_______ _______ __ / _____/ /__ __/ / / / /__ / / ____ __ __ __ ___ __ __ ____ / / / ___/ __ / / / __ \ / / / / / //__/ / //_ \ / __ \ / / / /____ / /_/ / / /_/ / / /_/ / / / / / / / / /_/ / / / \_____/ \____/ \____/ \____/ /_/ /_/ /_/ \__/_/ /_/ November, 1993 _EJournal_ Volume 3 Number 3 ISSN 1054-1055 There are 978 lines in this issue. An Electronic Journal concerned with the implications of electronic networks and texts. 3135 Subscribers in 37 Countries University at Albany, State University of New York EJOURNAL@ALBANY.bitnet CONTENTS: [This is line 20] Hypertext for Writers: A Review of Software [ Begins at line 66 ] by robin, London, Ontario Terminology - - - - - [@ l. 113] Criteria - - - - - - [@ l. 141] DOS programs - - - - - [@ l. 234] Windows programs - - - - [@ l. 397] Macintosh program - - - - [@ l. 543] Conclusions and Recommendations - [@ l. 645] [How to send for the 1000-line version of robin's review - @ line 102 ] Humanities and Arts Initiative: "The Information Superhighway" An Urgent Request for Endorsement [ Begins at line 754 ] _EJournal_ Archive at Hanover College [ at line 836 ] Philosophical Preprints Announcement [ at line 843 ] Editorial Comment [ at line 867 ] Supplementing Reviews Alternative Formats Information about _EJournal_ - [ Begins at line 898 ] About Subscriptions and Back Issues About Supplements to Previous Texts About _EJournal_ People [ Begins at line 943 ] Board of Advisors Consulting Editors ******************************************************************************* * This electronic publication and its contents are (c) copyright 1993 by * * _EJournal_. Permission is hereby granted to give away the journal and its * * contents, but no one may "own" it. Any and all financial interest is hereby* * assigned to the acknowledged authors of individual texts. This notification* * must accompany all distribution of _EJournal_. * ******************************************************************************* <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hypertext for Writers: A Review of Software [l. 66] by robin This is a review of eight hypertext authoring products, followed by summary recommendations for writers. The review's point of view is that those of _EJournal_'s readers who might be interested in preparing hypertexts will be thinking in terms of creating stand-alone works which can be distributed in much the same way (and for much the same price) as paper books, journals or magazines. I have assumed that potential users are running DOS on an 80286 processor, Windows on an 80386, or Mac systems with at least a 68030. I also assume a 16-bit display, a mouse or similar pointing device, and 4 MB of RAM. Workstation-hosted software has not been reviewed because prices and limited availability make workstations relatively scarce. In this review I have evaluated the following commercially available packages. Note that some appear more than once in the list, because they work on more than one platform. DOS: Dart, Folio VIEWS, HyperWriter!, Knowledge Pro Windows: Knowledge Pro, SmarText, Windows Help Compiler, Folio VIEWS, Hyperwriter!, Guide Macintosh: Storyspace I have selected these eight products because of their support for multiple scrolling windows. A more extensive review, with more attention to other card-based and hypercard-based packages with their special purposes and features, is available from _EJournal_'s FILESERV. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To get that 1000 line version (it reviews these additional products) - [l. 102] DOS: HyperPad, HyperShell, HyperTies, LinkWay, Orpheus Windows: FrameMaker, PLUS, ToolBook Macintosh: FrameMaker, HyperCard, PLUS - but has NOT been revised since summer, 1993 - send the *command* GET EJRNL HYPERTXT to the *address* LISTSERV@ALBANY.bitnet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TERMINOLOGY [l. 113] For those unfamiliar with some terms, a brief introduction: "Hypertext" is electronic (digital) "material" composed of "nodes" (e.g., blocks of text) linked in a non-linear web. When each node is displayed on the screen, some words may be highlighted to indicate to the reader that they "yield" to a different node; these highlighted words are "anchors." By choosing among available anchors and thus jumping directly from one node to another, readers create their own paths through the textual network. The traditional dominance of a single, author-fixed reading is overturned. Readers shape their own experience of the text not only at the subjective level of interpretation, but at the objective level of word-sequences on consecutive pages. The provision for shared authoring, for links between previously distinct works, and innovative access methods, all greatly alter the concept of the book. Issues such as copyright, the canon, and Barthes' writerly versus readerly text take on renewed significance. The following evaluations are based, in different cases, on product literature, published reviews, demos, working copies, or full copies of the software. In other words, I have not had extended experience with a "shipping" version of every system. All prices are in US dollars (rounded off to the nearest $5) unless otherwise noted. Contact addresses have been provided so readers can obtain up-to-date pricing and configuration information. CRITERIA [l. 141] My evaluation criteria include linking/ navigation features, available utilities, ability to customize, ease of use, and price. Hypertext offers LINKING tools to