VPIEJ-L 03/92
VPIEJ-L Discussion Archives
March 1992
========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 12:59:26 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> ======================================================================== 24 Received: from VTVM1 (GMCMILLA) by vtvm1.cc.vt.edu (Mailer R2.08 R208002) with BSMTP id 7646; Tue, 03 Mar 92 13:44:05 EST Date: Tue, 03 Mar 92 13:17:23 EST From: GMCMILLA@VTVM1 Subject: Net-News and more To: jpowell@vtvm1 I recently heard from an electronic journal editor that he expected libraries to print his journal and put it on their shelves along with traditional jour- nals. I was shocked to hear this. The advantages of e-journals include not having to label, bind, security strip, and shelve them. Do other electronic journal editors expect libraries to be bound by past prac- tices and traditional formats? Have they any suggestions about how libraries might handle e-journals? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 14:41:16 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: opening up? How do people feel about opening this list up to the general BITNET/Internet public who are involved or interested in publishing electronic journals? As far as I know there is no discussion group for e-journal publishing. You can reply to the list or to me directly (jpowell). Thanks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 14:59:28 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "Lon K. Savage" <savage@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: opening up? *** Reply to note of 03/04/92 14:48 Scholarly Communications Project Newman Library 24061-0434 James - There is an Association of Electronic Scholarly Journals, of which several of us are members (and you should be, too), which puts out a discussion that is sometimes quite lively. The address is AESJ-L@ALBNYVM1. It's a closed list, I believe, but we can arrange for you to be on it. Others on it include Buddy, Paul Gherman, Mahmood Khan and perhaps a few more. - Lon. University Libraries P.O. Box 90001 Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001 703/231-4922 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 15:05:27 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: GMCMILLA@VTVM1.BITNET Subject: Re: opening up? In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 04 Mar 92 15:02:08 EST from <msanders@vtvm1> Thanks for forwarding this note. I just received it also on VPIEJ-L. xoxo ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1992 09:21:41 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals at Virginia Tech" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Opening up So far, every response I have received reguarding opening up this list to everyone has been positive. So, I plan to open the list up this week to the public. I will be advertising it in various lists. If you have ideas about where I can publicize the list, let me know. Thanks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1992 10:04:06 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: opened up VPIEJ-L is now open to anyone. This announcement was sent to both PACS-L and NEW-LIST. If you have other suggestions for advertising this list, please let me know. Thanks. James. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VPIEJ-L@VTVM1 VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU VPIEJ-L is a discussion list for electronic publishing issues, especially those related to Scholarly Electronic Journals. Topics for discussion include SGML, PostScript, and other e-journal formats; as well as software and hardware considerations for creation of, storage, and access to e-journals. Publishers, editors, technical staff, programmers, librarians, and end-users are welcome to join. One goal of the list is to provide better feedback from users to creators, so we are very interested in receiving and archival issues. This should give those of us involved in publishing an idea as to what distribution methods work and how end-users are accessing and using these publications. Current readers of and contributors to VPIEJ-L have discussed readability and screen display, copyright, and advertising (noncommercial). Archives of VPIEJ-L are available. A listing may be retrieved by sending a command INDEX VPIEJ-L to LISTSERV@VTVM1. To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@VTVM1 via mail or interactive message: SUB VPIEJ-L your_full_name where "your_full_name" is your name. For example: SUB VPIEJ-L Joan Doe Owner: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1992 13:22:23 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: CATALYST and JTE-L Welcome all new subscribers! The number of subscribers to this list passed 100 easily within 24 hours of advertising. (I hope this won't come as a shock to our local subscribers - this list has been operational for a month on the Virginia Tech campus). University Libraries and the Scholarly Communications Project have made two new journals available: The Community Services CATALYST and the Journal of Technology Education. Both are currently available to subscribers of their respective lists: CATALYST and JTE-L both available through LISTSERV@ VTVM1. A formal announcement will be posted shortly for JTE-L but let me just tell you this is our first journal to include graphics and we are very excited about it. Please take a look at these journals and tell us what you think and what you are working on. Thanks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1992 21:24:02 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> The following is a short file that I have put together to point out some of the networked resources for those interested in network distributed electronic serials. Feel free to make use of this file and please let me know if I have overlooked anything. - Michael Strangelove --------------------------------------------------------------------- MISCELLANEOUS ONLINE E-SERIAL RESOURCES The _Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters_ is now available in electronic text from a public access fileserver and consists of two files. These may be obtained by sending the email message to listserv@uottawa or listserv@acadvm1.uottawa.ca Get EJournL1 Directry Get EJournL2 Directry Please note the spelling of the files carefully. A second, revised edition is on its way to press and will also soon be available on the Net. The Directory documents over 26 e-journals and 63 e-newsletters. Special thanks to Ann Okerson at the Association of Research Libraries for her support and guidance in this project. For information on how to obtain a print copy, contact: Ann Okerson Association of Research Libraries 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 ARLHQ@UMDC.Bitnet (202) 232-2466 (voice) (202) 462-7849 (fax) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PUBLIC-ACCESS COMPUTER SYSTEMS REVIEW - SPECIAL ISSUE ON E-SERIALS The following articles can be retrieved by sending the commands listed below as an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU Amiran, Eyal. (1991). "Postmodern Culture: Publishing in the Electronic Medium." GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 Harrison, Teresa. (1991). "Online Journals: Disciplinary Designs for Electronic Scholarship." GET HARRISON PRV2N1 Harnad, Stevan. (1991). "Post-Gutenburg Galaxy: The Fourth Revolution in the Means of Production of Knowledge." GET HARRISON PRV2N1 Hugo, Jane, and Linda Newell. (1991) "New Horizons in Adult Education: The First Five Years (1987-1991)." GET HUGO PRV2N1 Jennings, Edward. "EJournal: An Account of the First Two Years." GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 Okerson, Ann. (1991). "The Electronic Journal: What, Whence, and When?". GET OKERSON PRV2N1 Savage, Lon. (1991). "The Journal of the International Academy of Hospitality Research." GET SAVAGE PRV2N1 Tuttle, Marcia. "The Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues." GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OTHER ONLINE E-SERIAL RESOURCES Nilson, Erik. (1991). "Ideas for Electronic Newsletters." Available from Listserv@Uottawa or Listserv@Acadvm1.Uottawa.CA as START-UP ENEWSLTR CCNEWS - Campus Computing Newsletter An electronic newsletter that focuses on writing, editing, design, and production of campus computing publications. To subscribe: send an interactive message or mail to LISTSERV@BITNIC containing: SUB CCNEWS your name An index of back issues is available by sending an interactive message or mail to LISTSERV@BITNIC containing: GET ARTICLES INDEX Contact: Wendy Rickard Bollentin, Editor. CCNEWS@EDUCOM Scholarly Electronic Journals and Electronic Publishing Issues List VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.BITNET VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU VPIEJ-L is a discussion list for electronic publishing issues, especially those related to Scholarly Electronic Journals. To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@VTVM1 or LISTSERV@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU in the BODY of mail (NOT subject) or in an interactive message: SUB VPIEJ-L your name Contact: James Powell, List Owner <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> <jpowell@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Michael Strangelove Department of Religious Studies University of Ottawa BITNET: 441495@Uottawa Internet: 441495@Acadvm1.Uottawa.CA S-Mail: 177 Waller, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 CANADA Voice: (613) 237-2052 FAX: (613) 564-6641 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 08:59:24 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "Charles Bailey, University of Houston" <lib3@uhupvm1.bitnet> In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 16 Mar 1992 21:24:02 EST from <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> The GET command for Harnad's paper is not correct. It should be: "GET HARNAD PRV2N1." I recommend using the form of the GET command that includes the "F=MAIL" switch: "GET HARNAD PRV2N1 F=MAIL." For the benefit of list readers who are not on PACS-L, I include below a detailed description of the PACS Review issue on e-serials. Best Regards, Charles ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE PACS REVIEW ON NETWORK-BASED ELECTRONIC SERIALS By Charles W. Bailey, Jr. Network-based electronic serials are serials that are primarily "published" on computer networks like BITNET and Internet. Little has been written about these innovative publications; however, the first issue of volume two of The Public-Access Computer Systems Review provides a rare inside look at them in a "Special Section on Network-Based Electronic Serials." All of the authors in this special section have played an important role in fostering this new communication medium, and most are the editors and/or publishers of e-serials. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is published by the University of Houston Libraries. You can retrieve an article by sending one of the commands listed after the article's description in an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet). The first command retrieves the article as a file. The second command retrieves the article as an e-mail message. If you are not an experienced network user or you are not on BITNET, it is recommended that you retrieve articles as e-mail messages. ARTICLES IN THE SPECIAL SECTION ON NETWORK-BASED ELECTRONIC SERIALS In "The Electronic Journal: What, Whence, and When?," Ann Okerson surveys current and future e-journal publication activities. She discusses publishers' visions of e-journals, and she identifies four major groups of potential e-journal publishers: existing publishers, intermediary organizations (e.g., ISI and CARL), researchers and scholars, and universities. She concludes by forecasting how e-journals may evolve during the next 9 years. (GET OKERSON PRV2N1 or GET OKERSON PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Online Journals: Disciplinary Designs for Electronic Scholarship," Teresa Harrison et al. examine and critique the e- journal concept, then describe the Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de Communication (EJC/REC). EJC/REC is a referred, bilingual journal dealing with communication. It is part of the innovative Comserve service, which provides communication scholars with a variety of electronic information services (e.g., directory information, journal indexes, access to over 1,000 files, and 20 computer conferences). (GET HARRISON PRV2N1 or GET HARRISON PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Post-Gutenburg Galaxy: The Fourth Revolution in the Means of Production of Knowledge," Stevan Harnad discusses the three historical revolutions in knowledge production (speech, writing, and print) and the emerging fourth revolution--electronic "skywriting" on the Net. He examines the limitations of our print-based scholarly communication system, and describes how electronic communication can support scholarly skywriting, a process that allows scholars to get rapid feedback about promising ideas and theories from colleagues worldwide. He then describes Psycoloquy, a referred psychology e-journal that embodies the scholarly skywriting process. (GET HARNAD PRV2N1 or GET HARNAD PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "The Journal of the International Academy of Hospitality Research," Lon Savage describes a referred e-journal for researchers in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management and tourism. JIAHR is sponsored by the International Academy of Hospitality Research and published by Virginia Tech's Scholarly Communications Project. JIAHR issues are composed of single articles, and a related computer conference complements the journal. Savage discusses how individual subscribers and libraries have dealt with receiving an e-journal. JIAHR is an interesting example of how the Net can be used to publish a fee- based journal for a small, specialized audience. (GET SAVAGE PRV2N1 or GET SAVAGE PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Postmodern Culture: Publishing in the Electronic Medium," Eyal Amiran and John Unsworth describe the refereed journal Postmodern Culture, which deals with contemporary literature, theory, and culture. Postmodern Culture is free on the Net, and a subscription fee is charged for disk or microfiche versions of the journal. A computer conference, PMC-Talk, complements the journal. The authors also discuss the future of e-journals. (GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 or GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "New Horizons in Adult Education: The First Five Years (1987- 1991)," Jane Hugo and Linda Newell describe the evolution of one of the first (if not the first) refereed e-journals on the Net. This unique adult education journal is edited by graduate students. (GET HUGO PRV2N1 or GET HUGO PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "EJournal: An Account of the First Two Years," Edward Jennings provides a personal look at his efforts to establish and publish a refereed e-journal on electronic networks and texts. This behind-the-scenes narrative reveals some of the trials and tribulations that may face the prospective e-journal publisher. (GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 or GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "The Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues," Marcia Tuttle describes the evolution and publishing practices of this e- newsletter, which deals with serials concerns. In addition to BITNET and Internet, the newsletter is also published on ALANET, DataLinx, and EBSCONET. She also discusses a variety of electronic publishing issues. (GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 or GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 F=MAIL) ANOTHER ARTICLE OF INTEREST FROM THE SAME ISSUE In "How to Start and Manage a BITNET LISTSERV Discussion Group: A Beginner's Guide," Diane Kovacs et al. discuss the steps to set up and run a computer conference using the Revised LISTSERV software. LISTSERV is a very widely used software package that supports both computer conferences and e-serial publication on BITNET (many existing e-serials are distributed with this software). It runs on IBM mainframes under the VM/CMS operating system. (GET KOVACS PRV2N1 or GET KOVACS PRV2N1 F=MAIL) Copyright (C) 1992 by Charles W. Bailey, Jr. All Rights Reserved. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 10:14:33 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: PostScript Anyone who has taken a look at the files stored for the first issue of the Journal of Technology Education (JTE-L) may find this useful. The first electronic issue of JTE (v. 3, no. 2) includes a PostScript graphic file along with the ASCII text files. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frequently Asked Questions in comp.lang.postscript Version 1.06 Last Changed 5-29-91 No warranty is made as to the validity of the answers below. I don't work for any of these companies, and I've used only some of these products, so there will probably be minor errors. I welcome corrections. If you think of questions appropiate for this FAQ, or would like to improve on an answer, please email me at the address below. If you manage an FTP PostScript repository, please leave a copy of this there as I don't have FTP access. ================================================================ What is EPS? How do I convert PS to EPS? How can I convert PS to [other graphics format]? How can I convert [other graphics format] to PS? How can I convert ASCII text to PS? How can I display PS on my [brand x] computer? Should I leave my printer on? How do I suppress the power-on start page? How do I remove a persistent ("permanent") downloaded font? How do I reset the printer without power-cycling? What documentation is available on the PostScript language? How do I get bitmap representations of Adobe fonts? What FTP resources are available? How do I get in touch with Adobe? Where can I get official documentation? How do I get the physical size of a page? ================================================================ What is EPS? How do I convert PS to EPS? An Encapsulated PostScript file (EPSF) is a standard format for importing and exporting PostScript language files in all environments. It is usually a single page PostScript language program that describes an illustration. The purpose of the EPS file is to be included as an illustration in other PostScript language page descriptions. The EPS file can contain any combination of text, graphics, and images. An EPS file is the same as any other PostScript language page description, with some restrictions. An EPS file must be a conforming file, that is, it must conform to the document structuring conventions (DSC). At a minimum, it must include a header comment, %!PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0, and a bounding box comment, %%BoundingBox: llx lly urx ury, that describes the bounds of the illustration. (The specification does not require the EPSF version, but many programs will reject a file that does not have it.) The EPS program must not use operators that initialize or permanently change the state of the machine in a manner that cannot be undone by the enclosing application's use of save and restore (eg. the operators starting with "init" like initgraphics). As a special case, the EPS program may use the showpage operator. The importing application is responsible for disabling the normal effects of showpage. The EPS program should make no environment-sensitive decisions (the importing application may be trying to attain some special effect, and the EPS program shouldn't screw this up), although it can use some device-dependent tricks to improve appearance such as a snap-to-pixel algorithm. The complete EPS specification is available from Adobe (see below). A variation of EPS embeds the PS text in a binary file which contains a header and either a TIFF or MetaFile preview image. The header defines where in the file each section (EPS, TIFF, or MetaFile) starts and ends. On the Macintosh, the preview is stored as a PICT in the file's resource fork. To convert from PS to EPS, one must guarantee that the PS file meets the above requirements. If the actual program conforms to the programming requirements, then one can simply add the required comments at the top of the file saying that the file is EPS and giving its BoundingBox dimensions. ================================================================ How can I convert PS to [other graphics format]? How can I display PS on my [brand x] computer? Since PostScript is not just a picture-description language, but in fact a complete programming language, one needs a complete PostScript interpreter to convert or display a PostScript graphic. Adobe PostScript interpreters are available for some machines (notably those using the NextStep GUI). Numerous PostScript interpreter clones, both commercial and free, are available for other machines. Not all clone interpreters know how to handle Adobe's encrypted Type 1 fonts, and some have other incompatibilities. Clone interpreters will not have Adobe's proprietary rendering technology which interprets font hints to improve the appearance of fonts shown at small sizes on low-resolution devices. Ghostscript, a freeware product associated with the GNU project, is available for PC's, Sun's, X servers, and other architectures. Source is included. For more information about Ghostscript, read the gnu.ghostscript.bug newsgroup, or contact the author at ghost@aladdin.com (L. Peter Deutsch). Sun OpenWindows users can preview PostScript on-screen using a program called "pageview". Or they can print postscript on any raster printer using the NeWSprint product which uses the same PostScript interpreter found in OpenWindows. AmigaDOS users can use PixelScript, a commercial product from Pixelations, and Post, which is freely redistributable and is available on Compuserve.. MSDOS users can use Go-Script, QMS UltraScript-PC, or Freedom of the Press. File format conversion is available with Hijack-PS. ================================================================ How can I convert [other graphics format] to PS? How can I convert ASCII text to PS? A list of text-to-PS software is available from Howard Gayle (howard@hal.com, phone 1(408)379-7000 ext 1080), including his cz package. Under Unix, you can use Adobe's TranScript package. To convert various bitmap formats to EPS, see the frequently asked questions posting in comp.graphics. ================================================================ What documentation is available on the PostScript language? Adobe has written numerous manuals, sometimes referred to by PostScript gurus by the color of the cover. These books are published by Addison-Wesley. They are listed here in order of (my) suggested reading: PostScript Language Tutorial & Cookbook, Adobe Systems Incorporated Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 (The "Blue" Book) PostScript Language Reference Manual, Second Edition, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 (The New "Red" Book (really Red and White)) PostScript Language Program Design, Adobe Systems Incorporated Addison Wesley 1988 (The "Green" Book) Adobe Type 1 Font Format ("The Black Book") ---------------------------------------------------------------- Other books include: Thinking in PostScript, Glenn C. Reid, Addison-Wesley, 1989 Understanding PostScript, David A. Holzgang, Sybex, 1988 Display PostScript Programming, David A. Holzgang, Addison Wesley, 1990 Mastering Adobe Illustrator, David A. Holzgang, Addison Wesley, 1t Cookbook, Barry Thomas Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988 Inside PostScript, Frank Merritt Braswell, Systems of Merritt & Peachpit Press 1989 The Verbum Book of PostScript Illustration, Michael Gosney, Janet Ashford, Linnea Dayton M&T Books, 1990 Mastering Adobe Illustrator 88, Deke McClelland, Craig Danuloff Publishing Resources Inc.