[self-interest] Re: web site and CD-ROMs

[Jecel Assumpcao Jr]

Stefan Matthias Aust wrote:
> 
> Jecel wrote:
> 
> >It is indeed much like the Wiki Wiki Web or the SWiki, but I felt
> >something more structured would be better.
> 
> I've the same feeling but then a friend of mine told me (and somewhat
> convinced me) that hypertext is actually made for non-structured data and
> that at least some spaces in your web should feature this kind of
> unstructured (chaotic) data as this can feature creativity.

True - that is what hypertext is for. But for linking bug reports
to code that fixes them a free form system would make the user
have to take care of too many details manually.

Another example: a list of members. You can give people a blank
page and they can type whatever they like about themselves. Or you
can give them a form with spaces for their name, email, home page,
hobbies, and so on. You will have to think a lot less to give out
the basic data in this second system, and you can still have a
field at the bottom where people can type whatever they like.

> > >   [selling CD-ROMs with web site. Would people mind?]
> 
> by adding content to the web, people already agreed upon distribution I
> think.  You should warn them that they give away there exclusive copyright
> to the one who produces the CD.  However, they also keep the copyright for
> all other matters.  Therefore, I think that's not needed.

Well, if I sell CD-ROMs with the stuff on the site, anyone else
should be free to do so as well. So it wouldn't be a good idea to
transfer the copyrights to me. I know that anything on a web site
is public already, but I like to avoid hurt feelings are much as
I try to avoid lawsuits. For example, the Self 4 license allows me
to do anything I want, but I prefer to ask permission from the
orginal Self group and respect their wishes, even though legally
I don't have to.

> > > - the site will be multilingual: every page will include links
> 
> Cool idea, but i fear that this will reduce the usage of the overall site
> if people start to write things in there own language only.  You should
> force them to submit at least an english (=international) version.  And
> what's about but reports and other notes - will you provide them also as
> multilangual?

This is a big problem, and I don't have a solution yet. It wouldn't
do much good for someone to submit a bug report in French is none
of the developer involved know how to read it. My idea is that the
multilingual thing would be mostly for the informative pages at
first.

Depending on how successful my Merlin 6 "Self computer" turns out
to be in Brazil, however, we could soon have a large number of Self
users who don't speak English. I hope I figure this out before then.

> > >      go to the technology page[pt][FR][es][de]. Also see...
> > >                --------------- --  --  --  --
> 
> You could also use little flags - in bright colors for up-to-date info and
> in dim colors for older information.  Up to date flags might even be
> animated as if they're moved by the wind.

Great idea! Apple had a prototype GUI in which older files were
increasingly yellow, and it seemed like a very compact way of
encoding "freshness" information. Thanks for the tip.

-- Jecel



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