let writers connect blocks (or "nodes") of text (or sound or graphics) as they compose, and NAVIGATION tools to help the people reading it to move around and know where they are within the composed collection of those blocks. Writers thinking about buying one of the authoring systems need to know the composing and reading activities supported by each product. REFERENCE links provide the software equivalent of flipping from page to page in a book. As Conklin has noted, "referential links are the kind of link that most clearly distinguishes hypertext," as they allow the creation of non-hierarchical structures (33). There are also NOTE links, which display only the destination node, EXPANSION links, which permit branching and collapsing within hierarchies, and COMMAND links for moving outside the text. Most hypertext packages provide at least some of the following navigation tools. Local Map, Global Map, Breadcrumbs, Footprint, Tour, and History require a brief explanation. (Search, Filter, Index, and Bookmark, on the other hand, are direct analogues of paper-oriented tools.) A map provides a picture of the links and nodes near the current node, either directly connected (local lap) or in some neighbourhood (global map). Maps provide context for a reader, and may help in link selection. Breadcrumbs provide a visual indicator that a particular node has been visited, anchor activated, or link traversed. The more often a node is visited, the more visible the footprint becomes. A tour is a path through a series of nodes (and links) which may be replayed at will. The history tool lists those nodes and links visited on the current path, and allows the reader to return to a previous location. [l. 181] The degree to which a hypertext system supports varied navigation methods is a good indicator of its overall flexibility. But assessing the extent of "support" is complicated: some hypertext systems do not automatically provide a tool, but do provide instead for its construction using simpler elements or a scripting language. Windowing systems (as opposed to those which are card- or hypercard based) provide a rich, event-driven interface which allows for multiple scrolling windows. Users will be familiar with this interface from operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Mac System 7. Such environments let readers compare two pages of text, write notes while viewing a second page, and so on. I believe that such activities should be fluidly supported for the benefits of hypertext to be fully realized. Examples include Dart, Folio VIEWS, Knowledge Pro, SmarText, StorySpace, and the Windows Help Compiler. For many, the price of the authoring package is the first thing they notice. However, there is a second component of price: the runtime fee, i. e., the fee that software manufacturers demand for distribution or for licensing texts produced in or for their systems. I believe that the authoring packages themselves should be priced in the same range as good word-processors, and should not cost more than $1000 with everything included. Runtime fees must be low, or not required; in order to be competitive, hyperbooks will have to be priced in the same range as paper books. In any case, people thinking about buying one of these programs might want to find out if they are eligible, as an educator, perhaps, for a discount from list price. Since authors will be spending a lot of time establishing links, it is important that linking can be accomplished easily. Furthermore, great flexibility should be available as to anchor size, anchor appearance, and link characteristics, because these govern the way a hyperbook will be perceived. There are many other utilities which could potentially be of use, though few are essential: import and export, encryption, compression, versioning, spell checker and thesaurus, draw and paint editors, printing, installation tools. A great deal of customization should be possible without programming. In particular, a writer should have complete control over which authoring tools to include in the final hyperbook. A scripting language could be provided for additional control; however, writers should not be forced to script to implement basic functionality. THE AUTHORING SYSTEMS FOR DOS ========= [l. 234] [ x = not supported; + = extra cost; * = recommended configuration S = sound; V = video; A = animation; D = video disc ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product |Dart 2d |Hyperwriter 3.1 |Folio VIEWS 3.0 | KP-DOS --------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------|---------------- Company |UserWare |Ntergaid |Folio Corp. |Knowledge Garden Phone |716-425-3463 |203-380-1280 |801-375-3700 |516-246-5400 Price |$30 |$495 |$695 |$195 Platform |80286 |80286 |80386 |80286 OS |DOS 2.1 |DOS 3.0 |DOS 3.0 |DOS Memory |256 KB |640 KB |512 KB |640 KB* Graphics card |any |any |any |any Graphic files |ANSI |PCX, SPR |PCX |PCX + ($180) Multimedia |x |S,V,A,D |S,V,A |+ ($550) Runtime |x |reader |viewer |unlimited Price |free |free |free |$255 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Dart 2a (DOS) UserWare's Dart is a shareware program with the unheard-of price of $30 (including runtime). [The version number as of November is 2d; ed.] As reviewed, Dart implements a full multiple-window, scrolling, mouseable interface in DOS text mode. Graphics, other than ANSI, are not supported. As an editor, Dart works with ASCII files up to 32,000 lines long. However, none of the usual facilities of a