-Dow Jones Irwin 1989. Adobe Illustrator 88, The Official Handbook for Designers, Tony Bove, Cheryl Rhodes, Fred Davis , Bantam Computer Books 1987 Encapsulated PostScript, Peter Vollenweider, Prentice Hall 1990. Running PostScript from MS-DOS, Gary Glover, Windcrest Books, 1989, ISBN 0-8306-2998-X ================================================================ Should I leave my printer on? How do I suppress the power-on start page? How do I remove a persistent ("permanent") downloaded font? How do I reset the printer without power-cycling? The general consensus seems to be that most computer equipment lasts longer if left on. This presents less thermal stress to the components. Disabling the start page is described in your printer's PostScript supplement. The most common sequence is "serverdict begin 0 exitserver statusdict begin false dostartpage end". One trick for removing a persistent font (this requires that you knew you would need to remove it before you downloaded it) is to issue a "serverdict begin 0 exitserver /magic-cookie save def" before downloading and sending "serverdict begin 0 exitserver magic-cookie restore" when you want to reclaim all VM used since the first download. The downside of this is that is uses up a save level, but this is usually not a problem. Most printers can be reset by issuing "serverdict begin 0 exitserver systemdict /quit get exec". ================================================================ How do I get bitmap representations of Adobe fonts? Use the Font Foundary program included with the font. If you don't have it, contact Adobe for an upgrade. ================================================================ What FTP resources are available? There are bitmaps of many Adobe fonts in the info-mac archives on sumex-aim.stanford.edu. They are available in TeX form, with the encoding expected by dvips, on ftp.cs.umb.edu [192.12.26.23], in pub/tex/ps-screenfonts.tar.Z. ================================================================ How do I get in touch with Adobe? Where can I get official documentation? Adobe Systems Incorporated 1585 Charleston Road P.O. Box 7900 Mountain View, CA 94039-7900 Phones: Main: (415)961-4400 Tech Support: (415)961-0911 Developers Line & Tech Docs (voice mail): (415)961-4111 Sales: (800)344-8335 A selection of technical documents is available from Adobe's file server, including the aforementioned EPS specification. For more information on this, send the one-word message "help" to ps-file-server@adobe.com. These documents are also available by mail; call the Developers Line and ask for the documents catalog. ================================================================ How do I get the physical size of a page? The initial clipping path gives you the size of the imagable area. Use "clippath pathbbox" to get these coordinates. If you *must* know the size of the device's imageable area, use the sequence "gsave initclip clippath pathbbox grestore", but this will prevent an enclosing application from using the clippath to achieve some special effects (such as multiple pages per page). ================================================================ Who has helped fixed errors in earlier drafts? I am indebted to the following people for adding functionality to this document: wet!icv (Ilsa VanHook) skdutta@cs.tamu.edu (Saumen K Dutta) howard@hal.com (Howard Gayle) tneff@bfmny0.BFM.COM (Tom Neff) orthlieb@adobe (Carl Orthlieb) naughton@Eng.Sun.COM (Patrick Naughton) flar@Eng.Sun.COM (Jim Graham) cwitty@cs.Stanford.EDU (Carl Witty) squash@math.ufl.edu (Jonathan) rsmith@well.sf.ca.us (Ross Smith) u12570@uicvm.uic.edu (Edward A. Garay) karl@ai.mit.edu (Karl Berry) kwb@betasvm2.vnet.ibm.com (Ken Borgendale) us267388@web.mmc.mmmg.com (Bradley D. Rhoades) Ver Date Reason ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 12-18-90 Creation 1.01 1- 8-91 1.02 1-25-91 1.03 2-26-91 1.04 3-28-91 1.05 4-30-91 1.06 5-29-91 expanded on EPS explanation, new email address for Howard Gayle, added version numbering ================================================================ Ken (shiva@well.sf.ca.us) "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .........................James Powell......................... ___....____________......Systems Support and Development...... \ \../ ___ ___/.........University Libraries, VPI & SU.... .\ \/ /../ /.............Blacksburg, VA - (703) 231-4987... ..\ /../ /..............FAX (703) 231-3694................ ...\ /../ /................................................. ....\/../__/..........INTERNET.....JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU.... ..........................(OR).....JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU.... ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 11:45:24 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Mark Peterson <hiho@csd4.csd.uwm.edu> Subject: unsubscribe please In-Reply-To: <9203171516.AA29049@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>; from "Charles Bailey, University of Houston" at Mar 17, 92 8:59 am UNSUBSCRIBE Mark C.E. Peterson Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 13:16:44 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: welcome survey Since VPIEJ-L was created for all of us to share information regarding our work in electronic publishing, it may be helpful for all of us to know how diverse our audience is. The list has exploded to 264 subscribers in just 5 days. Hopefully we have editors, publishers, librarians involved in receiving, cataloging, and collection development, and individual subscribers to electronic journals. But I don't know this to be the case. So please take a few minutes to answer these few questions below and I will summarize to the list. 1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? 2. How do you find out about new e-journals? (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? 3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? ASCII Only, SGML, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF, other 4. Where and how do you access e-journals? FTP, telnet, in library, campus information system, diskette, CD-ROM, ListServ 5. What would YOU like to know more about? Respond to the list or to me (JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU) and I'll summarize. Thanks! ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 13:47:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "Zane Berge, Ph.D." <berge@guvax.bitnet> Subject: Re: unsubscribe please Send the following message to LISTSERV@GUVM SIGNOFF IPCT-L If that doesn't work, send me the copy of the rejection letter you receive to: Zane Berge BERGE@GUVAX ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 11:18:25 PDT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: kodyj@MICROSOFT.COM Subject: RE: welcome survey | | 1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? | Librarian turned database Information Mangager for image databases. | 2. How do you find out about new e-journals? (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? PACS-L | | 3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? | ASCII Only, SGML, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF, other Who knows? it's there on my windows e-mail. | | 4. Where and how do you access e-journals? At office computer | FTP, telnet, in library, campus information system, diskette, CD-ROM, ListServ | | 5. What would YOU like to know more about? | | Respond to the list or to me (JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU) and I'll summarize. | Thanks! | | ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| | \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 16:09:07 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Comments: Resent-From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1> Comments: Originally-From: "Peter Graham, Rutgers U., (908) 932-2741" <graham@zodiac.rutgers.edu> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: response to survey Very good advice. Please send all responses to JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU rather than the list. Thank you. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 1) Please telle veryone NOT to respond to the list, or many of us will quit out of desparation; we don't want 265 responses in our box. --Peter Graham, Rutgers University ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 21:49:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: BURNET@ZODIAC.BITNET Subject: Re: welcome survey 1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? I am an assistant professor of library & information studies, which means that I teach in an MLS program. My teaching responsibilities included cataloging and multimedia. My research is in information design. 2. How do you find out about new e-journals? (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? PACS-L, friends, forwarded e-mail. 3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? Haven't found any I can't handle yet! 4. Where and how do you access e-journals? FTP, telnet, in library, campus information system, diskette, CD-ROM, ListServ All of the above except in the library, sad to say. 5. What would YOU like to know more about? What's out there, what new formats are developing, who's working on multimedi delivery and presentation. Kathleen Burnett ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1992 18:44:42 PST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Karen Howell <khowell@uscvm.bitnet> Subject: Re: welcome survey In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 17 Mar 1992 13:16:44 EST from <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> On Tue, 17 Mar 1992 13:16:44 EST James Powell said: >Since VPIEJ-L was created for all of us to share information regarding our >work in electronic publishing, it may be helpful for all of us to know how >diverse our audience is. >... >take a few minutes to answer these few questions below and I will summarize >to the list. > >1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? > Systems Development Librarian at University of Southern California (formerly systems analyst at Library of Congress) >2. How do you find out about new e-journals? (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? > PACS-L, CWIS-L, CNIDIR-L >3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? >ASCII Only, SGML, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF, other > ASCII, PostScript, WordPerfect Haven't tried SGML, TeX, TROFF so don't know. Presumably could be done. >4. Where and how do you access e-journals? >FTP, telnet, in library, campus information system, diskette, CD-ROM, ListServ > FTP, ListServ. The campus-wide information service at USC is run by the Library. One system, USCInfo, contains the library's OPAC, 13 periodical databases, campus info files, and the full-text of The Chronicle of Higher Education. One experimental option is mounting listserv archives as databases on USCInfo. We can do keyword and Boolean searches on the archives and read curent issues of PACS-L, CWIS-L, and CNIDIR-L. >5. What would YOU like to know more about? > I joined for two reasons. 1) To see how other libraries handle selection and access to electronic journals. 2) To engage in dialogue with publishers and librarians about creation and distribution of full-text journals. I'm project manager of the Online Chronicle of Higher Education pilot project at the University of Southern California. We're working with the publishers of a traditional print newspaper, The Chronicle of Higher Education, to help them create an electronic newspaper, and see what the issues in production, use, marketing, and distribution are. I'd love to talk with other e-journal producers about some of their design decisions. >Respond to the list or to me (JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU) and I'll summarize. >Thanks! > >___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| >\..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | > \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | > \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | > \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | > \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | >Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | Thanks for opening up the list. I'm curious to see the results of your survey. Karen Howell khowell@uscvm Systems Development Librarian khowell@vm.usc.edu Center for Scholarly Technology (213) 740-2933 University Library University of Southern California ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 09:57:48 GMT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Michel Eytan LILoL <me@suzuka.u-strasbg.fr> Subject: Re: welcome survey 1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? Prof. of Computer Science, Universite des Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg. 2. How do you find out about new e-journals? (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? PACS_L till now; also the 'interest-groups list' 3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? ASCII Only, SGML, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF, other ASCII, PostScript, TeX, troff; we can also get the Mac and PC formats (some are on the local net). 4. Where and how do you access e-journals? FTP, telnet, in library, campus information system, diskette, CD-ROM, ListServ ftp, telnet and ListServers. 5. What would YOU like to know more about? Dunno as yet, I have been away for a few days + the system was down, so I have about 400 (sic) messages backlog. Thank you for your editing, I fully appreciate the work that it implies ==michel Preferred mail-alias: eytan@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( # Michel Eytan # Voice:+33 88 41 74 29 # # (on Sparc1 under OpenWindows v.2) # # # Labo. Informatique, Logiques, Langages # Secr:+33 88 41 74 26 # # Dept. Info., Univ. Strasbourg II # # # 22 rue Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg, France # Fax:+33 88 41 74 40 # )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 09:41:57 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Paul Weiss <pweiss@nlm.nih.gov> Subject: Re: welcome survey 1. systems librarian in technical services 2. NEW-LIST 3. I know we can get things in ASCII; I don't know about the other formats. 4. listservs 5. cataloging issues, acquisition issues, sociological effects ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 10:47:53 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: STEPHEN@RPIECS.BITNET Subject: Be careful not to send your "survey" to VPIEJ-L As co-director of an organization that publishes an electronic journal, I thought it would be valuable to subscribe to VPIEJ-L. However, I'm concerned at the prospect of reading large numbers of survey responses from people who send them to VPIEJ-L rather than to the individual who was interested in the survey results. Often this means that one should not use a "reply" command to respond to the survey. Please explicitly address the mail containing your results to the appropriate individual. Thanks for your consideration. Tim Stephen Associate Professor & Co-director Comserve ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 11:38:17 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: welcome survey The responses so far are proving to be very interesting. Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer the questions. Several people have asked me to ask people to not send their replies to the survey to the list, but to the list owner (me). So please send replies to JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU. The questions one last time are: 1. What is your occupation (e.g. librarian, publisher, editor, programmer)? 2. How do you find out about new e-journals (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, etc.)? 3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? 4. Where and how do you access e-journals? 5. What would YOU like to know more about? Thanks! (Reply to JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU) ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 12:20:04 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "A.J. Wright" <meds002@uabdpo.bitnet> Subject: Re: Be careful not to send your "survey" to VPIEJ-L In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 18 Mar 1992 10:47:53 EST from <stephen@rpiecs> Well, I'm kind of enjoying these responses sent to the list...takes all kinds, doesn't it?---A.J. Wright/MEDS002@UABDPO "Language is a virus from outer space."--William S. Burroughs ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 12:37:38 GMT Reply-To: UMCCFGW.PROCTM@SSGATE.MISSOURI.EDU Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Comments: MEMO 1992/03/18 12:35 From: Michael Procter <umccfgw.proctm@ssgate.missouri.edu> Subject: Re: Be careful not to send your "survey" to VPIEJ-L Well, I'm kind of enjoying these responses sent to the list...takes all kinds, doesn't it?---A.J. Wright/MEDS002@UABDPO "Language is a virus from outer space."--William S. Burroughs >> Really, the survey responses are a good deal more interesting than the various injunctions not to respond to the list.... ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 13:47:14 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Andy Houghton <ccshough@vm.uoguelph.ca> Subject: Re: welcome survey In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 17 Mar 1992 13:16:44 EST from <jpowell@vtvm1> Occupation: Computer consultant at the University of Guelph. Electronic media : telnet, ftp Students Can Access : ASCII text, Postscript, WP5.1 and TeX Students Also have Access to library CD-ROMS ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 14:12:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: wolit@MHUXD.ATT.COM Subject: CD-ROM lifetime (forwarded message) Someone passed the following to me regarding CD-ROM life which was published in the newsletter of OCLC Pacific Network (PACNET): "A number of libraries have taken to heart various manufacturers' claims that CD-ROM discs will last twenty years. However, recent statements by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) have placed a damper on these extravagant estimates. NARA states that the expected lifespan of CD-ROMs is three to five years. A later report will provide more detailed information, but the main problem, according to Ken Thibodeau of NARA, is that the aluminum substrate on which the data is recorded is vulnerable to oxidation (breakdown in the presence of oxygen). This was confirmed in statements to NARA by representatives of 3M Corporation, the largest CD-ROM fabricator. The plastic that protects the substrate is oxygen permeable, so it provides no protections against the oxidation process. In fact, oxidation begins during the manufacturing process itself because there is no attempt to evacuate the air between the substrate and the plastic coating. It is claimed that preventing air from being introduced during manufacturing is cost prohibitive. The only coating presently available that could possibly protect against the oxidation process is glass. However, glass has other problems associated with it, including breakage. Additionally, the problem of evacuating air during manufacturing would probably remain a factor in the construction of glass-coated discs. Libraries that have considered eliminating paper subscriptions and substituting CD-ROM storage clearly need to re-evaluate their policies in the light of this information." Cynthia A. Hodgson Aluminum Company of America hodgson@alcoa.com (412) 337-2434 << End of forwarded message >> ----- Jan I. Wolitzky AT&T Bell Laboratories 600 Mountain Avenue, Room 3D-590 Murray Hill, NJ 07974-2070 USA 1 908 582-2998 Fax: 1 908 582-5417 wolit@mhuxd.att.