Vannevar Bush envisioned some sort of apparatus in a desk that would electronically allow linking of documents (represented by images on indexed roles of microfilm). It is clear that this linking could not involve the original images, as they were read-only on microfilm. It was also clear that whatever form these links would take, they were not only separate from the original documents, they could be shared with other people, as well as being intermixed with original text by the author.
I decide to call these things (or special type of document if you will) a Vannevar Trail [VT for short].
I also want to explore how XML technology might be employed to implement the Memex concept. In particular, the most general form of XLink - where the links are stored external to any documents seemed like a good candidate technology to implement a VT.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
The orginal article:
"As We May Think"
The key idea is:
"It affords an immediate step, however, to associative indexing, the basic idea of which is a provision whereby any item may be caused at will to select immediately and automatically another. This is the essential feature of the memex. The process of tying two items together is the important thing.
When the user is building a trail, he names it, inserts the name in his code book, and taps it out on his keyboard. Before him are the two items to be joined, projected onto adjacent viewing positions. At the bottom of each there are a number of blank code spaces, and a pointer is set to indicate one of these on each item. The user taps a single key, and the items are permanently joined. In each code space appears the code word. Out of view, but also in the code space, is inserted a set of dots for photocell viewing; and on each item these dots by their positions designate the index number of the other item."
The new profession:
"There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record. The inheritance from the master becomes, not only his additions to the world's record, but for his disciples the entire scaffolding by which they were erected."
"As We May Think"
The key idea is:
"It affords an immediate step, however, to associative indexing, the basic idea of which is a provision whereby any item may be caused at will to select immediately and automatically another. This is the essential feature of the memex. The process of tying two items together is the important thing.
When the user is building a trail, he names it, inserts the name in his code book, and taps it out on his keyboard. Before him are the two items to be joined, projected onto adjacent viewing positions. At the bottom of each there are a number of blank code spaces, and a pointer is set to indicate one of these on each item. The user taps a single key, and the items are permanently joined. In each code space appears the code word. Out of view, but also in the code space, is inserted a set of dots for photocell viewing; and on each item these dots by their positions designate the index number of the other item."
The new profession:
"There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record. The inheritance from the master becomes, not only his additions to the world's record, but for his disciples the entire scaffolding by which they were erected."
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