text editor are present. Even block commands (cut, copy, paste) and word wrap are missing. As a viewer, Dart can load both ASCII files and compressed hypertext files. Features include history, index, table of contents, print, and on-line help. Only reference links are supported. Hyperbooks are created by inserting simple markup codes in the source document. Dart transparently translates these when viewing the file. A somewhat arcane naming convention is required for multiple document hyperbooks. Files must be distributed individually; they are not bound together in any way. The markup codes support bold and underlined (yellow on a colour monitor) text, input fields for simple data entry forms, and running external programs. [l. 276] There is no reader module. The entire Dart viewer, small though it is (100 KB), must be distributed to end-users. This is a problem, as there is no way to turn off menu items which you don't want readers to access. Performance is excellent, even on low-end computers. Rutgers University Press has chosen Dart as their hyperbook distribution system. This is surprising; my opinion is that Dart cannot be recommended until a few more features (enhanced editing, runtime control, file binding) are in place. However, along with Orpheus and HyperShell [see the longer review essay in the Fileserv], it is a great example of how to do a lot with a little. I look forward to the next version. ***** HyperWriter! 3.0 (DOS; Windows version 3.1 now available, but not reviewed) [Ntergaid: MCI Mail ntergaid ] The oddly named Ntergaid began their forays into hypertext with the shareware program Black Magic. This product provides rudimentary features, and though still available on bulletin boards, is no longer supported. I focus on its commercial by-product, HyperWriter!. HyperWriter! provides support for mixed text and graphics in display modes up to SVGA. Sound, video, animation, and video disc media may all be accessed. The support for navigation features is particularly strong. Boolean searches include proximity qualifiers, and may be saved to disk. The history list has no limit, and displays the amount of time spent in each node. Bookmarks may be named and user preferences saved. Tours and local maps are also supported. The writing environment is the best among the DOS products, with block operations, a spell checker, macros, and full font and style support. HyperWriter! has developed from a page paradigm to include scrolling windows. However, the scroll bars look as though they were a late addition; aesthetically, they do not look one with the window. In addition, they do not support the mouse, though I received assurances from the company that this problem had been fixed for future versions. [Supported in current - 3.1 - version, according to the company; ed.] [l. 319] Bi-directional reference, expansion, note, and command links are supported. Link attributes include name, author, creation date, and access rights. Best of all is the fact that this plethora of features is available without scripting. Indeed, HyperWriter! does not have an extension language. Customization is available through the Utilities Kit (an additional $495), which I view as a necessary purchase for serious writing. With this toolkit, one can develop an install routine, customize the context-sensitive help, create a hyperbook for CD-ROM, compress and encrypt data, create new fonts, and customize the anchor appearance (by colour, symbol, or attribute). Most importantly, this kit allows the customization of menus; writers can remove features they don't want readers to use. ASCII, WordPerfect, and text tagged by Ventura Publisher can all be imported. An included tool can be used to generate an index. The separately available AutoLinker ($695) processes batches of files, automatically creating nodes, links, paragraph tags, and so on. This impressive tool appears to be comparable to SmarText. HyperWriter! is one product which deserves its self-congratulatory exclamation mark. It provides a rich feature set for those who don't require a full windowing environment. Other than a few annoying interface quirks, I found little to criticize. Performance is a bit lacklustre on a 16-bit computer, but this is normal for a full graphics mode display. The thousand dollars necessary to buy the Developers' Bundle (HyperWriter! plus the Utilities Kit) is reasonable when one considers that a royalty-free runtime is included. A Windows version with similar features has recently been released; files are compatible across platforms. I hope that the company will continue to actively support the DOS version. ***** Folio VIEWS (DOS; Windows version not reviewed) [l. 357] Folio VIEWS 2.1 is a document indexing and retrieval package for DOS text mode. In the terminology of this software, nodes are "folios" and collections of folios are "infobases." An infobase consists of the original text plus full text indexing. The total file size is about half that of the original text, due to some clever file compression. As one might expect, the searching facility is powerful, supporting Booleans, wildcards, and proximity criteria. Reference links may be made to other folios, external programs, PCX graphics, or audio files in RealSound format. Nodes may be grouped to facilitate organization. Text editing features include block operations and highlighting. Over forty file formats may be imported; 2GB of text may be stored in all. The interface is based on a window paradigm and supports