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 12:09:15 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Gess Shankar <gess%knex.gwinnett.com@mathcs.emory.edu> Subject: Publishing an Electronic Journal I am planning to publish an electronic journal in various formats: Plain Ascii, PostScript, RTF as well as an OS/2 specific viewable format. This will be in newsletter form, published and distributed periodically. Questions I have for the list are: (1) PostScript: What about selection of fonts? Is there a set of fonts that are guaranteed to be available in all PostScript output devices? e.g. I have two printers (one has 17 and the other has 35). Is there a standard set that is specified by Adobe that can be assumed to be available? (2) PostScript: Is there a way of locking up the PostScript file so that modifications to the text cannot be done? This is to prevent unauthorised and malicious mangling of the publication. Or is this even an issue for electronically distributed journals? i.e. How can the publisher make sure that the authored pieces do not get altered deliberately? I am wary of the Ascii format because of this. (3) Does registration of ISSN applicable to Electronic Journals? Especially if the Journal/Newsletter is distributed in media like diskettes, flopticals and CDRom. I will welcome insights. GeSS -- Gess Shankar |<><>|Internet: gess@knex.Gwinnett.COM |<><>| Knowledge Exchange|<><>|{rutgers,ogicse,gatech}!emory!gwinnett!knex!gess|<><>| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 14:31:31 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Walter Giesbrecht <walterg@vm2.yorku.ca> Subject: Re: CD-ROM lifetime (forwarded message) In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 18 Mar 1992 14:12:00 EST from <wolit%mhuxd.att.com@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> This is not really the right forum to be discussing CD-ROM lifetimes, but I wanted to respond to the posting. 1. The fact that CD-ROM has, according to the previous posting, a finite lifetime on the order of 3-5 years, should not in and of itself prevent it from being used as an archival medium. Magnetic tape is used for archival purposes, and it has to be refreshed every eighteen months or so. Digital data can be reproduced *exactly* with a minimum of effort, so the data will not necessarily disappear just because the medium it is recorded on does. 2. Many CD audio discs have been around for 10 years, and there has been no no loud hue and cry from collectors that their audio discs are self- destructing. Admittedly, CD-ROM discs are more sensitive (because of the nature of the data recorded on them and the error-correcting processes used), but if 3-5 years was their lifetime, *something* should have happened by now. There are CD-ROM discs that have been around at least 5 years, and are still functional. I have seen estimates for the lifetime of CD-X discs that are all over the map. It's beginning to look as though we won't find out for sure until they all start fading out of existence. End of inappropriate message. For more info, post inquiries to CDROM-L@UCCVMA (or bit.listserv.cdrom-l on Usenet). Discussions re: CD-ROM lifetimes recur there at irregular intervals. Walter Giesbrecht BITNET: walterg@yorkvm2 York University INTERNET: walterg@vm2.yorku.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 15:54:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: wolit@MHUXD.ATT.COM Subject: Re: CD-ROM lifetime > The fact that CD-ROM has, according to the previous posting, a finite > lifetime on the order of 3-5 years, should not in and of itself prevent it > from being used as an archival medium. Magnetic tape is used for archival > purposes, and it has to be refreshed every eighteen months or so. Digital > data can be reproduced *exactly* with a minimum of effort, so the data > will not necessarily disappear just because the medium it is recorded on > does. There is an ambiguity here in the term "archival." You can use magnetic tape to store archival material, as long as you plan to refresh it periodically as described, but you can't just throw a mag tape in a box and "archive" it for 20 years and expect to find anything readable left. The promise of CD's was that they themselves were more-or-less archival. If not, they are much less useful than, say, magtape for archiving data because of their inherently read-only nature. Most libraries don't have their own CD-ROM mastering facilities, nor would it be economical to "refresh" them (i.e., cut a new CD-ROM) as is done for magtape. The data certainly WILL disappear when the medium on which they are recorded does. That's why you have to refresh magtapes. And that's why the apparently short lifetime of CD's is so disturbing. I'm not so sure that we would have already seen this effect if the lifetime were indeed so short. For one thing, the market for CD-ROMs has been expanding so quickly that the number that were around 5 years ago is tiny compared to the number in use today. For another, error-correction will mask problems until the number of errors accumulate beyond the ability of the correction code to accomodate them. And, as was mentioned, audio CD's are much less sensitive to this, since an odd pop or click here and there is much less noticeable than a bad block in a database index. ----- Jan I. Wolitzky AT&T Bell Laboratories 600 Mountain Avenue, Room 3D-590 Murray Hill, NJ 07974-2070 USA 1 908 582-2998 Fax: 1 908 582-5417 wolit@mhuxd.att.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 13:29:08 CDT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: TZILLNER@WILS.WISC.EDU Subject: Re: CD-ROM lifetime (forwarded message) I'd like to mention in passing that the article you quoted is essentially a word-for-word reprint of an article that I wrote and published in our publication _New Tech News_ in June, 1991. I assume that I was properly credited in the original article, but I like to get all of the credit due me :-}. Anyone with further questions can send me an e-mail. In addition, we (WILS) are sponsoring a conference that will address preservation of CD-ROMs. > Someone passed the following to me regarding CD-ROM life which was published i n > the newsletter of OCLC Pacific Network (PACNET): > > "A number of libraries have taken to heart various manufacturers' claims that > CD-ROM discs will last twenty years. However, recent statements by the > National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) have placed a damper on > these extravagant estimates. NARA states that the expected lifespan of CD-ROM s > is three to five years. A later report will provide more detailed information , > but the main problem, according to Ken Thibodeau of NARA, is that the aluminum > substrate on which the data is recorded is vulnerable to oxidation (breakdown > in the presence of oxygen). This was confirmed in statements to NARA by > representatives of 3M Corporation, the largest CD-ROM fabricator. > > The plastic that protects the substrate is oxygen permeable, so it provides no > protections against the oxidation process. In fact, oxidation begins during > the manufacturing process itself because there is no attempt to evacuate the > air between the substrate and the plastic coating. It is claimed that > preventing air from being introduced during manufacturing is cost prohibitive. > The only coating presently available that could possibly protect against the > oxidation process is glass. However, glass has other problems associated with > it, including breakage. Additionally, the problem of evacuating air during > manufacturing would probably remain a factor in the construction of > glass-coated discs. > > Libraries that have considered eliminating paper subscriptions and substitutin g > CD-ROM storage clearly need to re-evaluate their policies in the light of this > information." > > Cynthia A. Hodgson > Aluminum Company of America > hodgson@alcoa.com > (412) 337-2434 > > > << End of forwarded message >> > > ----- > Jan I. Wolitzky > AT&T Bell Laboratories > 600 Mountain Avenue, Room 3D-590 > Murray Hill, NJ 07974-2070 USA > 1 908 582-2998 > Fax: 1 908 582-5417 > wolit@mhuxd.att.com > Tom Zillner Telephone: 608/262-0047 (Voice) New Technologies Coordinator 608/263-3684 (FAX) Wisconsin Interlibrary Services --------------------------------- 464 Memorial Library Internet: tzillner@macc.wisc.edu 728 State Street Bitnet: tzillner@wiscmacc Madison, Wisconsin 53706 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 16:38:22 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Walter Giesbrecht <walterg@vm2.yorku.ca> Subject: re: CD-ROM deterioration >> The fact that CD-ROM has, according to the previous posting, a finite >> lifetime on the order of 3-5 years, should not in and of itself prevent it >> from being used as an archival medium. Magnetic tape is used for archival >> purposes, and it has to be refreshed every eighteen months or so. Digital >> data can be reproduced *exactly* with a minimum of effort, so the data >> will not necessarily disappear just because the medium it is recorded on >> does. >The data certainly WILL disappear when the medium on which they are recorded >does. That's why you have to refresh magtapes. And that's why the >apparently short lifetime of CD's is so disturbing. When I stated that the data will not necessarily disappear just because the medium rots away, I should have stated that I was thinking of the kinds of CD-ROM products that most libraries carry and would consider cancelling, i.e., CD-ROM equivalents of major online databases. For one thing, many of these exist on a single disc and are updated periodically; when updates are sent out, the entire database is reissued, so you get a fresh copy of all the data. In addition, the only ones that our library has cancelled are *MAJOR* databases (e.g., Science Citation Index, Biological Abstracts); these will be available in some form for a very long time, so access to the data would not be compromised if the disc(s) were no longer usable. The vendor could simply re-issue them. I believe that CD-ROM was intially proposed simply as a distribution medium for large amounts of data. It is perhaps unfortunate that its archival properties began to be widely utilized before the lifetime of the medium had been fully determined. ----- Walter Giesbrecht Steacie Science Library York University WALTERG@VM2.YORKU.CA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 10:01:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: ralli@CCADFA.CC.ADFA.OZ.AU Subject: Re: Publishing an Electronic Journal I would have thought that the only way to prevent text being altered was to present it as a bit-mapped image rather than as a text file. This has however a whole host of other problems such as file size, availability of equipment to read it etc. You can prevent anyone altering the source file by making it read only, but once it has left your hands there is nothing that you can do. Postscript files would be more difficult to edit, but not impossible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tony Ralli Deputy Librarian Australian Defence Force Academy Northcott Drive CANBERRA ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA AARNet/Internet: ralli@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au Tel: ++6 268 8114 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 19:32:10 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Subject: Directory of E-Serials In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 19 Mar 1992 10:01:45 -0500 from <ralli@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au> For those editors/publishers who are thinking of producing a network distributed electronic serial, please keep in mind the Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters that I edit. If you do not know about this directory and you publish a networked e-serial, you probably should read the following notice. A second, revised edition of the directory will soon be available in April both in print and on the Net. Michael Strangelove University of Ottawa <441495@Uottawa> or <441495@Acadvm1.uottawa.ca> ==================================================================== To the Editor: I am presently updating a comprehensive directory of electronic journals and newsletters. This directory is available in e-text for public dissemination throughout the networks (see below) and is available in hard copy from the Association of Research Libraries' Office of Scientific and Academic Publishing. Thus I am seeking the following information from journal and newsletter editors: (USE AS MUCH SPACE AS NECESSARY) Title, ISSN, if any, Description: To Subscribe: Submissions: Related List: Back Issues: Contact: Please send this information IN THE ABOVE FORMAT. Also, PLEASE SEND ME THE LATEST COPY OF YOUR JOURNAL or NEWSLETTER (but DO NOT subscribe me) this is extremely important. Michael Strangelove <441495@UOTTAWA> <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Religious Studies University of Ottawa The _Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters_ is now available from a public access fileserver and consists of two files. These may be obtained by sending the email message: Get EJournL1 Directry Get EJournL2 Directry - Please note the spelling carefully. To: Listserv@UOTTAWA or LISTSERV@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA with the commands as the only lines in the body of mail message. The Directory documents over 26 e-journals and 63 e-newsletters. Special thanks to Ann Okerson at the Association of Research Libraries for her support and guidance in this project. A second, revised edition will be available in April 1992. For further information Contact: Association of Research Libraries 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Ann Okerson ARLHQ@UMDC.Bitnet (202) 232-2466 (voice) (202) 462-7849 (fax) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 10:54:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "D. PAGE COTTON" <pcotton@clarku.bitnet> Subject: Re: welcome survey Are the responses to the survey to be posted to the list or sent to a particular person? Page Cotton pcotton@vax.clarku.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 20:22:40 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: mgeller@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: Publishing an Electronic Journal In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 18 Mar 92 12:09:15 -0500. <9203181936.AA10980@Athena.MIT.EDU> ISSN's absolutely apply to all serials in any formats! Definitely get one! Marilyn Geller MIT Libraries mgeller@athena.mit.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 23:34:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "JUDITH HOPKINS AT SUNY BUFFALO" <ulcjh@ubvms.bitnet> Subject: Re: Publishing an Electronic Journal In reply to Gene Shanker's third question I don't think there is any problem with an electronic journal getting an ISSN; the Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues as does ALCTS Network News (known as AN2). =================================================================== Judith Hopkins Voice: (716) 636-2796 Tech Srvs Research & Analysis Officer FAX: (716) 636-5955 Central Technical Services BITNET: ulcjh@ubvms State University of NY at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 Internet: ulcjh@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu =================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 08:59:15 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "Charles Bailey, University of Houston" <lib3@uhupvm1.bitnet> Subject: Re: Publishing an Electronic Journal In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 18 Mar 1992 12:09:15 EST from <gess%knex.gwinnett.com@mathcs.emory.edu> This may be helpful. It originally appeared in NetMonth 4 (September 1990): 5-6. --Charles ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting an International Standard Serial Number for an Electronic Journal By Charles W. Bailey, Jr. The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is a unique eight-digit number that identifies a particular serial. For serials published in the U.S., ISSN numbers are assigned by the National Serials Data Program (NSDP) of the Library of Congress. Recently, NSDP assigned an ISSN to the Public-Access Computer Systems Review, an electronic journal that complements the Public-Access Computer Systems Forum (PACS-L@UHUPVM1). The PACS Forum is a moderated BITNET list that deals with all computer systems that libraries make available to their users, and it currently has over 1,000 subscribers in 23 countries. The PACS Review, which is published three times a year, deals with the same subject matter as the PACS Forum. When an issue is published, PACS Forum users are notified by a table of contents message, which describes that issue's article files and provides instructions for retrieving the files. NSDP also created a bibliographic record for the PACS Review in the OCLC Online Union Catalog, a twenty-million-record database that is widely used by libraries for cataloging, interlibrary loan, reference, and other purposes. (A more powerful, user- friendly version of the OCLC Online Union Catalog called EPIC has just been made available for fee-based searching.) A bibliographic record describes a serial (or other work) in a standard machine-readable format according to established cataloging rules. It is noteworthy and commendable that NSDP took the initiative to assign the PACS Review an ISSN number and to catalog it; I never contacted them requesting that they do so. NSDP staff learned of the PACS Review as the result of two speeches I made about the publication at a recent national library conference. The assignment of an ISSN number and the creation of a bibliographic record on OCLC makes an electronic journal more accessible to libraries and their users. Electronic publishers are fortunate that NSDP has taken a progressive, proactive stand on electronic journals, and it is treating them seriously. I would urge other electronic publishers to contact NSDP and obtain ISSN numbers for their electronic journals. The appropriate application form is contained in a brochure called "ISSN is for Serials," which is available from NSDP. For further information about getting an ISSN number contact: Library of Congress National Serials Data Program Washington, D.C. 20540 (202) 707-6452 -------------------------------------------------------------- Charles W. Bailey, Jr. is the Moderator of the Public-Access Computer Systems Forum, Editor-In-Chief of The Public-Access Computer Systems Review, and Assistant Director for Systems at the University Libraries of the University of Houston. His BITNET address is LIB3@UHUPVM1. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 10:18:56 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Subject: ISSN in Canada In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 19 Mar 1992 08:59:15 CST from <lib3@uhupvm1> - Does anyone know if NetMonth is still publishing? I have been unable to contact the editor - Chris C. The following may be of interest to Canadian electronic publishers. An ISSN may be acquired for electronic serials by contacting: ISDS Canada National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa K1A 0N4 Phone: (819) 994-6895 Fax: (819) 953-0291 (the area code is in fact correct) They will need to know: Title Year (first) Frequency Language Publisher Contact (My thanks to David Reimer for this information). I called this office and in fifteen minutes was assigned an ISSN number for the electronic networked journal, Religious Studies Publications Journal - CONTENTS. Their efficiency and speed was almost a religious experience. Michael Strangelove Department of Religious Studies University of Ottawa BITNET: 441495@Uottawa Internet: 441495@Acadvm1.Uottawa.CA S-Mail: 177 Waller, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 CANADA Voice: (613) 237-2052 FAX: (613) 564-6641 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 09:01:00 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: STODDAM@VUCTRVAX.BITNET Subject: Re: CD-ROM deterioration CD-ROM disks deteriorate -- CD-ROM drives also deteriorate. A number of libraries have unusuable items in their collections, such as funny fiche, 3/4" videotape, large-reel music recordings, and, increasingly, LP records, simply because there is no one to fix machines for which parts don't exist anyhow. Archivists are aware of this problem -- NARA will only accept flat databases on magtape, for instance. In terms of computers, has anyone tried to find a working PDP-10 lately? Format of course is another problem. While many people have access now to PS, SGML, and other electronic formats, it is pushing fate to assume they'll be readily available in forty years. Even ASCII itself is being superceded by new codes (which are mostly backwards compatible, but how long will that last?) There are programs to translate EBDIC (spelling?) to ASCII, but who can tell which files are worth the work? I happen to think that these years, when new technologies are being translated in reality, are very important. Historians five hundred years from now will look back on this era the way we regard Columbus. My advice to archival sites and electronic publishers is Keep It Simple and Safe. So far, fire-baked clay tablets seem to be the most durable of archival media, although subject to breakage, unfortunately.....;-> MJ Stoddard / stoddam@vuctrvax Vanderbilt University ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1992 13:17:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "JUDITH HOPKINS AT SUNY BUFFALO" <ulcjh@ubvms.bitnet> Subject: Chronicle of Higher Education online In a message earlier this week one of the subscribers to this list said she was involved in the creation/use of the online version of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Unfortunately I deleted that message but now find a need to check some back issues of that journal and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to try an online search. Would the person from USC get in touch with me to give me guidance in how to go about it? =================================================================== Judith Hopkins Voice: (716) 636-2796 Tech Srvs Research & Analysis Officer FAX: (716) 636-5955 Central Technical Services BITNET: ulcjh@ubvms State University of NY at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 Internet: ulcjh@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu =================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1992 13:17:06 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: SGML tools What kinds of SGML tools are available to speed up the markup process? From what I have seen of SGML, the tagged output really looks like something a computer could generate automatically. Is there a WordProcessor-type application available for any computer platform that can generate SGML tags for you? We've thought about working with SGML but it just seems too labor intensive at this point. