I will address the two topics suggested by Flemming in the following
letter to the extent that I understand the ideas set forth. The two ideas
that I see being suggested are: 1) a system for centralizing information
acquired from mailing lists so that everyone has access to all
information regarding all topics, and 2) a system for standardizing the
input to and communication between mailing lists and knowledge banks.
One way to implement the first idea would be to make it everyone's job to
forward addresses of mailing lists to a server which would, in turn,
subscribe to the lists and then start storing the messages. In parallel
you would want some sort of parser to be cataloging all the files so
that, when called upon, it could tell you everything happening on a
certain date, or at a certain place, or whathaveyou.
A database would indeed be ideal for this, but the database itself would
only facilitate efficient data retireval. One would require some very fancy
front-end programming to arrange and organize all this information into a
common format that could be intelligibly searched and indexed. It might
just be a process of defining templates for each new file format, or one
might want to design an AI to make decisions on-the-fly.
As an aside, this is exactly what the government is doing on the net.
They have hundreds of multiprocessor super-computers connected to the net,
and they just archive everything that they can get their hands on: email,
private data, unprotected data, raw streams, etc. The purpose of this is
so that, at their whim, they can perform complex searches against
keywords and names to derive details about criminal activities and other
clandestine operations which they might not otherwise detect.
As far as a common interface for knowledge banks and mailing lists, this
would be very easy. Currently, though, it would require one to look at
the interface for each system and design a sort of template file for
submitting data to each one. Of course, since every system will require
slightly different information there will be need for custom breakouts
that allow that custom information to be entered as those systems are
encountered. The reason for this, is that if all the information that
could ever possibly be needed were entered into a mater form, all at
once, the form would be voluminous. Ideally, once a system was designed,
and enough of these templates were stored, then it would be possible to
translate from one arbitrary format to another with the greatest of ease.
Once all this front-end work was done then it would be a matter of
keeping it up to date, and letting the software do the rest. All this
could be circumvented if, as Flemming suggested, we just had a common
format/protocol. This might be ideal, but as of late standards can be
seen as limitations to improvisation and progress. This would also
require change on the part of others to promote the common good, which
only forward-looking individuals and organizations will see any merit in
(that is, not many). I suppose that if enough pull was put behind this,
then it would be possible to get the developers of these information
systems to submit their form template to the information gathering
authority in a sort of application process.
The goal of setting something like this up is novel, and would be of
great service to the people of networked communities, worldwide. I hope
that someday people will come forward and make it a reality.
Thoughts and ideas extremely welcome. This is a large idea with lots of
room for discussion and debate.
Regards,
Paul Mobbs
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Mobbs mobbster@ecimail.ucsb.edu
UCSB Engineering
On Sun, 8 Jun 1997, Flemming Funch wrote:
> One of the things I had in mind with NCN from early on was to establish an
> infrastructure for collaboration, i.e. many independent nodes in an
> electronic network that could grow to any size, and where the nodes could
> share information between each other as needed.
>
> Now that seems to be closer to being manifested.
>
> For one thing, what is happening is that networks are bumping into each
> other. Some of you coordinate large or small networks of people,
> organizations or websites. And the thing is then: how do we coordinate
> networks of networks?
>
> Some people who join NCN might also be interested in joining another
> network. Maybe they want to know about Bruce Schuman's United Communities
> of Spirit, maybe they want to add their website to Joshua Shapiro's NA-NET
> network http://www.execpc.com/vjentpr/nanetglb.html. Or any other network
> that is cooperating. Or maybe they don't care about any of those. The idea
> is that you can have the choice, and that we might be able to transfer
> information around automatically.
>
> For example, Bruce Schuman <bruce@origin.org> is doing a lot of interesting
> work on the United Communities of Spirit site
> http://www.silcom.com/~origin/ucs.html. On-line member database, on-line
> polling, searches, etc. Some of it parallel to what is in the NCN member
> database. We could work out a common protocol where it would be easy for
> somebody to choose to be a member of the other network too, and to have
> one's profile automatically transferred. Only if one chooses to do so, of
> course.
>
> Another area of possible collaboration is between idea gathering sites.
> I've maintained the Global Ideas Bank http://www.newciv.org/GIB/ for the
> Institute of Social Inventions for a while, which contains thousands of
> ideas that people can rate on-line. Paul Stevens <paul@coal.nl> is
> developing the Global Suggestions Box http://www.coal.nl/newciv/gsb/
> consulting with Greg Wright <greg@newciv.org>, which will allow submission
> and storage of ideas along similar lines. Marcio Bezerra
> <m.bezerra@ep.petrobras.com.br> is doing WIN - the World Ideas Network
> http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1887/. And there are things like the
> Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential. It would make great
> sense if these databases could complement or supplement each other.
> Searching each other's directories, transferring ideas between them when
> appropriate, etc. Paul Stevens is working on some approaches for that.
>
> And then there is the thing of event calendars. In Los Angeles there are so
> many events going on, and so many people announcing them to different lists
> that it is easy to either get multiple copies of each, or to miss events
> one wanted to go to because one didn't have the overview. John Tibayan
> <john@globalvisions.org> has an automated event calendar on his site at
> http://www.globalvisions.org/calendar/calendar.html. We could very well
> work out a scheme where different event calendars could share information,
> avoid duplication, provide customized listings, etc.
>
> As far as I am concerned, the issue is how to develop an infra-structure
> that allows people to easily be involved in and informed about what they
> want, and not bothered with the stuff they aren't interested in. And the
> issue is how to avoid re-inventing the wheel many times over. Many
> networks, groups, and sub-groups have similar needs for online facilities.
> Web pages, member databases, calendars, chat rooms, conferences, etc. I
> would really like to see it be easy to create a new online workgroup or
> network, being able to use freely available, easily configurable tools, and
> be able to easily link up with other workgroups and networks.
>
> If any of you technically minded programmer types are interested in getting
> more involved in growing such an infra-structure, let me know, or contact
> one of the other people mentioned here.
>
> - Flemming
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> o o
> / \------------------ Flemming A. Funch ------------------/ \
> / * \ World Transformation/New Civilization/Whole Systems / * \
> / * * \ ffunch@newciv.org / * * \
> o-------o----------- http://www.worldtrans.org/ ----------o-------o
>
>
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