a mouse. On-line help is available. A personal edition of Folio VIEWS, which has full functionality but cannot create new infobases, is $295. An unlimited not-for-profit runtime license is $1995. This pricing and the limited hypertext functionality restrict interest in an otherwise capable product. A Windows version is now available. ***** Knowledge Pro (DOS, Windows) Knowledge Garden Inc. have designed Knowledge Pro to be a programmer's toolkit--providing functions for hypertext, list processing, and interface creation. Two versions exist: KPDOS for DOS, and KPWin for Microsoft Windows. Though often mentioned alongside other hypertext products, Knowledge Pro is not for the casual user. It is certainly easier to build an attractive application in KPWin than in C, but the process still is suited for programmers, not writers. FOR WINDOWS ======== [l. 397] [ x = not supported; + = extra cost; * = recommended configuration S = sound; V = video; A = animation; D = video disc (graphics cards: E = EGA; V = VGA) ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product |KP-Win |SmarText 2.0 |WinHelp Compiler |Guide 3.1 -----------------|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|------------ Company |Knowledge Garden |Lotus |Microsoft |Owl Phone |516-246-5400 |800-831-9679 |n/a |800-344-9737 Price |$ 250 |$ 495 |n/a |$795 Platform |80386* |80386* |80386SX |80386 Operating System |Windows 3.0 |+ Windows 3.0|Windows 3.0 |Windows 3.1 Memory |2 MB* |2 MB* |640 KB (2 MB*) |2 MB Graphics card |E,V |E,V |E,V |E,V Graphics files |PCX + ($180) |CGM, PCX, etc|BMP, WMF |PCX & TIFF Multimedia |+ ($550) |D |+ |V,D Runtime |unlimited |reader |reader |reader Price (runtime) |$ 300 |$ 100 to 20 |free |varies -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** SmarText (Windows) Lotus' SmarText differs from the other products discussed here in that it is designed to be a central organiser for a group of heterogenous files, which remain on disk in their native formats. It can read most common graphic and text files. SmarText analyzes their structure and builds an outline-based table of contents, an index, and reference links. Nodes can be searched using storable queries. Wildcards, Boolean connectives, and proximity criteria are supported. A Key-Word In Context (KWIC) hit list is presented. Strangely, this list does not indicate the name of the file in which the occurrence was found. Authors are able to increase the accuracy of this process by specifying words to include (key words) or exclude (stop words) from the index. Supplementary manual linking is still required, but SmarText makes this as easy as highlighting the source anchor, selecting "Create Link" on the menu, and selecting the destination anchor. Anchors can be either text or graphics, and appear as boxes or a specified colour. Command links may be used to launch other applications. The interface is elegant; much can be done with a simple click of the mouse. Text fonts can be customized, graphics can be shown at different scales, an index entry may be expanded to show a KWIC list, and table of contents entries act as expansion links. Lotus has included a button bar which provides single-click access to common functions. Annotations and bookmarks are supported. Up to 3,500 text nodes and 3,500 graphics nodes may be included in a single book, which may be compiled into a single file for distribution. ***** Windows Help Compiler (Windows) [l. 451] Buried within the host of files Microsoft Windows dumps on a hard drive is a hypertext book reader. The Windows Help engine is a simple system which allows navigation using links (reference, note, or command), a simple keyword search, or a default path. Bookmarks and history are provided. Graphics (BMP, DIB, WMF) may contain multiple anchors. The interface is that of Windows itself--multiple scrolling windows. Microsoft does not spend much time publicizing this system. WinHelp is designed for use by programmers who wish to add context-sensitive help to their applications. As such, it is not sold separately, but instead comes bundled with development packages (such as Borland C++ and Visual Basic Professional Edition). It is also available on the Internet. Building books with the Help Compiler is a multi-stage operation. A. The text is written in a word processor which supports RTF files. Each new node must be tagged with footnotes and other formatting according to proscribed rules. These indicate to the compiler the node title, keywords, and anchor text. Graphics may also be added, most efficiently by referencing external files. B. Macros (actually short command directives) may be added to customize the menu. C. The project file is created. This ASCII document lists all of the RTF files, graphics, and macros which are required to make the complete book. It also includes specific compiler directives which may be used to customize the interface. D. The hyperbook is created by running the Help Compiler from Windows. This reads the project file, compiles the indicated source documents together, and makes any specified environment changes. The result is a help file which may be run from Windows as a stand-alone book, using WINHELP.EXE. The advantages of using the Windows help system are obvious. One can distribute books freely, guarantee that every owner of Windows can read them, and provide an environment with which the reader will be immediately familiar. Enough navigation features are provided for the advantages of the hypertext form