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1992 21:52:58 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Robin Cover <robin@utafll.uta.edu> Subject: SGML for Electronic Journals The VPIEJ-L charter says "Topics for discussion include SGML, PostScript, and other e-journal formats" and the recent survey asked, "3. What format(s) of e-journals can you receive/archive? ASCII Only, SGML, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF, other. . ." James Powell now asks: > Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1992 13:17:06 EST > From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> > Subject: SGML tools > What kinds of SGML tools are available to speed up the markup process? > From what I have seen of SGML, the tagged output really looks like > something a computer could generate automatically. Is there a > WordProcessor-type application available for any computer platform that > can generate SGML tags for you? We've thought about working with SGML > but it just seems too labor intensive at this point. The short answer is that several auto-tagging and SGML conversion programs *ARE* indeed available, and on multiple computer platforms. For example, Software Exoterica's "XGML OmniMark" product is available for several computer architectures, including MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2, Apple Macintosh and most Unix systems. Avalanche Development Corporation's "FastTAG" product is available for MS-DOS, Sun Microsystems (Sun-3, Sun-4, Sun OS 4.0), Apollo, DEC (VAX, VMS 5.1, VAX Ultrix 4.0, RISC Ultrix 4.0). And so on, for similar lower priced software products (you get about what you pay for). OmniMark and FastTAG both support document tagging for HyperText browsing; further information is supplied below. The straight-forward solution to generating SGML markup is to use SGML-compliant authoring tools to start with. SGML editors from several companies are supported, on virtually all popular computing platforms. Using an authoring tool which includes an SGML parser is the most reliable method, since extracting knowledge about a document's structure and its internal information content models from a formatted text file is both tricky and expensive. But for various reasons, some electronic publishers prefer to "auto-tag" or otherwise "convert" word-processor output into SGML as an interchange format: (1) the current SGML editors are not as full featured or friendly as some other commercial WYSIWYG word-processors, or (2) users are reluctant to change their writing habits in the ways that an object-oriented authoring system requires. Conversion *FROM* an SGML format *TO* other data formats is easy because SGML is more "intelligent," being aimed at defining document structure and content, not mere appearance. It is no coincidence that XGML OmniMark carries the accompanying (tm) title "Adding Intelligence to Documents," and that FastTAG is called "the intelligent markup solution" by Avalanche: SGML text is value-added because it encodes knowledge structures. It should be stressed, then, that SGML is not just another file format like "ASCII Only, PostScript, WordPerfect, TeX, TROFF," -- as might be implied in the survey. PostScript does not preserve editable text, and it does not structure text as information: it simply tells a display device (screen, printer) how to print text on a flat surface. WordPerfect is a proprietary encrypted file format, editable only if you have a certain kind of proprietary editing software. TeX and troff are 'printing' languages similar to PostScript in that they contain procedural instructions for placing ink on paper. SGML, on the other hand, defines markup languages for structuring text as information. It purposely does NOT specify how a document or other collection of electronic data are to be displayed. SGML-defined markup languages provide explicit markup tags, using mnemonic names, to describe the "ordered hierarchy of content objects" within a file, together with indications of primary textual attributes. SGML files are typically in human readable "ASCII" (could be EBCDIC or otherwise), but they are distinguished from ASCII in that plain ASCII text, without explicit markup, "knows" nothing about the information content of the document. SGML documents are not proprietary in that they can be edited with almost any text editor, and they are perspicuous in ways that plain ("clear text") ASCII texts cannot be. Electronic publishing firms are thus increasingly attracted to SGML as a means of structuring documents precisely because they believe: (a) that *INFORMATION* in text is a most valuable asset, and (b) that making the information accessible in several different display formats, and/or in several applications is a worthy goal. SGML users take for granted that data re-use and data interchange are important, and they take the long view. If the sole and final destiny of an article is to be printed on paper OR on a computer screen, then procedural or "presentational" formats like PostScript, troff, TeX, WordPerfect (whatever) are just fine. You print the document, throw away the electronic file, and the "information" lives on that two-dimensional display medium just as long as it does. But such a "displayed text" it is not searchable in terms of intelligent algorithms that understand document hierarchy, named document components, and other attributes of multi-dimensional text. If we believe that the article contains *INFORMATION* that may be useful in a variety of present and future (unforeseen) applications -- full text databases, electronic libraries -- then SGML offers significant advantages. James' comment that SGML "just seems too labor intensive at this point" should be qualified by the realization that post-authoring (auto tagging) SGML software is available -- such that most users in an SGML project don't have to know anything about SGML. On the other hand, facing up to the "information" and "text interchange" issues implicit in SGML represents a paradigm shift for some portion of any publishing or information architecture group. The extra labor of supporting SGML can be seen as worth the price when one realizes the cost throwing away information in text in favor of a transient print goal, and the short-sightedness of fixating on procedural formats for textual data which might otherwise have a significantly wider audience and longer electronic future. Description of XGML OmniMark and FastTAG follow: I. Software Exoterica - XGML OmniMark (adapted from Exoterica's literature) XGML OmniMark is a powerful easy-to-learn scripting language combined with a premium validating SGML parser. OmniMark can be used to convert SGML documents to the input languages of other products, to convert the output languages of other products to SGML-defined languages including AAP and CALS (commonly referred to as AUTOTAGGING), and to convert between arbitrary languages and data formats. OmniMark can provide the scripting language for products which do not have one or whose script language is weak such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect, or it can be used to enhance the strong scripting languages of products such as Interleaf or HyperCard. OmniMark serves the needs of people who cannot program and expert professional programmers alike. OmniMark is scalable; the script writer's use of OmniMark can grow smoothly and uniformly as their proficiency does. OmniMark provides a full-featured script writing and document translation environment. Some of OmniMark's most notable features are: * A saleable, easy-to-learn, rule-based language which supports novices and expert professional programmers alike. * English-like language style is easy to read and "self-documenting." * Supports translations based on simple and complex pattern matching and context-sensitive SGML parsing. * A built-in premium validating SGML parser with graceful recovery from markup errors: no external SGML parser is needed. * Straight-forward ways of locating the context of elements in an SGML document. * Advanced function text and binary pattern matching in a simple easy-to-read language. Supports recursive pattern matching on strings and files. * Standard math operators (plus, minus, times, divide, modulo). * Binary math operators (mask, union, difference, complement, shift). * String arithmetic operators (radix, base, binary). * Optional declaration of global and local variables. * Optional "strong typing" of variables. * Structured programming control structures (if-then-else, do, do-while, case). * Rule grouping: switch banks of rules on and off dynamically to modularize scripts. * Powerful string manipulation features. * Powerful string and file buffering features. * Fast access to very large arrays. * Automatic context saving for nested structures. * Powerful stream I/O mechanism which supports binary and text files. * Resolve cross-references into multiple buffers and files; create several different indexes simultaneously. * Flexible string formatting features. * Powerful macro feature which supports multiple arguments and can make scripts more compact and readable. * Separate compiler and run-time systems. The general processing model of OmniMark is translation. One or more input files are read into the system and are converted to one or more new output files based upon the instructions found in the script. The output files then become input to some other system. OmniMark's advanced function SGML parser can parse any SGML-defined markup language. OmniMark's rule-based script language provides the necessary supporting constructs to perform very complex language translations. The SGML parser takes care of the details of the marked-up document, so an OmniMark script writer only has to deal with the details of the target language. Queries about XGML OmniMark and the full line of Exoterica's XGML products may be directed to: Software Exoterica Corporation; 383 Parkdale Avenue, Suite 406; Ottawa, Ontario; CANADA K1Y 4R4; TEL: 1-613-722-1700; TEL: 1-800-565-9465 (1-800-565-XGML); FAX: 1-613- 722-5706. II. Avalanche Development Company (FastTAG, IMSYS) Intelligent Autotagging Avalanche Development's tool FastTAG assists in retro-fitting electronic data files held in proprietary format with SGML tagging, or converting paper documents to SGML-tagged files. FastTAG incorporates autotagging software using visual recognition techniques to generate structured output text. Using a VRE(tm) Visual Recognition Engine, FastTAG reads visual clues either (1) from an output file in the case of electronic files or, (2) in conjunction with OCR, to convert paper-based documents into SGML electronic file formats. FastTAG reckons with graphics objects, tables and similar text structures. FastTAG does not face the same limitations as "search-and-replace" format-code conversion programs: its markup process is based upon recognition of logical text structures rather than upon translation of existing format codes. Instructions may be written by the user in FastTAG's powerful, flexible rules language, making FastTAG completely user-definable. Input instructions tell FastTAG how to classify the text objects recognized by the VRE, which can include paragraphs, headings, list items, table cells, running headers and footers, in-line strings such as cross-references and in-line aperiodic text (underlined, superscripted, boldface, italics, etc.). FastTAG output instructions specify the markup that will automatically be applied to each class of text object. Because FastTAG is user-definable, you can build support for proprietary markup schemes, site-specific implementations of popular publishing products like Ventura Publisher and Interleaf, and SGML applications. Input for FastTAG may be ASCII, Calera PDA files, DCA/RTF files, WordPerfect (4.2, 5.0, 5.1) or Microsoft Word files (other wordprocessor formats supported), OCR/ICR scanner files, DCA/RTF, DECWrite, Kurzweil KDOC files, Interleaf ASCII, and so forth; output from FastTAG is user-definable, but may be specified as SGML, RTF, FrameMaker (Maker Interchange Format, MIF), Ventura Publisher, Xerox XICS, Penta, SoftQuad Publisher, Interleaf, XyVision, Datalogics, troff, nroff, tbl and so forth. FastTAG and IMSYS are supported on MS-DOS, as well as on a variety of UNIX, VMS and Ultrix systems. The autotagging technology is licensed by a number of OEM developers (Xerox Information Systems (Kurzweil), Bell Atlantic (DocuSource), Shaffstall, IBM and DEC). Contact: Eileen Quirk, Director of Marketing and Sales; Avalanche Development Company; 947 Walnut Street; Boulder, CO 80302 USA; (303) TEL: 449-5032; FAX: (303) 449-3246. Email (Internet): support@avalanche.com, sales@avalanche.com, apps@avalanche.com. ------------ PS. I do not work for Exoterica, Avalanche or any other "SGML" company. I can supply a basic bibliography/information file on SGML to anyone who requests it via standard electronic mail. The information given above is accurate (only) to the best of my knowledge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 ("one-zero-zero-one") 6634 Sarah Drive Internet: zrcc1001@vm.cis.smu.edu Dallas, TX 75236 USA Internet: robin@utafll.uta.edu ("uta-ef-el-el") Tel: (1 214) 296-1783 Internet: robin@ling.uta.edu FAX: (1 214) 709-3387 Internet: robin@txsil.lonestar.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 09:01:55 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: welcome survey I will be posting the results of the survey on Wednesday, so if you plan to respond, please respond soon. Thanks. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 09:20:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Bill Drew -- Serials Librarian <drewwe@snymorva.bitnet> Subject: Re: SGML for Electronic Journals Would you kindly explain what SGML is? -Bill Drew- ****************************************************************** Wilfred Drew (call me "BILL") Serials/Reference/Computers Librarian SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology P.O. Box 902, Morrisville, NY 13408-0902 Bitnet: drewwe@snymorva SUNYNET(DECnet): smorv::drewwe InterNet: drewwe@SNYMORVA.CS.SNYMOR.EDU Voice: 315-684-6055 Fax: 315-684-6115 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 10:37:27 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Comments: Resent-From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1> Comments: Originally-From: "Zoltan Egyed (607)-255-4882" <egyed@lns62.tn.cornell.edu> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Re: Rejected posting to VPIEJ-L@VTVM1 Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 15:19 EST From: "Zoltan Egyed (607)-255-4882" <egyed@lns62.tn.cornell.edu> Subject: Re: Publishing an Electronic Journal To: VPIEJ-L <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Message-id: <01GHSLW0BH8W9N454A@LNS62.TN.CORNELL.EDU> X-Envelope-to: VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.BITNET X-VMS-To: IN%"VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.BITNET" X-VMS-Cc: EGYED An answer to the question: >(2) PostScript: Is there a way of locking up the PostScript file so that > modifications to the text cannot be done? This is to prevent unauthorised > and malicious mangling of the publication. Or is this even an issue for > electronically distributed journals? i.e. How can the publisher make > sure that the authored pieces do not get altered deliberately? I am > wary of the Ascii format because of this. An easy way of solving this problem is using public key cryptography. Everyone has access to the public key of the publisher, and only the publisher has the secret key. Whatever is encrypted with one of the keys, it can be decrypted ONLY with the other key. It means that 1. If you decrypt the massage with the public key, and it is meaningful, which means the checksums match, you can be sure it comes from the publisher, without outside modification. 2. Everyone can send submissions to the publisher encrypted with the public key. Only the publisher will be able to read it, because only he has the secret key. The way of making the public key public: it can be at the end of the signature files, it a phonebook, whatever. Whatever force tries to mess with this kind of communication has to intercept and change all ways of communicating the public key, which is hardly possible. Zoltan Egyed Wilson Synchrotron Lab Egyed@lns61.tn.cornell.edu ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 10:24:28 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Robin Cover <robin@utafll.uta.edu> Subject: What is SGML (anyway)? Bill Drew wrote: > From VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU Mon Mar 23 10:22:09 1992 > Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 09:20:00 EST > From: Bill Drew -- Serials Librarian <drewwe%snymorva.bitnet@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> > Subject: Re: SGML for Electronic Journals > Would you kindly explain what SGML is? > -Bill Drew- My sincere apologies to Bill and others who may not know what the acronym "SGML" stands for, or what the 'Standard Generalized Markup Language' is all about. I assumed from James Powell's postings that there had been previous discussion about SGML on the forum. SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) is authoritatively documented as ISO 8879:1986, which reportedly has sold 10 times more copies than any other ISO standard. SGML defines markup languages which use explicit descriptive markup tags to define ("mark up") the logical structure of a document or other information -- as opposed to other markup conventions which instruct a printer or other device how to display the electronic information on paper or screen. Markup languages defined by SGML are supposed to use mnemonic markup so that the logical structure of the information is clear to anyone examining the document, on any system. If there is broad interest, I can post a longer explanation of SGML on this forum. Otherwise, I will just send a bibliography to anyone who wants to read about SGML and where it's making an impact as an information management tool in academia, industry and government. Robin Cover ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 ("one-zero-zero-one") 6634 Sarah Drive Internet: robin@utafll.uta.edu ("uta-ef-el-el") Dallas, TX 75236 USA Internet: zrcc1001@vm.cis.smu.edu Tel: (1 214) 296-1783 Internet: robin@ling.uta.edu FAX: (1 214) 841-3642 Internet: robin@txsil.sil.org ============================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1992 08:28:00 PST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Michael Sullivan 213-825-6515 <ecz5ptl@uclamvs.bitnet> Subject: (COPY) What is SGML (anyway)? I wouldn't mind seeing the longer explanation of SGML. I know that most people who signed onto this listserv probably know all about it, but since you offer.... I'd appreciate the bibliography too. Michael Sullivan UCLA Physical Sciences & Technol Libs -------------------------TEXT-OF-FORWARDED-MAIL-------------------------------- Received: (from vtvm1.cc.vt.edu for <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> via BSMTP) Received: (from MAILER@VTVM1 for MAILER@UCLAMVS via NJE) (UCLA/Mail V1.500 M-RSCS0402-0402-61); Mon, 23 Mar 92 08:52:20 PST Received: by VTVM1 (Mailer R2.08 R208002) id 6932; Mon, 23 Mar 92 11:50:16 EST Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 10:24:28 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Robin Cover <robin@utafll.uta.edu> Subject: What is SGML (anyway)? To: Betsy Coles <ecl4bh2@mvs.oac.ucla.edu>, "Michael V. Sullivan" <ecz5ptl@mvs.oac.ucla.edu> Bill Drew wrote: > From VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU Mon Mar 23 10:22:09 1992 > Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 09:20:00 EST > From: Bill Drew -- Serials Librarian <drewwe%snymorva.bitnet@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> > Subject: Re: SGML for Electronic Journals > Would you kindly explain what SGML is? > -Bill Drew- My sincere apologies to Bill and others who may not know what the acronym "SGML" stands for, or what the 'Standard Generalized Markup Language' is all about. I assumed from James Powell's postings that there had been previous discussion about SGML on the forum. SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) is authoritatively documented as ISO 8879:1986, which reportedly has sold 10 times more copies than any other ISO standard. SGML defines markup languages which use explicit descriptive markup tags to define ("mark up") the logical structure of a document or other information -- as opposed to other markup conventions which instruct a printer or other device how to display the electronic information on paper or screen. Markup languages defined by SGML are supposed to use mnemonic markup so that the logical structure of the information is clear to anyone examining the document, on any system. If there is broad interest, I can post a longer explanation of SGML on this forum. Otherwise, I will just send a bibliography to anyone who wants to read about SGML and where it's making an impact as an information management tool in academia, industry and government. Robin Cover ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 ("one-zero-zero-one") 6634 Sarah Drive Internet: robin@utafll.uta.edu ("uta-ef-el-el") Dallas, TX 75236 USA Internet: zrcc1001@vm.cis.smu.edu Tel: (1 214) 296-1783 Internet: robin@ling.uta.edu FAX: (1 214) 841-3642 Internet: robin@txsil.sil.org ============================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1992 23:35:31 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "C. David Perry" <carlos@ecsvax.bitnet> set vpiej-l nomail ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1992 23:40:51 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: John Huie <jhuie@mary.fordham.edu> You said: >set vpiej-l nomail what is this supposed to mean. