | Lime | Globe | Talk |
| List | Peer | Forum | Course | Sum | Announce | Aid |
| Digest | Dig | Study | Peeks | Pride | Trips | Tours |
| Stretch | HQ | Test | ABCs | Devs | Hurt | Injury |
| Rehab | Peek | Case | Peer | Honor | Gateway | Synk |
| Score | Swell | Pros | Meca | Look | Tykes | TitleTs |
| Midas | L2k: | Splash: | News: | Schools |
Prefix Spectrum Names Include:
Subject-Line Prefix Include:
Topic Terms Include:
Suffix Terms Include:
Subject-line Prefix
- Better, covers competitive sports, self-improvement, higher performance
- Bluff, covers geographical destinations
- Elsewhere, covers topics not dealt within SportSurf.Net - and perhaps ANTI overviews too
- Inside, covers SportSurf.Net insider and agent news
- Local, covers body-parts
- Look, covers lookout and future
- Midas, covers finances, greed, money, professional-sports, poverty issues too
- Prove, covers technology-related topics of the Proving Ground
- Tickets
- Steroids
- Tobacco
- Gambling
- Drugs
- Hunting
- Motorized
- Animalistic
- Fishing
- Celebrity
- Flaming
Suffix Keywords
Suffix keywords are utilized in the name spectrum for easy identification of content-flavors and list-policies. The suffix keywords come in a few different families. Each suffix family has an associated string of siblings.- Suffix Families:
- Sport-Specific (and Technology-Specific) Suffix String
- Spheres of Mostly Water Suffix String
- Sacks of Mostly Water Suffix Strings/UL>
Specific Suffix Strings
Noise - Hype - Chat - Folks - Lime - Tykes - Globe - Swap - Dealers - Talk - List - Peer - Sum - Announce - Dig - Digest - Dust - Gate - AidExample:
Email your messages to: Specific_Topic-Noise@sportsurf.netKey:
- Noise
- Okay for advertisers, sponsors, commercial content, sorta-off-topic posts. Boasting, "sky-is-falling" posts, and in-depth-personal insights of the $.02 and $.03 varieties are tolerated. If something screams, "Eeeks" -- it should be on noise.
- Chat
- Informal talk and wondering around the topic areas are okay. Younger-participants go here!
- Hype
- Messages for the masses. Sports leaders often wonder about how to bring their games and athletes to a wider audience. Often rule changes need to occur, but those drastic measure can upset the traditions. Another option is to bring the masses to the games and not the game to the masses. My sport is better that that hype is fair grounds here too. Plus, all the PSA (public service announcements) take root here.
- Folks
- Personal introductions, welcome messages. The postings to folks must follow the rigid guidelines. See the info files. Any and all follow-ups to the introductions at Folks go to that person and not to any list. The introductions help build community and provide insights and all the people in these discussions. Everyone can posts introductions from scientist to volunteer to youthful athletes.
- Lime: i.e., Limelight
- Headlines, breaking news, covering those people, events, and happenings in the limelight, media and analysis.
- Globe: i.e., Global/International/Multi-Lingual
- Non-English posts are welcomed here.
- Swap
- Person to person swaps, trades, barters concerning sport-specific goods, services and equipment.
- Dealers
- Shop owners, institutional equipment providers, inventors, dealers, manufactures, trade-show coordinators, sales reps, sponsors, publishers, import/exporters, bulk-specials mentions are all welcomed.
- Talk
- Suited to serious posts, more advanced knowledge base, only on-topic tips/hints
- List
- Often owned by closed organizations or must join "club" with FAQ guidelines
- Peer: i.e., Peer Review
- Most academic, high-minded, science supported facts desired
- Sum: i.e., Summary
- FAQs, summary posts, significant follow-ups where information is synthesized from a few different sources
- Announce
- Moderated. Includes news releases. Read only.
- Dig
- Dig is an informal digest. Batches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for the more informal siblings. Read only.
- Digest
- Batches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for the more formal siblings. Read only.
- Dust
- Dust in short for digital dust. The pack-rat subscribers get all the posts to all the lists in the family in an individual fashion with one "subscription" message. Read only.
to the dust lists get individual posts as they occur to this family in an individual sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format. Read only.
- Gate
- Gate stands for gateways(s). A gate is like a meta lists, Gate lists are often best-of lists hosted at other locations on the net. Mirrored lists can converge on a meta lists at SportSurf.Net. Even usenet discussions can be gatewayed to these lists. Read only.
- Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & Volunteers
- For the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers.
Sphere of Mostly Water Suffix Tips
The subscriptions in this section utilize the following suffix plan. For further information visit the tutorial on the SportSurf.Net's Name Spectrum Standard.Suffix Key for Bluffs -- Center of the Universe Family
- Study
- Suited to school studies, pen-pals, language exploration, easy research. Posts from abroad are welcomed here. Noisy school-yard study stuff tolerated.
- Peeks
- On and off-topic tips, hints, insights. Commercials need to be about sports and localized! Digital landscape posts welcomed too. Pointers to politics, weather, cutlure, industry, entertainment and such must be very brief.
- Pride
- Culture, Sports, teams, leagues, professionals, updates, news. Positive first-person accounts are fine.
- Trips
- For those planning individual and small group travel, and locals who might like to offer suggestions.