to be readily apparent. There are some disadvantages. Since the compiler was designed for creating on-line manuals, it is optimized for hierarchical structures. The single browse sequence fixes the nodes in a default linear path. (It is possible to omit the Browse buttons if this emphasis is not desired.) Several menu labels assume that the contents of the hyperbook will in fact be a help file and not some other form of electronic document. In addition, the lack of any sort of map, and the keyword-only search mechanism, favours help-type systems. ***** Guide (Windows) [l.508] Guide was first developed by Peter Brown at the University of Kent in 1982. Version 3.05 is a single-user document hypertext, with support for PCX and TIFF graphics, video, video disc, and external pointers. Multiple document Boolean search and a 32-item history are the only available navigation features. All four link classes are supported; anchors are represented by italic (reference, command), bold (note), and underline (expansion) text. The anchor appearance may be changed, but only to other typographic styles. I consider these choices to be unfortunate. However, a nice feature is the fact that the mouse pointer changes shape when over an anchor. Links may be created without scripting, though a simple Pascal clone (Logiix) is provided. Dynamic Data Exchange is supported. ASCII and RTF files may be imported and exported. An additional utility, G-Convert, converts Mac to PC hyperbooks. Guide ships with a viewer which may be distributed free of charge. However, the viewer does not support bookmarks, annotations, search, or most of the other functions of the reader. Guide readers must be purchased individually at prices which start at $95 each (for fewer than ten). This makes low-volume distribution on a par with book publishing unfeasible. For larger volumes, pricing is more reasonable. For instance, if one is purchasing between 1000 and 5000 copies, each reader is $19.50. Guide is very user-friendly. In case of difficulties, most of the 300-page manual is on-line. Unfortunately, it is no longer available for the Mac; previously its cross-platform compatibility was one of its best features. Guide is recommended if the minimal features of the viewer suit your purposes, or if you can afford the reader fees. FOR MACINTOSH =============== [l. 543] [ x = not supported; + = extra cost; * = recommended configuration S = sound; V = video; A = animation; D = video disc ] ---------------------------------------------| Product | Storyspace | --------------------------------------------| Company | Eastgate Systems | Phone | 800-562-1638 | Price | $ 215 | Platform | Plus | Operating System | System 6.0 | Memory | 1 MB | Graphics card | any | Graphics files | PNT | Multimedia | S,V | Runtime | runtime | Price (runtime) | free | ---------------------------------------------- ***** Storyspace (Macintosh) [ Eastgate Systems: eastgate@world.std.com ] Storyspace is a hypertext system for the Macintosh which has been designed specifically for writers by writers (Jay David Bolter, John B. Smith, Michael Joyce, and Mark Bernstein), all of whom are active in research. Storyspace follows Bolter's terminology in calling nodes "writing spaces." These are displayed as scrollable windows on a desktop which includes the usual Mac pull-down menus and a toolbar. Writing spaces may contain text, graphics, sound, or video. They also act as containers for other writing spaces. Text-editing features are unfortunately minimal. While font control is simple, paragraph and style formatting are not available. Writing spaces may be viewed in one of three configurations, as a global map, an outline, or a horizontal flow chart. A magnification tool allows zooming in on areas of particular interest. Navigation is as easy as point and click. Links may be made by highlighting the anchor text, dragging the mouse to the destination node, and typing a label. Anchors (which appear as boxed text) may be made visible momentarily through a simple key combination. Though only reference links are available, a note tool automates annotation by combining the few steps that would otherwise be made manually. [l. 587] A local map is provided through the Roadmap menu item. Paths may be named and saved, though there is no provision for automated tours. If there is more than one link from a node, priorities may be assigned to them by using "guard fields." These allow writers to embed an intelligence in their hyperbooks without having to use a scripting language. Access to links can be made dependent on whether a reader has previously visited a given writing space, or selected a specific anchor. Boolean connectives are provided. Writing spaces may hold only 32,000 characters. This is sufficient for most purposes, but is a limitation when importing from existing works. Storyspace splits files into separate nodes every 25,000 bytes; these must then be manually edited to the desired length. Storyspace uses XTND translaters to read and write external file formats and is packaged with one for MacWrite. Many other useful features are provided. Extensive printing options are available. A user's environment preferences may be saved. Storyspace books may be converted to HyperCard stacks. Keywords may be assigned to writing spaces. Several visual window types are possible. A path-builder allows the user to query writing spaces for certain conditions. In effect, this combines a tool for automatic linking with a query facility. The