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- John Huie (Vax User Assistant) | INTERNET: jhuie@mary.fordham.edu Computer and Information Management Systems | BITNET : jhuie@fordmulc Fordham University | WORK : (212) 636-6095 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 07:12:00 EDT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: KINGH@SNYSYRV1.BITNET Subject: RE: (COPY) What is SGML (anyway)? I'd like to see some discussion of SGML on the listserv. We all would have an opportunity to not only learn definitions but applications. For example, when I see references to SGML, I always wonder who's using it, what word processing programs are equipped to deal with it if any, whether it is intended for use in electronic full-text exchange, etc. Perhaps even the bibliography could be posted to the listserv, so we could download it if desired and Robin wouldn't have to respond to dozens of requests over the next several weeks. Hannah King SUNY HSC Library at Syracuse kingh@snysyrv1 kingh@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:09:38 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Gerard Van der Leun <van@eff.org> Subject: Re: >You said: > >>set vpiej-l nomail > >what is this supposed to mean. > > >-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- >John Huie (Vax User Assistant) | INTERNET: jhuie@mary.fordham.edu >Computer and Information Management Systems | BITNET : jhuie@fordmulc >Fordham University | WORK : (212) 636-6095 >-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- I have no idea. I didn't send it. Its a martian packet as far as I can see. Gerard Van der Leun Communications Director EFF van@eff.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:15:09 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Neal Shambaugh <jake@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Re: In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:09:38 -0500 from <van@eff.org> The SETNOMAIL is how you tell the Listserv to not send mail to your ID, because you're out of town, etc. This is usually sent to Listserv, however, not VPIEJ-L. That way the entire list membership doesn't see it. tell listserv at vtvm1 set vpiej-l nomail is the format, I believe. To turn the main back on: tell listserv at vtvm1 set vpiej-l mail R. Neal Shambaugh, Writer/Producer Visual Communications, Virginia Tech 201 Media Bldg, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0133 703-231-8593 jake@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:26:25 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: J_CERNY@UNHH.UNH.EDU Subject: re-post (1) of some SGML info from once-upon-a-time on TEI-L list I haven't been reading every single message on VPIEJ-L, so I don't have full context for the recent request for SGML info (such as whether the Robin referred to was Robin Cover who authored one of the things I am going to forward). Annnnnyway, this is the first of two items I will post that once-upon-a-time appeared on the TEI-L list (Text Encoding Initiative) and which may be helpful with some SGML basics. -- Jim Cerny, Computing and Information Services, Univ. N.H. j_cerny@unhh.unh.edu -------------8< --------------8< --------------8< ---------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Sep 90 14:38:38 CDT Sender: Text Encoding Initative public discussion list <tei-l@uicvm.bitnet> Comments: "ACH / ACL / ALLC Text Encoding Initiative" From: Michael Sperberg-McQueen 312 996-2477 -2981 <u35395@uicvm.bitnet> Subject: Basics of the TEI, part 2: Introducing SGML This is the second in our series of tutorial notes on the TEI guidelines. Lou Burnard wrote it; I am posting it for him because he is out of town for the week. Next topics: core structural tags, other core tags, and character set issues. If you find you have questions after reading this, please post them to the list; you'll never have a more appropriate forum for them. Michael Sperberg-McQueen ------- TEI Tutorial No. 2: Introducing SGML One of the TEI's basic goals, as originally formulated in 1987, was the definition of an encoding scheme expressive enough to allow texts in all widely-used encoding schemes to be translated into it without loss of information. This poses two technical challenges for any encoding scheme: it must be extensible, to allow hitherto-unheard-of analyses of texts to be expressed in tags, and it must be able to represent any structural relationship among text segments which can be tagged in any scheme. Already at the first planning meeting, several people suggested Stan- dard Generalized Markup Language (ISO 8879, SGML) as the most promising basis for such an encoding scheme. Others were concerned that SGML was not powerful enough to meet the needs of the TEI, or not sufficiently well understood, or too verbose or of too dubious parentage or inade- quately supported. Only time will tell how far these concerns were jus- tified: at present, no alternative candidate has been proposed which comes even close to the acceptability or applicability of SGML. Chapter two of the Guidelines contains a "gentle introduction to SGML" intended for readers who have not encountered it before. Many such introductions spend most of their time on the origins and histori- cal development of SGML or on polemics against alternative models of text processing. Our own experience reading these introductions is that they don't always succeed in describing very clearly what SGML actually is; we try to provide such a description and leave the polemics aside for a while. TEXT AND ITS STRUCTURE So what, in fact, is SGML? Well, just as Fortran, C or Pascal are languages in which algorithms may be expressed, so SGML is a language in which text structures may be expressed. It allows you to name particu- lar types of textual object (such as plays, novels, reports ... ) and their constituent elements (speeches, chapters, paragraphs ...). It allows you to state rules about how occurrences of those types may legally appear in real texts (for example, that poems may contain stan- zas, but paragraphs cannot). These and other types of rule make up what is called in the jargon a document type definition (DTD); this allows a suitable piece of software to check that texts match their intended def- inition, and also to take advantage, in interpreting the text, of the knowledge about the text encapsulated by the definition. Text is not, for the TEI, a mass of unruly strings to be reorganized into nice patterns on paper. It is a tissue of nested objects of vari- ous kinds, the order and structure of which are crucial to its under- standing: an "ordered hierarchy of content objects" as De Rose and com- pany call it in their recent and highly recommended article "What is text really" Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 1.2 (1990): 3-26. This concern with text as a complex structure is one reason for preferring SGML to other, perhaps better known, markup systems, in which structural complexity is recognized only insofar as it affects the printing of a text, or insofar as it affects the precision and recall with which it may be recovered from a text retrieval system. How is this done? For the full story, you will have to read else- where. For a superficial overview, read on. If (like me) you have read enough superficial overviews to last you a lifetime, accept my apolo- gies, and tell us what you do want to read on this list! WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE In SGML terms, a text (or "document") is composed of content and markup, which are distinguished by special flag characters. The text is made up of elements which contain other elements or just text. The markup identifies the boundaries of the different elements in which the content is held. Consider a mail message like the one you are reading at the moment: it could be considered as a single object, called a "message". Like everything else, it has a begining and an end: SGML requires us to mark these explicitly. We might also say that messages always have two parts: a header (all the chattering between networks at the top), and a body (the rest). Again, SGML requires us to mark explicitly the boundaries of these two constituents. We might further subdivide both the header (it contains a "from", a "date", a "subject" etc.) and the body (it consists of paragraphs, may have a title or a signature etc.). The SGML standard suggests, for reference purposes, one particular way of marking these boundaries: you introduce a start tag (which looks like </van@eff.org></jake@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></van@eff.org></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jhuie@mary.fordham.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></carlos@ecsvax.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drewwe%snymorva.bitnet@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu></ecz5ptl@mvs.oac.ucla.edu></ecl4bh2@mvs.oac.ucla.edu></robin@utafll.uta.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></ecz5ptl@uclamvs.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drewwe%snymorva.bitnet@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu></robin@utafll.uta.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></egyed@lns62.tn.cornell.edu></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></egyed@lns62.tn.cornell.edu></jpowell@vtvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drewwe@snymorva.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu></robin@utafll.uta.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></ulcjh@ubvms.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></lib3@uhupvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></gess%knex.gwinnett.com@mathcs.emory.edu></lib3@uhupvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></ulcjh@ubvms.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></pcotton@clarku.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></ralli@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></walterg@vm2.yorku.ca></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></wolit%mhuxd.att.com@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu></walterg@vm2.yorku.ca></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></gess%knex.gwinnett.com@mathcs.emory.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></ccshough@vm.uoguelph.ca></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></umccfgw.proctm@ssgate.missouri.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></stephen@rpiecs></meds002@uabdpo.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></pweiss@nlm.nih.gov></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></me@suzuka.u-strasbg.fr></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></khowell@uscvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></graham@zodiac.rutgers.edu></jpowell@vtvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></berge@guvax.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></hiho@csd4.csd.uwm.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></lib3@uhupvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></msanders@vtvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></savage@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>) at the beginning of each "this" object, and an end tag (which looks like ) at the end. This method (which rejoices in the name of "the reference concrete syntax") is not however obligatory: you can use square brackets and numbers, binary escape sequences, big red stars in the margin or musical notes if your keyboard will allow you. You can even use conventional punctuation or layout information, provided that this can be unambiguously mapped onto the element struc- ture. So, tagged (more fully than might commonly be done) in SGML, the start of this message might look something like this:Notice that we use exactly the same sort of markup for subdivisions of the header (which would probably be regarded as obvious candidates for information retrieval fields) as we do for the body of the text. Notice also that some types of object (year and abbrev for example) can appear in more than one type of enclosing object. Explicitly labelled and delimited objects, described by a hierarchi- cally organized grammar, is almost all there is to know about SGML. Two further wrinkles remain to be discussed: entities and attributes. ENTITIES For many years, a central problem in the encoding and interchange of scholary texts has been to agree standards for the representation of the graphemes used in all the languages and scripts of importance to the TEI community, as Michael defined it in our previous posting. Because of the unaccountable lack of interest shown by standards bodies and comput- ing industry alike for mediaeval manuscripts or Old High Glagolitic, ad hoc transliteration schemes have proliferated. For many people, defin- ing just such standards is one of the major jobs for the TEI. In a lat- er posting, we will discuss what TEI has actually proposed in this con- nexion: here I just want to point to the remarkably simple solutions offered by SGML itself. Firstly, SGML requires that a DTD specify the character set in which texts using it are encoded: this will normally be an internationally agreed one such as ISO 646 (not quite, but almost, the same as ASCII) but if you insist on rolling your own, SGML at least offers you a means of telling the world what you have done. Secondly, SGML includes a general purpose mechanism for string sub- stitution. Arbitrary text segments known as "entities", ranging in size from individual characters to whole chunks of text, may be named in a DTD, and then invoked by reference at any point when it is impossible or inconvenient to enter them directly into a document. An entity refer- ence in a text is conventionally preceded by an ampersand and followed by a semicolon, thus taking the form &name An SGML processor is provided by the DTD with both the names of all such entities used in a document and with translations for them appropriate to the particular machine environment in which the processor is running. Standard sets of names have been proposed by ISO for such things as accented letters, mathematical and typographic symbols etc. which TEI will follow wherever possible. ATTRIBUTES It is occasionally useful to be able to record some information asso- ciated with a textual element, but not regarded as being a textual ele- ment in its own right. Examples include identifying numbers, canonical references, status markers etc. Attributes are the mechanism provided by SGML for this purpose. The DTD defines attribute names, their possi- ble values (within some limits) and the elements to which they can be attached. In an SGML tagged texts, attribute values must be supplied within the opening tag for an element. For example, assume the element MESSAGE has an attribute ID, used to supply a unique identifying number for each MESSAGE element. The start of message number 42 would then be indicated: Lou Rest of World 20 Aug 1990 SGML - the basicsTEI Tutorial no 2: SGML One of the TEI 's basic goals, as originally formulated in1987 , was the definition of an encoding scheme expressive enough to allow texts in all widely-used encoding schemes to be translated into it without loss of information.This poses two technical challenges for any encoding scheme: it must be extensible, to allow hitherto-unheard-of analyses of texts ... The use of attributes is slightly controversial, in that they are formally redundant: anything that can be done with them, can also be done without them. However, they are very widely used in most existing SGML systems. Moreover, without them, markup of concurrent structures becomes unbearably complicated. But that is another story. Lou Burnard Editor, TEI ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:27:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: J_CERNY@UNHH.UNH.EDU Subject: re-post (2) of some SGML info from once-upon-a-time on TEI-L list Date: Mon, 15 Oct 90 19:06:31 CST Sender: Text Encoding Initiative public discussion list <tei-l@uicvm.bitnet> From: "Robin C. Cover" <zrcc1001@smuvm1.bitnet> Subject: SGML BIBLIOGRAPHY At the suggestion of Lou Burnard (a TEI-L list-owner and TEI editor) I am posting the following short bibliography on SGML. Archive copy will be available later on the BITNET (uicvm) listserver as SHORTBIB MEMO. I submit this bibliography in the hope that SGML discussions germane to the work of TEI will be enriched if all contributors are informed about the basics of SGML as a metalanguage. A number of popular misconceptions about fundamental concepts in SGML (sometimes billed as "a tagset" or "a formatting language" or "a markup language" -- none are correct) frequently obscure public discussions. Please pass along this bibliography to interested parties, and encourage reading of at least one of the titles in section 1 ("Introductions to SGML"). Many worthy substitutes could be found among the hundreds of articles and books on SGML, but I have found these representative titles helpful. Note also sub "6. Email-forums" that a dedicated SGML discussion may be found on UseNet/UUCP News (comp.text.sgml), where Yuri Rubinsky and other SGML experts have submitted highly informative postings. Robin Cover STANDARD GENERALIZED MARKUP LANGUAGE (SGML) BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. INTRODUCTIONS TO SGML 2. SGML MANUALS (COMMENTARY & INDICES) 3. SGML IMPLEMENTATIONS 4. STANDARDS PUBLICATIONS 5. SERIAL PUBLICATIONS DEDICATED TO SGML 6. E-MAIL FORUMS 7. FURTHER BIBLIOGRAPHY ON SGML ========================================== 1. INTRODUCTIONS TO SGML ========================================== Barron, David. "Why Use SGML?" Electronic Publishing 2/1 (April 1989) 3-24. CODEN: EPODEU; ISSN 0894-3982. Abstract: The Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML) is a recently-adopted International Standard (ISO 8879). The paper presents some background material on markup systems, gives a brief account of SGML, and attempts to clarify the precise nature and purpose of SGML, which are widely misunderstood. It then goes on to explore the reasons why SGML should (or should not) be used in preference to older-established systems. A summary of the article is also printed in "Why Use SGML," SGML Users' Group Newsletter 13 (August 1989) 10. [Burnard, Lou.] "Use of SGML Markup." Chapter 2 (pp. 9-38) in Guidelines for the Encoding and Interchange of Machine-Readable Texts (Text Encoding Initiative, Draft Version 1.0 - See below) Coombs, James; Renear, Allen; DeRose, Steven . "Markup Systems and the Future of Scholarly Text Processing." CACM 30/11 (1987) 933-947. ISSN: 0001-0782; cf. CACM 31/7 (July 1988) 810-11) Abstract: The authors argue that many word processing systems distract authors from their tasks of research and composition, toward concern with typographic and other tasks. Emphasis on "WYSIWYG", while helpful for display, has ignored a more fundamental concern: representing document structure. Four main types of markup are analyzed: Punctuational (spaces, punctuation,...), presentational (layout, font choice,...), procedural (formatting commands), and descriptive (mnemonic labels for document elements). Only some ancient manuscripts have no markup. Any form of markup can be formatted for display, but descriptive markup is privileged because it reflects the underlying structure. ISO SGML is a descriptive markup standard, but most benefits are available even before a standard is widely accepted. A descriptively marked-up document is not tied to formatting or printing capabilities. It is maintainable, for the typographic realization of any type of element can be changed in a single operation, with guaranteed consistency. It can be understood even with </u35395@uicvm.bitnet></tei-l@uicvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>no markup formatting software: compare " </zrcc1001@smuvm1.bitnet></tei-l@uicvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>" to ".sk 3 a; .in +10 -10; .ls 0; .cp 2". It is relatively portable across views, applications and systems. Descriptive markup also minimizes cognitive demands: the author need only recall (or recognize in a menu) a mnemonic for the desired element, rather than also deciding how it is currently to appear, and recalling how to obtain that appearance. Most of this extra work is thrown away before final copy; descriptive markup allows authors to focus on authorship. (abstract supplied by Steve DeRose) DeRose, Steven J.; Durand, David G.; Mylonas, Elli; Renear, Allen H. "What is Text, Really?" Journal of Computing in Higher Education 1/2 (Winter 1990) 3-26. ISSN: 1042-1726. Abstract: "The way in which text is represented on a computer affects the kinds of uses to which it can be put by its creator and by subsequent users. The electronic document model currently in use is impoverished and restrictive. The authors agree that text is best represented as an ordered hierarchy of content object[s] (OHCO), because that is what text really is. This model conforms with emerging standards such as SGML and contains within it advantages for the writer, publisher, and researcher. The authors then describe how the hierarchical model can allow future use and reuse of the document as a database, hypertext or network." Herwijnen, Eric van. Practical SGML. Dordrecht/Hingham, MA: Wolters Kluwer Academic Publishers. 200 pages. ISBN: 0-7923- 0635-X. The book is designed as a "practical SGML survival-kit for SGML users (especially authors) rather than developers," and itself constitutes an experiment in SGML publishing." A painless introduction to the essentials of SGML. Wu, Gilbert. SGML Theory and Practice. British Library Research Paper 68. British Library Research and Development Department, 1989. ISSN 0269-9257 [68]; ISBN 0-7123-3211-1. 