*************************************************************** ****************** WELCOME TO SGML NEWSWIRE ******************* *************************************************************** * * * To subscribe, send mail to sgmlinfo@avalanche.com * * * * (Please pass along to interested colleagues) * * * *************************************************************** CORRECTION ========== In the issue dated 001.2-11-94, I listed the ftp details with a slight mistake. The site is ftp.ifi.uio.no: /pub/SGML/Newswire not ftp.ifi.uio.no: /publication/SGML/Newswire "KILLER APPS" ============ The following was recently posted to the USENET newsgroup online-news@marketplace.com . From: jallaire@maroon.tc.umn.edu (Jeremy D. Allaire) Subject: Re: What is "killer app"? ... plus list housekeeping Date: Wed, 9 Feb 94 02:09:09 -0600 Okay, so what are the killer apps for the newspaper/magazine world. Well, we can discern several key technological trends, and, perhaps venture to make some cursory predictions about where this is all headed (my preferences, aside). First, let's take a look at what electronic publishing standards are being developed/adopted by the publishing and computer industry. For instance, several major e-pub software vendors (e.g. Adobe, Aldus, EBT), and other major computer related firms (Novell, IBM, Microsoft, & others) have announced, albeit quietly, that they are planning to adopt the Standard Generalized Markup Language conventions in future products; many major computer companies are using it for in-house documentation, and, as well all know, the Internet has adopted HTML, a Document-Type-Definition within SGML. Also, the American Publishers Association and the American Library Association have adopted it as the most promising candidate as an industry standard (newspaper associations?). It now has IEEE and ANSI status. So, SGML, and related applications of it such as HTML, seem to be where we're heading. The real questions, I think, will be (1) what types of authoring tools are developed, (2) crucially, on what sort of platform will these service be delivered. I'll answer the first question first, since it's a bit easier, and not as scary. I imagine tools along the lines of traditional DTP programs, though with the addition of hyperlink managers, and, like many CD-ROM authoring tools, video and sound editing. This isn't so much of an issue, and, I anticipate the market will bring to bear some pretty cool "killer apps" in the near future. I should also mention again the coming service from Ziff-Davis, InterChange. They will evidently be releasing authoring tools to publishers interested in putting their stuff on-line, and they, at least in their press releases are claiming full WYSYWIG multi-media document management. If you want the real inside, give Bruce Thurlby a call at (617) 252-5427 (he's in charge of bringing publisher's onto the service). The more important question is the platform on which these services can be delivered. There are basically two models for the "bits-and-bytes highway," as I like to refer to it (anyone who's seen/read the ATT multimedia doctrine speech can skip this section---anyone who wants it, write me). The first model is an open-platform model, where individuals, or companies/publishers, can become both consumers and producers of information services; that's basically today's Internet in a nutshell. The other model is the "gatekeeper" model where some local company "managers" information services from their servers. Much like a television station today, relatively centralized, and difficult to control your own content, not to mention expensive. The best examples of this would be services such as CompuServe, AOL, and Prodigy. Not only is it really difficult to produce something innovative on those services, but it is highly restrictive from an author's point of view. The in-between model would be where individuals with the proper authoring tools could put stuff together, but it would be real hard/expensive to actually be running an info-service server. The best analogy would be today's printing world equivalent, the service bureau. You can create it, make it your own, and they'll take it from there. That's the InterChange idea. So, Interacive TV set-top boxes represent the 2nd model, very closed. A wire to every computer, all running multimedia capable browsers and creators in the 1st model; pretty unlikely, since John and Mary don't particularly want a "computer" as we know it today, but a simple device to be entertained with and shop with; leave learning to the schools, they say (I know, it's depressing)--remember, the overwhelming majority of the population can't even program their VCR! Okay, so we've got delivery method, and, maybe, authoring tools. What about the rest of the technical infrastructure? What will be the Operating System to serve as the future of all this? I've got my idea: Cairo, from Microsoft. That's their bet on the information superhighway. The entire idea is built around (1) totally distributed, multi-processing, servers with fully identifiable objects (the URLs of today's Internet), (2) built in billing and authentication mechanisms, and (3) portability to non-computer based viewers (meaning, you don't have to sit down at a keyboard to take advantage of software/information services developed in this platform. Not only this, but it will be a fully multi-threaded operating system, with almost complete cross-application compatibility. Pretty cool. It's vapor-ware now, though I've talked with folks who've seen it up and running, though in very limited form. All right, that was a lot of technical jargon. What does it mean? It means anyone with a server running Cairo and some multimedia authoring tools will be able to set up fully hypermedia documents that are built around globally unique object identifiers (again, like URLs), with world-wide linking capabilities (by definition, the Cairo OS assumes WAN connectivity, like NT assumes LAN connectivity), and a sophisticated, and hence, commercially capable, billing and authentication mechanism (geez, whichever Financial Corporation realizes the pot of gold to be made in supporting on-line billing for information services is gonna be real lucky--I've heard rumors that Microsoft is making deals with Sears Financial, and, perhaps H&R Block). Remember, multimedia publications must be cross-platform, which means there must be a fairly robust way for different operating systems and applications to "read" these documents; take a close look at SGML, since it pretty much meets that goal. And, if you want practice with it, play around with HTML, which, I believe is an in fact compared to what we'll see develop in the next two years. Hope that wasn't too much, and, I hope it was close enough to the list's mission: ;-) Jeremy ****** Jeremy D. Allaire 722 27th Ave. S., #2 MPLS, MN 55454 jallaire@maroon.tc.umn.edu ******** ************************************************************** * SGML NEWSWIRE LIST MANAGER * * * * Linda Turner * * Corporate Communications * * Avalanche * * 947 Walnut Street * * Boulder, CO 80302 * * sgmlinfo@avalanche.com * * linda@avalanche.com * * Vox: (303) 449-5032 * * Fax: (303) 449-3246 * **************************************************************