documentation consists of a tutorial-style manual titled "Getting Started with Storyspace." From this, one would assume that a more extensive reference manual would also be included, but this is not the case. Some features, such as support for video and external devices, go completely unexplained. Thankfully, telephone support is excellent; Bernstein himself often answers the calls. Works written in Storyspace may be packaged for distribution using one of three readers: Storyspace, Page, or Easy. Each offers readers a different view of the hyperbook, and lets them navigate with different tools. The author's selection of Readers will govern how their hyperbook will be perceived. In particular, the Storyspace Reader allows access to the global map; this reveals the internal structure of the work for inspection and free navigation. Some of Storyspace's navigation tools are counter-intuitive. In particular, the rosette does not allow navigation as its compass form would imply, ie: north, south, east, west to adjacent nodes in the same plane. Rather, it combines planar movement with motion in depth. I find this confusing. Also, some interface elements are remnants of earlier versions, and should be removed (eg. the text entry region). Many hyperbooks are available in Storyspace, due, no doubt, to its profile in the academic community. These include Joyce's seminal _Afternoon, a story_, Guyer and Petry's _Izme Pass_, and Bolter's _Writing Space_. A Storyspace-Windows converter (for reading - not a full authoring system) is available for $75. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ============ [l. 645] Of course it is not possible to recommend just one of these eight hypertext packages for all uses. Yet it is surprisingly easy to narrow the field considerably. HyperWriter! is the definite winner amongst those programs which do not fully support windows. For $1000, this program will do almost anything you want, though it does lack even simple decision-making ability. I did not expect to seriously consider Knowledge Pro, Folio VIEWS, SmarText, or the Windows Help Compiler as authoring systems. However, SmarText surprised with its ability to automate tedious work and make stand-alone hyperbooks. Limiting factors include the reader price and lack of any method to embed intelligence. The Windows Help Compiler has a lot going for it, and deserves a look by any serious hypertext author. Finally, Storyspace can be recommended for its reasonable price, breadth of features, and overall interface. While certain design decisions are irritating and the lack of text formatting features is a disappointment, it is easy to see why this package is popular among writers. The term "hypertext" has been interpreted loosely by many application developers and reviewers. Support for truly nonlinear writing and reading is found in few products. Distributed and multi-author texts are not possible. The traditional wall between writer and reader is barely scratched. This survey reveals that the theory and practice of hypertext, at least at a consumer level, are distinct. These products will improve; as users become more demanding, features from research systems such as Intermedia and NoteCards will become commonplace on the desktop. Until that time, there is more than enough here to satisfy writers restricted by the printed book, eager to break the spine and free the leaves within.  SOME PERTINENT PUBLICATIONS - (This is the full list that accompanies the long version of the review. See line xxx.) ACM. _Communications of the ACM_ July 1988. Computer software. New York: ACM, 1988. DOS 3.1, 540KB RAM. Bernstein, M. "The Bookmark and the Compass: Orientation Tools for Hypertext Users." _ACM SIGOIS Bulletin_ 9.4 (October 1988): 34-45. Bolter, Jay David. _Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing_. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1991. ---. _Writing Space_. Computer Software. Watertown MA: Eastgate Systems, 1990. Macintosh Plus, System 6.0, 2MB RAM. Conklin, E. Jeffery. "Hypertext: An Introduction and Survey." _IEEE Computer_ 20 (September 1987): 17-41. Delany, Paul and George P. Landow, eds. _Hypermedia and Literary Studies_. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1991. Gess, Richard ed. _Perforations 1.3_ (Spring/Summer 1992). _After the Book: Writing Literature Writing Technology_. Atlanta: Public Domain, 1992. Guyer, Carolyn and Martha Petry. _Izme Pass_. Computer software. Writing on the Edge 2.2 (Spring 1991). Macintosh Plus, System 6.0, 2MB RAM. Joyce, Michael. _Afternoon, a story_. Computer software. Jackson, MI: Riverrun Limited, 1989. Macintosh Plus, System 6.0, 2MB RAM. Landow, George P. _Hypertext: The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology_. London: Johns Hopkins UP, 1992. ---. "The Rhetoric of Hypermedia: Some Rules for Authors." _Journal of Computing in Higher Education_ 1 (1989): 39-64. Rpt. in Delany and Landow. 81-103. Moulthrop, Stuart. "Dreamtime." Vers. 3.1. Computer software. Macintosh Plus, System 6.0, HyperCard 1.2.5. In Gess, Perforations. Nelson, Ted. _Literary Machines_. Swarthmore, PA: Self-published, 1981. Nielson, Jakob. "The Art of Navigating through Hypertext." _Communications of the ACM_ 33 (March 1990): 296-310. ---. _Hypertext and Hypermedia_. San Diego: Academic Press, 1990. Schneiderman, Ben and Greg Kearsley. _Hypertext Hands-on!_. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1989. Stepno, Bob. "A HyperCard for the PC." _Byte_ (September 1989). 