93 pages. ========================================== 2. SGML Manuals (Commentary & Indices) ========================================== Bryan, Martin. SGML: An Author's Guide to the Standard Generalized Markup Language. Wokingham/Reading/New York: Addison-Wesley, 1988. ISBN 0-201-17535-5 (pbk); LC CALL NO.: QA76.73.S44 B79 1988. 380 pages. A highly detailed and useful manual explaining and illustrating features of ISO 8879. Goldfarb, Charles F. The SGML Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fall, 1990. ISBN: 0198537379. Announced as a "monumental 560-page work" by IBM Senior Systems Analyst and acknowledged "father of SGML." The book constitutes an annotated, cross-referenced and indexed copy of the ISO 8879 Standard and Amendment 1, with annotations, tutorials and reference material. See "News. New Goldfarb Book About SGML," EPSIG News 3/1 (March 1990) 4 and further details in (GCA's) TECHInfo (July 1990) 1. Smith, Joan M.; Stutely, Robert S. SGML: The Users' Guide to ISO 8879. Chichester/New York: Ellis Horwood/Halsted, 1988. ISBN 0-7458-0221-4 (Ellis Horwood) and 0-470-21126-1 (Halsted); LC CALL NO.: QA76.73.S44 S44 1988. The book includes subject indices to ISO 8879. An overview of the book may be found in the SGML Users' Group Newsletter 9 (August 1988) 9. ========================================== 3. SGML Implementations ========================================== Guidelines for the Encoding and Interchange of Machine Readable Texts, eds. C. Michael Sperberg-McQueen and Lou Burnard. TEI-P1, Version 1.0 15-July-1990. xiv + 280 pages. This volume represents the results of work in Phase I of the International Text Encoding Initiative, sponsored by ACH/ACL/ALLC and several advisory associations. The publication describes and illustrates mechanisms (some experimental) for SGML markup of many kinds of documents, especially for humanities fields (literary and linguistic study). Contact the editors: in the US, Michael Sperberg-McQueen; BITNET: <u35395@uicvm>; Computer Center (M/C 135); University of Illinois at Chicago; Box 6998; Chicago, IL 60680; Tel: (312) 996-2981; in the UK, Lou Burnard; JANET: <lou@vax.ox.ac.uk>; Oxford University Computing Service; 13 Banbury Road; Oxford OX2 6NN; Tel: (44) 865-273238. Standard for Electronic Manuscript Preparation and Markup. (ANSI/NISO Z39.59-1988. Version 2. EPSIG/American Association of Publishers, August, 1987. This document was developed over several years as the "AAP Standard," it is now designated by EPSIG/AAP as "the Electronic Manuscript Standard" or simply as the "Standard." It is SGML-conforming, and provides a suggested tagset for authors and publishers. The document has been recommended for "fast track" ISO approval by working group 6 (TC 46/SC 4/WG 6). EPSIG (Electronic Publication Special Interest Group) also publishes the newsletter EPSIG News in support of its manuscript standard, and generally in support of SGML. Contact: EPSIG; Ms. Betsy Kiser; c/o OCLC, Mail Code 278; 6565 Frantz Road; Dublin, OH 43017-0702; Tel: (614) 764-6195; Fax: (614) 764-6096. Warmer, Jos; van Egmond, Sylvia. "The Implementation of the Amsterdam SGML Parser." Electronic Publishing: Origination, Dissemination and Design (EPOdd) 2/2 (July 1989) 3-28. ISSN: 0894-3982. Abstract: The Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) is an ISO Standard that specifies a language for document representation. This paper gives a short introduction to SGML and describes the (Vrije Universiteit) Amsterdam SGML Parser and the problems we encountered in implementing the Standard. These problems include the interpretation of the Standard in places where it is ambiguous and the technical problems in parsing SGML documents. ========================================== 4. Standards Publications ========================================== ISO 8879: Information Processing -- Text and Office Systems -- Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). International Organization for Standardization. Ref. No. ISO 8879-1986 (E). Geneva/New York, 1986. [A one-page tech note on the ISO (as a FIPS document, FIPS-PUB-152) provides the following abstract (see "Publishing Standard Allows for the Transfer of Documents from Author to Publisher" [NTIS Tech Note, 081914000; National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD; May 1989].) Abstract: This citation summarizes a one-page announcement of technology available for utilization. A Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) recently approved by the Secretary of Commerce should help federal agencies improve their communications with publishing organizations. (FIPS are developed by NIST for use by the federal government.) The new standard, called Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), provides a common way for defining markup languages so documents can be transferred from author to publisher in a standardized format. By providing a coherent and unambiguous syntax for describing the elements within a document, SGML makes it easier to move unformatted textual data among different installations and processing systems. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with assistance from NIST, the SGML standard is already being used by the Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) program of the Department of Defense to develop a military specification. NIST is providing technical support for the CALS program. In addition, NIST has developed the first set of conformance tests for SGML; ISO and ANSI are considering using these tests for their own test suites. For possible addenda and changes to 8879, see "Recomendations for a Possible Revision of ISO 8879. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC18/WG8 N931 [Part I]," TAG 12 (December 1989) 6-8 and "Recomendations for a Possible Revision of ISO 8879. Part II. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC18/WG8 N931," TAG 13 (February 1990) 12-15. ISO/TR 9573 Techniques for Using Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) December 1, 1988. Ed. Anders Berglund. A major revision underway (as of May 1990) will result in a TR with (16) parts: (1) SGML Tutorial (2) Basic Techniques (3) Advanced Techniques (4) Using Short References for Identifying Markup (5) Using non-Latin Alphabets (6) Referencing and Synchronisation (7) Mathematics and Chemistry (8) Tables (9) Using SGML for Computer-to-Computer Interchange (10) Designing Applications for Database Interfacing (11) Application at ISO CS for International Standards and Technical Reports (12) Public Entity Sets for General and Publishing Symbols (13) Public Entity Sets for Mathematics and Science (14) Public Entity Sets for Latin Based Alphabets (15) Public Entity Sets for non-Latin Based Alphabets (16) Public Entity Sets for Ideograms (adapted from Ludo Van Vooren, "SGML Standards Committee Update: Activities of ISO SC 18 WG8," TAG 14 (May 1990) [11-] 12. See also Joan M. Smith in "More Liaison Statements to ISO," SGML Users' Group Newsletter 13 (August 1989) 6-7. A description of this ISO document is found in "Publication of Techniques for Using SGML," SGML Users' Group Newsletter 11 (January 1989) 3-4. Other Standards Related to SGML 8879: ISO 639 Code for the Representation of Names of Languages. ISO 646-1973 7-bit Coded Character Set for Information Interchange ISO 2022-1982 Information Processing -- ISO 7-bit and 8-bit Coded Character Sets -- Code Extension Techniques. ISO 2375-1974 Data Processing -- Procedure for Registration of Escape Sequences ISO 6429-1983 Additional Control Functions for Character Imaging Devices ISO/DIS 6937 Coded Character Sets for Text Communication ISO/DIS 7350 Text Communication -- Registration of Graphic Character Subrepertoires ISO 8613: Information Processing -- Text and Office Systems -- Office Document Architecture (ODA) and Interchange Formats. ISO 8859 8-bit Single-Byte Coded Graphic Character Sets. 8 parts. ISO 8879 SGML, Amendment No 1. 1 July 1988. 15 pages. ISO 9069 Information Processing -- SGML Support Facilities -- SGML Document Interchange Format (SDIF). ISO 9070 Information Processing -- SGML Suport Facilities -- Registration Procedures for Public Text Owner Identifiers. February 1, 1990. 5 pages. ISO/DIS 9541 Information Processing -- Font and Character Information Interchange. 1989. ISO/TR 9544 Information Processing -- Computer-Assisted Publishing -- Vocabulary (15 July 1988) 43 pages. ISO/DIS 10036 Procedure for Registration of Glyph and Glyph-Collection Identifiers. 1989. [Includes text of ISO/DIS 9541 on registration] ISO/DTR 10037 Information Processing -- SGML and Text Entry Systems -- Guidelines for SGML Syntax-Directed Editing Systems. 1989. ISO/IEC DP 10179 Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL) (ISO Project 18.15.6.1). 1988, 1989. Edited by Sharon Adler. ISO/IEC DP 10180 Standard Page Description Language (SPDL). ISO 10646 (Character Encoding) TR XXXX Operational Model for Text Description and Processing Language ========================================== 5. Serial Publications Dedicated to SGML ==========================================The SGML Newsletter. This dedicated SGML publication is one of several forms of support given to SGML by the Graphic Communications Association; GCA sponsors other publications, SGML seminars, workshops and SGML events. Contact: Graphic Communications Association; 1730 North Lynn Street, Suite 604; Arlington, VA 22209-2085; Tel: (703) 841-8160; Telex: 510-600-0889; Fax: (703) 841-8171. SGML Users' Group Bulletin. SGML Users' Group Newsletter. Both publications are sponsored by the International SGML Users' Group, founded in 1984 by Joan Smith. Contact: Mr. Stephen G. Downie; SGML Users' Group, Secretary; c/o SoftQuad Inc.; 720 Spadina Avenue; Toronto, Ontario; CANADA M5S 2T9; Tel: 1-416-963-8337. ========================================== 6. E-mail Forums ========================================== BITNET: TEI-L@UICVM The electronic discussion forum for the Text Encoding Initiative (implementing SGML for markup of texts in academic applications, particularly the humanities. Some discussion focuses on theoretical/practical issues of SGML. Send an interactive BITNET message, or standard mail to listserv@uicvm with the single line (as the first line): subscribe tei-l your_name USENET/UUCP News: comp.text.sgml (Moderator: Ed Vielmetti) This discussion forum for SGML began in Fall 1990, and has support from a number of experts using or developing commercial applications of SGML (e.g., SoftQuad; Open Text Systems; Info- Design). The news forum should be accessible from any UNIX site; see your local UNIX gurus. ========================================== 7. Further Bibliography on SGML ========================================== Cover, Robin; Duncan, Nicholas; Barnard, David. "A Bibliography on Structured Text." Technical Report 90-281. Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. June, 1990. 104 pages, 887 entries. This is a preliminary print version of a bibliographic and information database (compiled by Robin Cover), structured in SGML-database and formatted with SGML ->> BibTeX utilities developed at Queen's University by Nick Duncan and David Barnard. Contact: Department of Computing and Information Science; Queen's University; Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Tel: (613) 545-6056. The bibliographic database also contains sections on SGML supporting agencies, institutions and SGML software vendors. The electronic version will be placed on a public file server in late 1990 or in 1991. New bibliographic references and other SGML information for this database are welcome: please send citations (published or unpublished materials: technical reports, working papers, internal memoranda, articles, product announcements, product reviews) to Robin Cover via electronic or postal mail. ======================================================================= Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 DTS - Semitics & OT INTERNET: robin@txsil.lonestar.org 3909 Swiss Avenue UUCP: convex!txsil!robin Dallas, TX 75204 TEL: (214) 296-1783/841-3657 ======================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:56:52 -0500 Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Gerard Van der Leun <van@eff.org> Subject: Re: Re: >The SET </lou@vax.ox.ac.uk></u35395@uicvm>NOMAIL > >is how you tell the Listserv to not send mail to your ID, >because you're out of town, etc. > >This is usually sent to Listserv, however, not VPIEJ-L. That way >the entire list membership doesn't see it. > >tell listserv at vtvm1 set vpiej-l nomail > >is the format, I believe. > >To turn the main back on: tell listserv at vtvm1 set vpiej-l mail But I didn't send any message. Gerard Van der Leun Communications Director EFF van@eff.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 09:19:41 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Welcome survey results I received 93 responses to my survey (there are 374 subscribers as of this morning), about 25% of the subscribers. I have tallied the responses to questions 1-3 and will be posting them this morning. I hope to have question 4 completed today as well. I will be using the responses to question 5 (What do you want to know more about?) to generate discussion on specific issues over the next month. I plan to post some of the questions to the list without the subscriber's userid (unless I get a chance to ask permission). I'd like to post the full text of the 93 responses to the VPIEJ-L archives. If there are objections to this, I can blank out userid's and names with ***. Thanks. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 09:35:18 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: survey - occupation Librarians far outnumbered all other professions. Programmers were a distant second. WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION (E.G. LIBRARIAN, PUBLISHER, EDITOR, PROGRAMMER)? 1. librarians (medical, serials, acquisition, music, etc.) - 45 2. programmer - 8 3. systems librarian - 6 4. graduate student - 5 5. publisher - 4 6. library administrator - 2 7. professor of computer science - 2 8. advisor informatics and publicity - 1 9. assistant professor of library and information studies - 1 10. associate professor of communications - 1 11. cataloger - 1 12. communications manager - 1 13. computer consultant - 1 14. computing services director - 1 15. database analyst - 1 16. director, information resources - 1 17. district coordinator for computing - 1 18. editor of students paper - 1 19. library assistant - 1 20. manager of district computing group - 1 21. mechanical engineer - 1 22. network operations project leader - 1 23. pc support consultant - 1 24. professor - 1 25. systems analyst - 1 26. technical liason officer - 1 27. technical staff - 1 28. vice president for information technologies - 1 93 responses total. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 09:57:27 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: survey - information sources PACS-L was most popular, followed by "other lists" which were usually not enumerated but included such lists as HUMANISTS, SERIALST, CNIDIR-L, and CWIS-L. NEW-LIST came in third. Many responses included two or more sources while some included no specific sources. HOW DO YOU FIND OUT ABOUT NEW E-JOURNALS (PACS-L, NEW-LIST, ETC.) 1. pacs-l - 48 2. other lists - 38 3. new-list - 30 4. directory of e-journals and newsletters/chronicle of higher ed. - 12 5. friends/colleagues - 12 6. usenet groups - 3 7. bulletin boards - 1 ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 10:06:37 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: survey - formats ASCII was mentioned most often. PostScript was also popular. WHAT FORMAT(S) OF E-JOURNALS CAN YOU RECEIVE/ARCHIVE? ASCII ONLY, SGML, POSTSCRIPT, WORDPERFECT, TEX, TROFF, OTHER 1. ascii - 71 2. postscript - 47 3. wordperfect - 29 4. tex - 21 5. troff - 10 6. sgml - 9 7. word (for windows)/rtf - 5 8. compressed video (jpeg?) - 1 9. ipf (?) - 1 ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 14:38:00 GMT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: "Carol A. Risher" <0001750401@MCIMAIL.COM> Subject: RE: (COPY) What is SGML (anyway)? SGML is STandard Generic Mark-up Language, an international standard set of rules for tagging documents. The Association of American Publishers developed an application of SGML for the book and journal publishing industry that has since been adopted as a NISO standard. AAP established an Electronic Publishing Special Interest Group (EPSIG) to promote both SGML and the publishing application Z39.59. EPSIG is managed by Betsy Kiser of OCLC. She publishes a very good newsletter that follows software and use of SGML. EPSIG members can get discounts on some SGML products. Contact Betsy Kiser by telephone at 614-764-6017 or by fax at 614-764-6096 or by mail at EPSIG c/o OCLC; 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-0702. EPSIG also runs tutorials and participates in GCA workshops and other seminars to promote SGML. It is afterall an International standard that allows the same file to be used in multiple ways. SoftQuad produces Author/Editor which operates on three platforms (DOS, MAC and I think, Unix) - the contact is Yuri Rubinsky, SoftQuad, Inc, 720 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T9, Canada phone 416-963-8337 and fax 416-963-9575. Copies of the standard can be purchased from Transaction in Rutgers. That's a start, but not definitive. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 09:15:55 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Robin Cover <robin@utafll.uta.edu> Subject: SGML Bibliography - Correction A bibliography on SGML recently posted to VPIEJ-L by Jim Cerny was itself a re-posting of a file originally sent to TEI-L: > From VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU Thu Mar 26 09:35:33 1992 > Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 08:27:23 -0500 > From: J_CERNY%UNHH.UNH.EDU@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU > Subject: re-post (2) of some SGML info from once-upon-a-time on TEI-L list > X-To: vpiej-l@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu We thank Jim for his efforts. Unfortunately, the re-posted file dates to mid-1990, so that several of the email and postal addresses for publishers and individuals are no longer valid, and some other information (e.g., status of standards) is no longer current. Some statements may be misleading at this time. The re-posted bibliography thus offers some reliable information, but readers of VPIEJ-L serious about investigating SGML should not rely upon the time-dated information there. Instead, one should secure a current version of the SGML bibliography from a file server. I have recently sent copies to about 15 individuals from this list, and can continue to do so for someone without mail or FTP support. I would prefer, however, that readers obtain the bibliography file directly from a file server. It contains far more information than the biblio file re-posted by Jim Cerny, including instructions for obtaining a free SGML parser and other SGML support materials. Here are instructions: <165> Cover, Robin. "Standard Generalized Markup Language (ISO 8879:1986 SGML: Annotated Bibliography and List of Resources." December, 1991. This information resource is designed to provide an overview of all major standards documents, publication organs, entry-level software and support agencies for the SGML world. Current addresses are supplied for many of the associated authors, SGML research and development projects, software vendors and service agencies. A "prettyprint" version of this information is published in </van@eff.org></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>(in three installments, beginning with </robin@utafll.uta.