- Tours
- Suited for those with advanced travel plans and group travel. All-star matches, training trips, etc.
- Stretch
- Strictly business, high-class travel talk that is suited for those with gold-card credit, corporate limo expectations, cyber-hook-up requirements, and high-performance fact-of-life mentalities.
- HQ
- Designed for the national and state sports authorities, Olympic Committee folks, scholastic sports organizers. Calling for tryouts, team directors, regional coordination.
- Test
- All things about TEST Matches, any sport. In test matches the teams are most often fielded from different countries.
- Dig
- The Digest format for the more infomal lists in this family. Included: Study - Peeks - Pride - Trips.
- Digest
- The digest format for the more formal lists in this family. Includes: Tours - HQ - Test.
- Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & Volunteers
- For the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers. English only.
Additional digests for regions are expected later.
Sacs of Mostly Water Suffix Family
Hurt - Injury - Rehab - Case - Peer - Digest - AidExample:
Email your messages to: Specific_Topic-Noise@sportsurf.netKey:
- Hurt
- Okay for advertisers, sponsors, commercial content, noise, sorta-off-topic posts. Boasting, "sky-is-falling" posts, and in-depth-personal insights of the $.02 and $.03 varieties are tolerated. If something screams, "Eeeks" -- it should be on hurt. Also the place for folks, limelight, meta, global, talk-like posts.
- Injury
- Formal talk and wondering around the topic areas are okay. Hangout for trainers, coaches, those with new injuries. Suited to serious posts, more advanced knowledge base, only on-topic tips/hints/help.
- Rehab
- Clinicians, injured athletes, long-term motivations and progress reports are okay.
- Case
- Formal case study presentations, poster-type sessions. Dedicated mainly to college students, continuing eductation, clinicians, coaches.
- Peer: i.e., Peer Review
- Most academic, high-minded, science supported facts desired.
- Digest
- Batches of posts sent out in one larger mail message in a digest format for all the siblings. Read only.
- Aid: i.e., List Lifeguards & Volunteers
- For the worker-bees, volunteers, early-adopters, giving netizens, list-lifeguards, staff, and others who have expressed a desire to assist with the operations and discussions at SportSurf.Net. This is NOT a help list, rather it is a list for helpers.
Additional digests for regions of the body may be started later, such as upper-body, lower-body.
For Future Standards:
- Needs41: i.e., Needs for one
- Needs postings for one person, most often for yourself. Includes swaps.
- Needs4org: i.e., Needs for organization
- Needs postings for an organization, group, team, league, school. Obviously more than one person.
- ABCs
- Basics, Newbies, Elementary Questions.
ABCs areas are support forums that are for the K-12 market. Experts and productive users can join to answer questions from children and inexperienced users. In time enough well rounded kids can come to answer all questions being posted (they like to show off what they know). More appealing to schools, the ABCs areas are support list there specifically for schools and newbies.
- Sorry
- Sorry Sports. More news to come.
- Givers
- Give it up here. More news to come.
- Takers
- Log in here. Component with Givers. More news to come.
- Forum
- Forums can be for classroom use, and even for distance learning. More news to come.
Gateway Lists
Gate lists, gateways, and meta lists are coming. Meta lists are cool. However, no further information on meta lists, their policies and operations are going to be posted here at this time.Deployment
Various services are being rolled out this month. However, openings are expected to continue for some time into the future. The fluid creation process means that some lists are open but inactive. You are encouraged to submit your subscription but don't be surprised to find little or no mail at this time.Suggestions Welcomed
If you have a way to improve upon our name spectrum standard, or the explanation of this standard, please send email to: list-mom@sportsurf.net.Still Confused?
Email your messages to: Feeder@sportsurf.net
People operate a help-desk at the feeder address. If you are confused, send the message to that address, and the message gets reviewed, altered slightly if needed, and posted to suitable locations on the net. The feeder is a great place to go if you are unsure of things and if you don't want to make a goof with your email.A Tip on CAPS and lower-case typing
Capitalizations and lower-case letters are not a factor with Majordomo. The webmaster types "Better-Swim-List" for easy reading, but all of the following names work the same way: BETTER-SWIM-LIST; better-swim-list; or even bETTER-sWIM-lisT. When you send in your email to majordomo, you can use either caps or lower-case typing for the both address and the command. Of course, the hyphen between words is a hyphen and not an underline.Just so you know, the CAPS and lower-case letters are very important when it comes to URLs (such as http://www.sportsurf.net/PROVING). The domain name part is not case sensitive, but everything after "net" must be typed with the correct case. The domain here is SportSurf.Net, but you can type the domain with or without capitals. In the example within this paragraph, the word "PROVING" needs to be in capital letters. Other servers may or may not be case-sensitive. On this server, typing "www" is optional.
Sports-Specific Suffix Spectrum:
Sphere of Mostly Water Suffix Spectrum
Sphere of Proving Ground Spectrum
Sacks of Mostly Water Suffix Family
- TitleTs
* Key: Read Only In-house use for moderators/volunteers
Prefix Keywords
The prefix part of the name helps to group lists in various target groups. For example, all the competitive sports lists with a focus of self-improvement and performance have the prefix, "Better".Prefix keywords in use include:
Posts