189-192. Willmot, Rod. _Everglade_. Computer software. Sherbrooke PQ: Hyperion Softword, 1990. 80286 processor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- by robin 3 Westcott Upper London, Ontario, Canada N6C 3G6 42131_4001.uwovax.uwo.ca This review is one product of the research project _Hypertext Fiction and the Literary Artist_ by C. J. Keep, Tim McLaughlin and robin, a project made possible through the assistance of the Canada Council. ============================================================================== | This review in Volume 3 Number 3 of _EJournal_ (November, 1993) is (c) | copyright _EJournal_. Permission is hereby granted to give it away. | _EJournal_ hereby assigns any and all financial interest to robin. This | notice must accompany all copies of this text. =============================================================================== HUMANITIES AND ARTS INITIATIVE: THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY [l. 754] There's a sense of urgency, almost crisis, about this situation. We ask that you write _EJournal_ to endorse the statement that follows this brief excerpt from a message we received on 20 November 1993 from Michael Joyce: "[I] recently participate[d] in an ad-hoc meeting in Washington, D.C. regarding Arts and Humanities computing and the NII, co-hosted by the (ARL, CAUSE and Educom sponsored) Coalition for Networked Information and the Getty Foundation. The meeting involved some twenty participants including presidents or directors of a wide range of humanities organizations, information industry and publishing organizations as well as officials of NEA, NEH, and NSF. Meeting co-chair Charles Henry, Director of Vassar College Library, set the tone for the meeting by noting that `more space is devoted in the NII prospectus to discuss automating heating of federal buildings than to arts and humanities computing.' . . . . . . . "The meeting ended with a consensus on the need to define a rubric for humanities and the arts in NII; to collect data on computing in the humanities and the arts to support congressional lobbying; and to form alliances with identified stake-holders in these efforts. A preliminary crisis statement drafted by a steering committee will be presented to congress and the administration, and widely publicized. . . . " --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- [Here is the Statement itself, the one we are asking you to "sign"] A NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR HUMANITIES AND ARTS COMPUTING [l. 783] The absence of the humanities and arts in the development of a national information infrastructure ignores the value of the American people's cultural heritage, and the network as a medium of creativity and learning, in the crucial formation of technology policy. The members of the Task Force on a National Initiative for Humanities and Arts Computing endorse the principle that humanities and arts voices are critical--indeed equal to the recognized interests of the sciences--in the balanced development of the nation's technological infrastructure. Reinstating the humanities and arts in the dialog shaping this public policy is of utmost urgency. We call for the reintroduction of the humanities and arts in the formation of such policy. Goals agreed upon by the Task Force to be facilitated by a steering committee: 1. Define a rubric that articulates the value of humanities and arts computing for a democratic society. 2. Build a profile of humanities and arts computing using data that identifies the breadth and vitality, as well as the needs, of technology in these fields. 3. Form alliances with identified stakeholders in order to more programmatically engage in national policy development and planning. by the ad-hoc steering committee: Charles Henry Susan Siegfried Coalition for Networked Information Research Projects Manager Director of the Libraries The Getty Art History Vassar College Information Program Stanley Katz Marilyn Schmitt President Program Manager American Council of The Getty Art History Learned Societies Information Program --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- If you want your name to be among those who have "signed" in support of these principles, please send a message approximating "I support the ad-hoc committee on the National Inititative ....." Send it to our mailbox, please - EJOURNAL@ALBANY.bitnet **not** by return e-mail to our Listserv. We will see that it is forwarded. Thanks. =============================================================================== FTP ARCHIVING AT HANOVER COLLEGE [l. 836] Thanks to Hanover College and editor John Ahrens, back issues of _EJournal_ can be retrieved from /pub/ejournal at ftp.hanover.edu . The files INFO and CONTENTS, and issues V1N1 through V3N1, are there as of this writing. ================================================================================ ANNOUNCEMENT [l. 843] The International Philosophical Preprint Exchange is a new service on the Internet designed to foster improved communication among philosophers by providing a medium for the exchange of works in progress. We invite all interested philosophers to browse our collection of working papers in all areas of philosophy, and to submit their own working papers. To receive instructions, send a piece of email containing exactly the following four lines of text: begin index send getting-started end to the address phil-preprints-service@phil-preprints.l.chiba-u.ac.jp. A user's guide and a