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>5/3), and is now available as a separate publication from ; contact Brian Travis, Managing Editor, SGML Inc., 6360 Gibraltar Circle, Aurora, CO 80016-1212; Tel: (1 303) 680-0875; FAX: (1 303) 680-4906. An electronic version is available (free) from several sites using standard electronic mail or Internet anonymous-FTP. If you have access to FTP file transfer, use it to connect to either of two sites: (1) University of Exeter: connect via anonymous-FTP to the Internet host machine 'sgml1.ex.ac.uk' (IP address: 144.173.6.61) or to 'uk.ac.exeter.sgml1' on JANET. From this login directory (the sgml disk area), 'cd' to the subdirectory 'bibliog' and get any of the appropriate files formats that suit your choice (a full ASCII version named 'Bib' or a compressed TAR version 'Bib.tar.Z' or the full file in four parts). (2) University of Oslo, Department of Informatics: connect via anonymous-FTP to the Internet host machine 'slembe.ifi.uio.no' (IP address 129.240.88.1) or to 'ifi.uio.no' (IP address 129.240.64.2), then 'cd' to the subdirectory SGML. The file to get is named simply 'bibliography.' If you do not have anonymous FTP support, you may obtain an electronic mail copy from the BITNET LISTSERVer associated with MARKUP-L. Send standard email to the LISTSERVer at its BITNET address (LISTSERV@DGOGWDG1) or to the Internet address (listserv@ibm.gwdg.de). The subject line may be left blank and the body of the mail message should contain the single line: GET SGML BIB-2-0. The LISTSERVer will send file via return mail. If any of these instructions fail, check the host machine for comparable filenames: the exact filenames, reflecting document version numbers, may change periodically. Request help from your computer center on obtaining a directory listing (FTP sites) or 'index' (BITNET LISTSERVer convention) if necessary. rcc ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 ("one-zero-zero-one") 6634 Sarah Drive Internet: robin@utafll.uta.edu ("uta-ef-el-el") Dallas, TX 75236 USA Internet: zrcc1001@vm.cis.smu.edu Tel: (1 214) 296-1783 Internet: robin@ling.uta.edu FAX: (1 214) 841-3642 Internet: robin@txsil.sil.org ============================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 10:17:12 CST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Robin Cover <robin@utafll.uta.edu> Subject: What is SGML: some corrections Carol Risher's posting contains an incorrect address and a few other infelicities which require comment. The posting I refer to was: > From VPIEJ-L@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU Thu Mar 26 11:23:49 1992 > Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 14:38:00 GMT > From: "Carol A. Risher" <0001750401%MCIMAIL.COM@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU> > Subject: RE: (COPY) What is SGML (anyway)? We heard: > SGML is STandard Generic Mark-up Language, an international > standard set of rules for tagging documents. SGML is not "STandard Generic" but "Standard Generalized Markup Language" SGML is authoritatively documented in an international standard ISO 8879:1986, and this standard recently was confirmed in its five-year review. But the standard does not quite (constitute) a "standard set of rules for tagging documents." It defines a metalanguage (a formal language for defining other markup languages). The languages defined by SGML *may* be used for "tagging documents" (as in the AAP implementation), but not necessarily so. A markup language defined by SGML is most generally used to structure information, whether textual or not. For example, HyTime (Hypermedia/ Time-based Structuring Language) is also an SGML implementation or application: it is used to describe multi-media events or any other time-based data. Similarly, SGML is used to describe music: SMDL as ISO/IEC CD 10743:1991, Standard Music Description Language, is a conforming SGML application. So also SGML can be used to describe buildings, cars, or any objects, tangible or intangible, which can be represented in hierarchical terms. The distinctions between "language" and "metalanguage," "document" and "information" may appear trivial, but they are quite fundamental. SGML does not prescribe tag sets: it tells you how to make up your own tagging scheme in such a way that a general parser, and general SGML tools will be able to validate and otherwise process your data marked up in the language you specify. "Document" of course can be defined to mean any representation meant for human perception (by eye or ear), but the insistence upon "information" is necessary to convey the notion that document processing instructions play minor or negligible role in SGML. SGML is for specifing logical structures ("ordered hierarchies of content objects," as applied to "text") which are the basis for information. It is also true that electronic publishing is the largest commercial application of SGML to date. We also heard: > The Association > of American Publishers developed an application of SGML for > the book and journal publishing industry that has since been > adopted as a NISO standard. The AAP and EPSIG are to be praised for their leading role in developing an implementation of SGML for electronic publishing. There are other electronic publishing 'standards' using SGML, but AAP is the most well-known. We heard: > SoftQuad produces Author/Editor which operates on three > platforms (DOS, MAC and I think, Unix) - the contact is > Yuri Rubinsky, SoftQuad, Inc, 720 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, > Ontario M5S 2T9, Canada phone 416-963-8337 and fax 416-963-9575. SoftQuad is one of several dozen companies which supports SGML with editors, (translators, parsers), etc. It would not quite be fair to name them (alone). They have published a nice introduction to SGML called the "SGML Primer," noted below. The correct postal address for SoftQuad is also given here: <39> *SoftQuad, Inc. The SGML Primer. SoftQuad's Quick Reference Guide to the Essentials of the Standard: The SGML Needed for Reading a DTD and Marked-up Documents and Discussing them Reasonably. Version 3.0. Toronto: SoftQuad Inc., December 1991. 36 pages. Available from SoftQuad Inc.; 56 Aberfoyle Crescent, Suite 810; Toronto, Ontario; Canada M8X 2W4; TEL: +1 (416) 239- 4801; FAX: +1 (416) 239-7105. Finally, Carol wrote: > Copies of the standard can be purchased from Transaction in > Rutgers. Clarification: that's the "AAP" (NISO) 'standard' being referred to, not the ISO 8879:1986 SGML standard. The SGML bibliography I have circulated and described earlier contains current addresses for ordering all the relevant publications, including the AAP/EPSIG/NISO standard and the SGML standard, etc. This poster is not meant to be overly critical (we appreciate all contributions), but to stress that accuracy of information is important too. rcc ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Cover BITNET: zrcc1001@smuvm1 ("one-zero-zero-one") 6634 Sarah Drive Internet: robin@utafll.uta.edu ("uta-ef-el-el") Dallas, TX 75236 USA Internet: zrcc1001@vm.cis.smu.edu Tel: (1 214) 296-1783 Internet: robin@ling.uta.edu FAX: (1 214) 841-3642 Internet: robin@txsil.sil.org ============================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1992 13:20:51 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Brenda Whittaker <blw@nlm.nih.gov> Subject: Re: tell listserv at vtvm1 set vpiej-l nomail ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 07:43:00 EDT Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: KINGH@SNYSYRV1.BITNET Subject: RE: re-post (1) of some SGML info from once-upon-a-time on TEI-L list Does anyone on the list know whether those who are working on SGML are coordinating their work with the National Library of Medicine's efforts to construct a unified medical language system (UMLS)? Or, are the 2 groups competing with each other? Hannah King SUNY HSC Library at Syracuse kingh@snysyrv1 kingh@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 09:06:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: ARCHIVES I have started an archive of files for this list. If you have a file (such as an FAQ or bibliography) that you think would be useful to others, please send it to me: jpowell@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu. To see a list of the archive contents, send the following command to listserv@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu INDEX VPIEJ-L ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 09:20:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: JONESO@NYUACF.BITNET Subject: Re: Re: All these instructions are sent to whomever signs on to just abou any list. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 09:48:30 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Comments: Resent-From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1> Comments: Originally-From: J_CERNY@UNHH.UNH.EDU From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: the VPIEJ-L archive via FTP????? There will be an FTP site in about 8 weeks. We will be getting a NeXT system then and providing FTP access to our journals on this machine. I'll just add a directory for VPIEJ. Thanks for asking. I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi. Will you be able to make the VPIEJ-L archive also available via anonymous FTP without difficulty?? Jim Cerny ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 09:50:55 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: survey - access E-mail/ListServ came in first as a method to access E-journals. FTP came in second. WHERE AND HOW DO YOU ACCESS E-JOURNALS? FTP, TELNET, IN LIBRARY, CAMPUS INFORMATION SYSTEM, DISKETTE, CD-ROM, LISTSERV 1. e-mail/listserv - 60 2. ftp - 45 3. telnet - 23 4. campus information system - 14 5. cdrom - 10 6. diskette - 6 7. usenet - 6 8. in library - 4 9. bulletin board for libraries on uk janet network - 2 10. dialog - 2 11. don't currently - 2 12. thru opac - 2 13. andrew file server - 1 14. ibm vnet - 1 15. oclc (plan to) - 1 16. vax notes - 1 ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 10:32:00 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Bill Drew -- Serials Librarian <drewwe@snymorva.bitnet> Subject: VPEIJ-L : Are librarians talking to them selves? I am concerned that it appears as thought the majority of people sibscribing to this list are librarians. I am a librarian and I subscribed hoping to get a broader perspective of electronc journal and electronic publishing in general. We need more journal editors and publishers on this list!! This is a very good list so far. -Bill Drew- ****************************************************************** Wilfred Drew (call me "BILL") Serials/Reference/Computers Librarian SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology P.O. Box 902, Morrisville, NY 13408-0902 Bitnet: drewwe@snymorva SUNYNET(DECnet): smorv::drewwe InterNet: drewwe@SNYMORVA.CS.SNYMOR.EDU Voice: 315-684-6055 Fax: 315-684-6115 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 11:16:55 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: librarians on the list I for one am not a librarian, but a programmer in duties, if not title involved in publishing with Lon Savage of the Scholarly Communications Project. There are some editors on the list from VPI who did not answer the survey. Also remember that only 25% of the lists' subscribers responded to the survey. I do think we could reach more publishers, but I'm not sure where else to advertise the list. If you have any ideas, please let me know. PS. Librarians are very welcome on this list. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 11:43:20 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Neal Shambaugh <jake@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Re: librarians on the list In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 27 Mar 1992 11:16:55 EST from <jpowell@vtvm1> RE: non-librarians I myself am a video writer and producer, which on the surface may not have anything to do with this list, other than the public relations potential of educators using electronic methods to teach and do research. However, I am also actively involved in improving teaching and learning environments on this campus via involvement in committees, proposal writing, and hypermedia development (in a graduate instructional technology program.) Would the membership entertain discussion regarding electronic journals as a teaching and learning environment for faculty and students? This why I signed on to this list...to better understand how electronic journals get started, how they're put together, how they're used, how they can become widely accepted as publishing alternatives. I am also interested in how these electronic publishing activities can become incorporated in accepted tenure and promotion procedures. I see this as a link to the problem of developing electronic teaching and learning materials by faculty and the reward structure. R. Neal Shambaugh, Writer/Producer Visual Communications, VPI&SU 201 Media Bldg, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0133 703-231-8593 jake@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 15:31:34 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Editors of PMC <pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet> Subject: Re: VPEIJ-L : Are librarians talking to them selves? In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 27 Mar 1992 10:32:00 EST from <drewwe@snymorva> Bill-- Eyal Amiran and I, co-editors of _Postmodern Culture_, are subscribed to this list, and I'm sure other editors are as well; sorry we've been fairly quiet, but we're both pretty busy right now. Reading with interest, though... John Unsworth ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1992 13:28:37 PST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: David Robison <drobison@library.berkeley.edu> Subject: Re: VPEIJ-L : Are librarians talking to them selves? I don't know if this counts, but I work in a library (not yet a librarian) *and* I publish/edit an e-journal (Current Cites). I am on this list both to contribute and to listen. Access to Current Cites is still evolving and it is very helpful to hear what's going on around the country (and the world?) with e-journals. David F.W. Robison Internet: drobison@library.berkeley.edu Editor, Current Cites Bitnet: drobison@ucblibra Library Technology Watch Program Voice: (510)642-7600 UC Berkeley Library Fax: (510)643-7891 Berkeley, CA 94720 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1992 23:51:59 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: HARRISON@RPIECS.BITNET Subject: EJC/REC representatives here too I don't know if Jim Winter and Claude Martin, editors of the Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de Communication are subscribed to this list, but Tim Stephen and I, who "publish" the journal through Comserve, are subscribers. --Teri Harrison ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1992 09:08:25 LCL Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Mick McKellar - CTS <mckellar@mtu.edu> Subject: Are Editors Listening? I am Mick McKellar and I am new to this forum. I edit a university newsletter called _Conversion Connection_ and plan to expand the newsletter to an on-line version in the near future. This discourse is interesting and informative - just the tonic for a confused, first-time editor of an on-line newsletter. "Speak master, your servant is listening!" (Simon) ********************************************************** * Mick McKellar mckellar@mtu.edu * * User Services Consultant mckellar@mtus5.bitnet * * *************************************** * * Computing Technology Services EERC - B27-A * * Michigan Technological University 906-487-2110 * ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1992 09:49:42 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Subject: ARL Directory Release March 30, 1992 ARL Issues Revised and Expanded Directory of Electronic Publications Responding to the library and academic communities' increasing use of and interest in the burgeoning number of electronic publications, the Association of Research Libraries has published the second edition of its hard-copy Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters, and Academic Discussion Lists. ISSN Number: 1057-1337 With the emergence of microcomputers and linked networks as vehicles for scholarly exchange, the problem of how and where to find various academic forums has arisen. Although many journals, newsletters, and scholarly lists may be accessed free of charge through Bitnet, Internet, and affiliated academic networks, it is not always a simple chore to find out what is available. The Directory is a compilation of entries for 769 scholarly lists, 36 journals, 80 newsletters, and 17 "other" titles including some newsletter-digests -- an increase in size of close to 50% since the first edition of July 1992. The directory provides specific instructions for electronic access to each publication. The objective is to assist the user in finding relevant publications and connecting to them quickly, even if he or she is not completely versed in the full range of user-access systems. The frontmatter includes a reprint of scientist Stevan Harnad's visionary description of "scholarly skywriting" originally published in the electronic journal Public-Access Computer Systems Review 2 (1), as "Post-Gutenberg Galaxy: The Fourth Revolution in the Means of Production of Knowledge." Author/compiler of the journals and newsletters section is Michael Strangelove, Network Research Facilitator, University of Ottawa and Diane Kovacs of the Kent State University Libraries created the scholarly discussion lists and interest groups section. The printed ARL directory is derived from widely accessible networked files maintained by Strangelove and Kovacs. The directory points to these files as the principal, continuously updated, and free- of-charge sources for accessing such materials. The publication is available to ARL member libraries for $12.50 and to non-members for $25.00. These charges include domestic postage and handling. NOTE: ALL COUNTRIES OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA PAY ADDITIONAL POSTAGE. PLEASE APPLY FOR RATES. The Directory is produced in 8 1/2 by 11S paper-bound format; it is 260 pages long; scholarly lists are grouped by broad subject areas, and journals and newsletters in alphabetical order. It is also available in either DOS or MAC 3.5" diskette form. All orders must be PREPAID and sent to the Association of Research Libraries. The Association of Research Libraries is a not-for-profit organization representing 119 research libraries in the United States and Canada. Its mission is to identify and influence forces affecting the future of research libraries in the process of scholarly communication. ARL programs and services promote equitable access to, and effective use of recorded knowledge in support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service. These programs include annual statistical publications, federal relations and information policy, and enhancing access to scholarly information resources through telecommunications, collection development, preservation, and bibliographic control. For instructions about how to retrieve the electronic files on which the print directory is based, please message the following electronic address. We can also supply an order blank electronically: ARLHQ@UMDC, or ARLHQ@umdc.umd.edu To send your prepaid order, or to inquire for an order form that contains rates outside North America, please contact: Christine Klein/ARL Directory Office of Scientific & Academic Publishing Association of Research Libraries 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Fax inquiries: 202-462-7849 ------------------------------------------------ RETRIEVING THE STRANGELOVE/OTTAWA NETWORKED SOURCE FILE OF THE DIRECTORY OF ELECTRONIC JOURNALS & NEWSLETTERS: The Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters is now available from the Contex-L fileserver and consists of two files. These may be obtained by sending the commands (on a VM/CMS system): Tell Listserv at UOttawa Get EJournl1 Directry Tell Listserv at UOttawa Get EJournl2 Directry From Internet the commands should be send as a mail message to Listserv@UOTTAWA or LISTSERV@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA with the commands as the only lines in the body of mail message: GET EJOURNL1 DIRECTRY GET EJOURNL2 DIRECTRY The files are also available from COMSERVE by sending an electronic mail message to Comserve@Rpiecs (Bitnet) or Comserve@Vm.Ecs.Rpi.Edu (Internet) with the following command appearing on the first line of the message: Send Ejournl1 Sources Send Ejournl2 Sources No other words, punctuation, or symbols should appear in the electronic mail message. Comserve is an automated system for file retrieval; it will acknowledge receipt of your message and let you know that the files have been sent to you. On a VM/CMS system, you can send the message: Tell COMSERVE at RPIECS GET EJOURNL1 SOURCES To receive more information about how to search for, retrieve, or preview files from the database, send the following command to Comserve: Help Topics Database Please report any corrections AND UPDATES to: Michael Strangelove University of Ottawa Department of Religious Studies 441495@UOTTAWA.bitnet 441495@ACADVM1.uottawa.ca ---------------------------------------------------- RETRIEVING THE KOVACS/KENT NETWORKED SOURCE FILE OF THE DIRECTORY OF SCHOLARLY ELECTRONIC CONFERENCES: The 4th Revision of the Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences is available on the LISTSERV@KENTVM and via anonymous FTP from KSUVXA.KENT.EDU. The 5th revision is anticipated in summer or fall of 1992. The files available are: Filename/File type ACADLIST README (explanatory notes for the Directory) ACADLIST FILE1 (anthropology - education) ACADLIST FILE2 (futurology - Latin American studies) ACADLIST FILE3 (library and information sciences - music) ACADLIST FILE4 (political science - writing) ACADLIST FILE5 (biological sciences) ACADLIST FILE6 (physical sciences) ACADLIST FILE7 (business and general academia) ACADWHOL HQX (binhexed self-decompressing Macintosh M.S. Word 4.0 document of all 7 directories) ACADSOCH HQX (binhexed self-decompressing Macintosh M.S. Word 4.0 document of the Social Science and Humanities files 1-4) ACADLIST CHANGES (all the major additions, deletions and alterations) How to retrieve files from the LISTSERV@KENTVM or via anonymous FTP from KSUVXA.KENT.EDU (1) To retrieve files from the LISTSERV send the message GET </vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></mckellar@mtu.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drobison@library.berkeley.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drewwe@snymorva></pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></jake@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drewwe@snymorva.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></blw@nlm.nih.gov></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></robin@utafll.uta.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> to the LISTSERV@KENTVM via interactive messaging or e-mail message (leave the subject line *BLANK*) (2) To retrieve files via anonymous FTP from KSUVXA.KENT.EDU you must have an e-mail account linked to the Internet and a system running the TCP/IP. Ask your computer services people about your local situation. First, type: FTP KSUVXA.KENT.EDU at your dollar sign prompt (VAX) or ready screen (IBM). If you are on another kind of system consult with your computer services people to find out the proper procedure for FTPing. Then, when prompted for 'USERID,' type ANONYMOUS. Your password will be your actual userid on your local machine. Type: cd library You may type RdirS to review the files in that directory. To get the files, type: GET (e.g., GET ACADLIST.FILE2) FTPing causes files to be directly sent to your filelist or directory so there is no need to 'receive' them into your account space. How to receive files sent to you by the LISTSERV into your e-mail reader: If your e-mail address is on a VAX VMS machine, when you get a message that a file has arrived at your e-mail address....type "RECE *". This command will put the file into your directory. You can then type "TYPE file_name" to read the file. If your e- mail address is on an IBM VM CMS machine, either use your mailer front end or type RLIST and RECEIVE the file into your FLIST. Go into your FLIST to look at the file. If your e-mail address is on a different kind of machine OR you are using Profs or a similar mailing system....try the above commands. If they do not work, CALL YOUR COMPUTER SERVICES manual for your mailing system commands. Please report any corrections or updates to: Diane K. Kovacs Instructor, Reference Librarian for the Humanities Kent State University Libraries Bitnet: DKOVACS@kentvm or LIBRK329@kentvms Internet: DKOVACS@kentvm.kent.edu or LIBRK329@ksuvxa.kent.