list of papers available will be returned to you by email. ================================================================================ EDITORIAL COMMENT [l. 867] Hypertext looks like the medium of the future for "serious" writers, whoever they are, and _EJournal_ is pleased to offer an early comparison-and-contrast view of authoring programs that writers can experiment with. Confirmations, clarifications or qualifications of robin's assessments can be passed along to _EJournal_'s readers quite quickly. To be sure, we will be more interested in testimony that writers send us, whether enthusiastic or disappointed, than in product promotion, but we will try to err in the direction of inclusiveness. And here's a reminder: a longer review essay, including discussions of non-windowing products, is available from _EJournal_'s Fileserv (see line 102 of this issue). Following July's experimental "HtxtRdr" issue, we had several generous offers of help for laying out _EJournal_ in alternative formats --especially World Wide Web and Windows Help. Our enthusiasm for such experiments has been tempered, however, by the reality of limited resources; facing an either-or choice, it seems more important to look for and distribute worthy essays in this simplest ASCII form than to deflect energy into alternative formatting --no matter how consistent with _EJournal_'s long-range purposes those formats may be. But the time will come, and we would be delighted in the meantime to have anyone grab an issue and re-format it and re-distribute it. We make a point of not "owning" our texts, and ask only for proper acknowledgment. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ I N F O R M A T I O N -------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ About Subscribing and Sending for Back Issues: [l. 898] In order to: Send to: This message: Subscribe to _EJournal_: LISTSERV@ALBANY.bitnet SUB EJRNL Your Name Get Contents/Abstracts of previous issues: LISTSERV@ALBANY.bitnet GET EJRNL CONTENTS Get Volume 1 Number 1: LISTSERV@ALBANY.bitnet GET EJRNL V1N1 Send mail to our "office": EJOURNAL@ALBANY.bitnet Your message... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About "Supplements": _EJournal_ is experimenting with ways of revising, responding to, reworking, or even retracting the texts we publish. Authors who want to address a subject already broached --by others or by themselves-- may send texts for us to consider publishing as a Supplement issue. Proposed supplements will not go through as thorough an editorial review process as the essays they annotate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About _EJournal_: _EJournal_ is an all-electronic, e-mail delivered, peer-reviewed, academic periodical. We are particularly interested in theory and practice surrounding the creation, transmission, storage, interpretation, alteration and replication of electronic "text" - broadly defined. We are also interested in the broader social, psychological, literary, economic and pedagogical implications of computer- mediated networks. The journal's essays are delivered free to Bitnet/ Internet/ Usenet addressees. Recipients may make paper copies; _EJournal_ will provide authenticated paper copy from our read-only archive for use by academic deans or others. Writers who think their texts might be appreciated by _EJournal_'s audience are invited to forward files to EJOURNAL@ALBANY.bitnet . If you are wondering about starting to write a piece for to us, feel free to ask if it sounds appropriate. There are no "styling" guidelines; we try to be a little more direct and lively than many paper publications, and considerably less hasty and ephemeral than most postings to unreviewed electronic spaces. Essays in the vicinity of 5000 words fit our format well. We read ASCII; we look forward to experimenting with other transmission and display formats and protocols. [l. 941] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Board of Advisors: Stevan Harnad Princeton University Dick Lanham University of California at L. A. Ann Okerson Association of Research Libraries Joe Raben City University of New York Bob Scholes Brown University Harry Whitaker University of Quebec at Montreal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consulting Editors - November, 1993 ahrens@alpha.hanover.bitnet John Ahrens Hanover ap01@liverpool.ac.uk Stephen Clark Liverpool dabrent@acs.ucalgary.ca Doug Brent Calgary djb85@albany Don Byrd Albany donaldson@loyvax Randall Donaldson Loyola College ds001451@ndsuvm1 Ray Wheeler North Dakota erdtt@pucal Terry Erdt Purdue-Calumet fac_askahn@vax1.acs.jmu.edu Arnie Kahn James Madison folger@watson.ibm.com Davis Foulger IBM - Watson Center george@gacvax1 G. N. Georgacarakos Gustavus Adolphus gms@psuvm Gerry Santoro Penn State nrcgsh@ritvax Norm Coombs RIT pmsgsl@ritvax Patrick M. Scanlon RIT r0731@csuohio Nelson Pole Cleveland State richardj@bond.edu.au Joanna Richardson Bond ryle@urvax Martin Ryle Richmond twbatson@gallua Trent Batson Gallaudet userlcbk@umichum Bill Condon Michigan wcooper@vm.ucs.ualberta.ca Wes Cooper Alberta ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editor: Ted Jennings, English, University at Albany Editorial Asssociate: Jerry Hanley, emeritus, University at Albany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- University at Albany Computing Services Center: Ben Chi, Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- University at Albany State University of New York Albany, NY 12222 USA