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1992 09:44:43 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Free PostScript Interpreter I don't know how many of you have tried this software but anyone interested in PostScript may want to take a look at this application. It is completely free (GNU) and in the past an executable for MS-DOS machines has been posted. The application allows you to view PostScript images and documents on a variety of platforms, and has promised to allow you to print PostScript files to ordinary dot matrix printers (although I never got it to work). Excellent application for the price. -------------------------- (Note rebroadcast from comp.lang.postscript) Ghostscript 2.4 is now released. Major features of this release include: - Drivers for many new printers, and for SuperVGA displays. - The ability to select printer resolution dynamically. - Fonts whose character spacing matches that of the Adobe fonts. - Correct implementation of clipping and of transfer functions. - Ghostview support. - The ability to send printer output to a pipe or a designated file or files. - The ability to link fonts into the executable, so they don't have to be loaded dynamically. - Many PostScript Level 2 features. - A 32-bit PC executable (386/486 only) that runs much faster than the 16-bit executable, and will use all available (extended) memory. ... plus the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements. See readme.doc in the fileset for a somewhat more detailed list; see history.doc for a very detailed list. Ghostscript 2.4 may be obtained, as usual, from prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/ghostscript*. Device drivers from Ghostscript 2.2 and 2.3 are *not* compatible with Ghostscript 2.4. This was unavoidable because of new functionality in 2.4; unfortunately, it may have to happen again in the future. Also, building Ghostscript 2.4 on a MS-DOS machine now requires MS-DOS version 3.3 or higher, since fixing some problems with the command script files required using some features not present in earlier DOS versions. (Ghostscript will still *run* on any DOS version 3.1 or higher.) Diffs from Ghostscript 2.3 to 2.4 have been provided, but they are not likely to be very useful, since there were massive and pervasive code changes between the two releases. The next release of Ghostscript, tentatively numbered 2.5, is scheduled for release in May or June. Its main planned features are better (hinted) Type 1 font rendering, and correct handling of rotated halftone screens. The next release after that will probably be numbered 2.6, will probably appear in August, and will probably include Type 0 (composite) font support and a version that runs under Microsoft Windows 3.n. Release 3.0, which will include garbage collection, is now planned for sometime in the Fall. Of course, all these plans are subject to change, depending on what you, the users of Ghostscript, ask for and/or can contribute. Note that there are several projects described in the README file that will probably only get done if someone volunteers to do them. I would like especially to thank the many users who have contributed testing time, algorithm improvements, and drivers to this release. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1992 09:55:53 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Neal Shambaugh <jake@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: Re: Are Editors Listening? In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 30 Mar 1992 09:08:25 LCL from <mckellar@mtu.edu> Mike: Describe Conversion Connection...sounds interesting Neal Shambaugh, Visual Communications VPI&SU Blacksburg, VA 24061 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1992 10:44:12 LCL Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Mick McKellar - CTS <mckellar@mtu.edu> Subject: Conversion Connection Okay Neal, here goes... Conversion Connection is an internal newsletter, routed to staff and faculty at Michigan Technological University. We are in the throes of implementation of a new administrative software system called BANNER, from SCT Corporation. To facilitate implementation, improve communication, and basically let people know what is happening, Conversion Connection was born. I am routing issue 13 as we speak. Past issues have explained the administrative, strategic, and budegtary reasons for the conversion. We described the systems involved, the benefits of each, and the plan for implemention. The last few issues have heraled a change in the focus of the newsletter from instruction to inter-departmental communication - the articles are written primarily by users in the affected departments. Response has been favorable to the printed version, but it suffers from the inevitable problem of print - by the time Conversion Connection is published and distributed, it is old news. The proposed solution is an on-line version (probably using e-mail) to be published more frequently - as a supplement to the print version. I am requesting feedback from readers of Conversion Connection to determine their willingness to subscribe and contribute. University personnel often suffer from the "Meetings, Bloody Meetings" syndrome (with apologies to John Clease), and I hope this newsletter will be the first step toward greater use of virtual task forces and virtual work-groups. The ancient Chinese had a curse: "May you live in interesting times!" - perhaps it's not a curse afterall. Thanks for listening... ********************************************************** * Mick McKellar mckellar@mtu.edu * * User Services Consultant mckellar@mtus5.bitnet * * *************************************** * * Computing Technology Services EERC - B27-A * * Michigan Technological University 906-487-2110 * ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 08:42:57 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Comments: Resent-From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1> Comments: Originally-From: bkph@ai.mit.edu (Berthold K.P. Horn) From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: DVI for e-journals In-Reply-To: James Powell's message of Mon, 30 Mar 92 19:26:58 EST <9203310028.AA17228@life.ai.mit.edu> DVI Files and Electronic Journals: ---------------------------------- Berthold K.P. Horn revised 1991 October 18 Electronic publishing of journals will reduce the time from acceptance of a paper to its dissemination, make it possible to use sophisticated tools for finding one's way around a journal, reduce publisher's costs, and help save a lot of trees. One important design decision to be made in electronic publishing is what file format is to be used. The ideal file format should satisfy a number of criteria: (*) It should be supported on as many platforms as possible, from main frame computers, through workstations to personal laptop computers; (*) It should be economical in file space and file transmission time; (*) It should be archival, that is, the definition of the format should not change over the years; (*) It should be difficult to alter the contents of an article without either making it unreadable or producing obvious changes in formating. (*) It should be difficult to extract verbatim copies of the text in articles - so as to make it harder to plagiarize and article. (*) The format should be in the public domain, so no royalties need be paid to the originator of the format or for special software needed to interpret it. (*) It must be possible to display an article with sufficient quality so that it is readable with ordinary effort and without eye strain. (*) It should be possible to use the same file for hardcopy publishing of an journal, since - at least initially - simultaneous electronic and paper publishing may be called for. (*) It should be possible for the reader to print a properly formatted version of the document using the machine readable file. Possible File Formats: ---------------------- There are several possible format one might consider, including: (@) Raw ASCII; (@) PostScript; (@) Rich Text Format (RTF); (@) Some proprietary format, like MicroSoft Write (WRI files). (@) Bitmaps (@) DVI (TeX's DeVice Independent file format). We will argue here that there are definite advantages to the DVI file format! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raw ASCII has the advantage that it can be viewed using a large variety of text editors. One disadvantage of raw ASCII are the ease with which a file can be altered without producing obvious signs of tampering. Also, text can be easily extracted and copied for use in new articles - something that is presumably undesirable. More seriously, raw ASCII contains no formatting information, making it impossible to print a well formatted copy of the article. It is not possible to have text in a variety of fonts (no italic or bold for emphasis). Mathematical equations cannot be represented properly - or at all. PostScript has the advantage that it does provide for well formatted printed output. PostScript has a number of disadvantages, however. For a start, the files are very large, often an order of magnitude larger than the corresponding ASCII file. More importantly, there are as yet no real PostScript previewers for most computers (other than the Next and Sun, which have Display PostScript support), meaning that an article has to be converted to a bitmap form first, or alternatively, printed, something that goes against the basic philosophy of eletronic publishing. Software interpreters for PostScript tend to be slow, so that on those machines that do have software PostScript previewers (such as Sun workstations), one may wait a good part of a minute to format a page. This is unacceptable when reading a paper - it should be possible to view the next page (or any page in the document for that matter) with a delay of the order of a second. Finally, many of the cheaper printers do not support PostScript. Some of the listed disadvantages of PostScript will be reduced somewhat in future when Display PostScript (DSP) becomes available on a larger number of platforms (as it now is on the Next), and when hardware assists become available to speed up rasterization. In the area of font rendering improvements have already been made. For example, rendering of Adobe Type 1 fonts is quite fast using Adobe Type Manager (ATM) on both PC's and MacIntosh computers. (The same may be said of TrueType outline fonts and BitStream outline fonts). So the above listing of shortcomings of PostScript should not be taken to be an indictment of outline fonts themselves. One of the main flaws of proprietary formats, such as that used by MicroSoft Write, is that they are not archival. At regular intervals new versions of the software appears, using an enhanced file format. The previous file format is usually supported, but backward compatability is typically maintained only over a small number of revisions, so that a file that is 5 years old can no longer be viewed or printed. A given proprietary format is only supported by a few software vendors, and is usually not available on many platforms. The detailed format of a file may even differ depending on whether is was written by the MacIntosh or the PC version of the same vendors software. Rich Text Format (RTF) is verbose, and not supported on many platforms. There are no viewers for RTF format files per se. An RTF file has to be imported into some application that supports this format (such as MicroSoft Write or MicroSoft Word) and then can be printed or viewed from that application. RTF has the advantage over raw ASCII that it does provide for formating and font changing. Bitmap file format has the advantage that it is relatively easy to develop software to display information in this form on just about any platform. It has the disadvantage that files in this form are very large, particularly if the screen display is to be readable without serious eye strain. Another disadvantage of bitmap format is that (barring very sophisticated OCR techniques) there is no way to process the information in the file, as for example to search for a particular keyword in an article. TeX DVI files have many advantages, including compactness, and the fact that TeX is available on most computer platforms. Also, the DVI file format has not changed since its development by David R. Fuchs in 1979, and it will not change, by decree of Donald E. Knuth, the originator of TeX. A DVI file from ten years ago can still be viewed and printed. The DVI file format is also highly resistant to tampering. About the only way to make a change would be to print out the file, type it back in again and try and guess what the formatting commands were. But no scheme is resistant to that approach. Viewers for DVI files are available on a wide variety of platforms, including, MacIntosh, PC, workstation and mainframes. Such programs are usually called `pre'-viewers, since commonly the ultimate intent is to produce a printed copy, and viewing is only for checking formating and layout. In electronic publishing, the document may never be printed, just viewed online. This may lead to somewhat different approaches to the construction of previewers and lead to support for `hypertext' like features (e.g. being able to click on a word to get a definition of the word). DVI processors producing printer output (including bitmapped or PostScript versions of the files) are also available for a wide variety of computers, should it be desired to produce a hardcopy form of the document. TeX, which produces DVI files, is used widely in technical publishing. Many DVI processing programs, both for previewing and for printing are available in the public domain. Also note that the DVI file format is not tied to TeX per se. Presently, for example, GROFF (Gnu's version of TROFF) can produce output in DVI format, (as can GFtoDVI). One of the few drawbacks of DVI files is that they are binary, and that care has to be taken in transmitting them across networks to make sure that they are not corrupted - at the same time the binary nature of DVI files is what makes them so tamper-resistant. The Font Issue: --------------- File formats other than raw ASCII and bitmapped pages typically refer to a variety of fonts. One issue is how the `pre'-viewer accesses these fonts. One approach is to legislate that all documents use a fixed predefined set of fonts (for example, the family of 75 Computer Modern fonts often used with TeX). Each subscription site has to have copies of these fonts locally. Another alternative is to supply the required fonts to the user when he subscribes to a particular electronic journal. The fonts are paid for by part of the subscription cost. Or, the fonts may be sold separately - the user need not buy them if he already has access to the fonts, through, for example, subscription to another electronic journal. Another alternative is to send the fonts with the document. This provides more flexibility, but makes the files much larger and raises serious legal issues about making copies of fonts. It may be neccessary to devise some method for making the `encapsulated' fonts unuseable (`shrouded') with other than the document that they came with (for example, by dissecting them and only sending outlines for the characters actually used in the document - and by changing the innards of an encrypted part of the font). In some cases it may be feasable to let the viewer substitute fonts from a local collection for the ones called for by a document. But this only works if the encoding (mapping from character number to character glyph) is the same in the substituted font. And there is no `standard' encoding accepted across all platforms and in all countries. This is a particular problem for fonts containing symbols and mathematical delimiters. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 10:14:54 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Lon Savage <savage@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: New E-Journal NEWS RELEASE March 27, 1992 ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AMONG FIRST TO OFFER GRAPHIC CAPABILITIES The JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, launched three years ago as a refereed scholarly print journal, has initiated simultaneous publication of an electronic edition with its first issue of 1992. The new publication includes graphics -- one of the first electronic scholarly journals to do so. The current issue of the journal, which is published twice a year by the Technology Education Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is now available in electronic form without charge via Bitnet and the Internet. The text of the journal's articles are offered in ASCII format, which is traditional for many on-line electronic journals sent via Bitnet and the Internet, while a single graphic illustration of one of the articles is available as a separate Postscript file. The journal is one of the first electronic scholarly journals, if not the first, of its kind to be offered with graphics over Bitnet and the Internet. JTE, as the journal is known, is co-sponsored by the International Technology Education Association and the Council on Technology Teacher Education. The electronic version is published with the cooperation of Virginia Tech's Scholarly Communications Project, which earlier this year initiated the publication of an electronic version of the 20-year-old print journal CATALYST. Mark Sanders, Associate Professor of Vocational and Technical Education at Virginia Tech and founding editor, said the journal was offered electronically to reach a larger and more diversified readership. "It also seemed appropriate," he said, "to try out a high tech distribution system with a journal on technology education." Offering the journal electronically without charge poses little threat to the financial base of the journal, Sanders said, because of the low cost and better appearance of the print version. Subscriptions to the two printed issues per year is $8.00 for individuals and $15.00 for institutions in the U.S., somewhat more outside the U.S. The print journal is circulated to about 500 teacher educators at colleges and universities in the field of Technology Education. To become an electronic subscriber of the JTE, send the following e-mail message to LISTSERV @ VTVM1 (Bitnet) or to LISTSERV @ VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU (Internet): SUBSCRIBE JTE-L Firstname Lastname. Subscribers will receive information about how to access articles and how to remove their names from the electronic subscription list. Future issues will no doubt have more than one graphic, Sanders said. Consideration also is being given to placing the journal's back issues on line, accessible to electronic subscribers. The journal hopes to stay on the cutting edge of electronic publication, improving the quality of the electronic version as technology allows. For further information, contact Mark Sanders, Technology Education, 144 Smyth Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0432; telephone: 703/231-8173. E-mail to: MSANDERS@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU (Internet) or MSANDERS@VTVM1 (Bitnet). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 11:26:19 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Editors of PMC <pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet> Subject: Re: DVI for e-journals In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 31 Mar 1992 08:42:57 EST from <jpowell@vtvm1> James, I'm curious to know why SGML was not included on your list of candidates for archival file formats. John Unsworth ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 08:43:59 PST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: David Robison <drobison@library.berkeley.edu> Subject: Re: DVI for e-journals B. Horn writes: (*) It should be difficult to extract verbatim copies of the text in articles - so as to make it harder to plagiarize and article. ********************** The use of *properly cited* quotations is a valid part of scholarly publication. Making it impossible to cut/paste text from one document to another would eliminate one of the advantages of e-text. Is this a fair trade off? I personally don't think so. As long as the original text is clearly marked that all copying must be cited, I think it should be left to the writer to avoid plagiarism. Have I just plagiarized by copying the text above...? David Robison drobison@library.berkeley.edu drobison@ucblibra ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 11:40:04 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: James Powell <jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet> Subject: DVI and SGML I actually did not write the document discussing the merit of the TeX generated DVI format, an individual named Berthold K. P. Horn posted a summary to the COMP.LANG.POSTSCRIPT group on Usenet and I asked him to elaborate for us. I think he made a good case both for and against DVI, against in that it is a binary format. I am still depending on an IBM system to distribute files for e-journals so I am not ready to supply binary files to the world that might or might not work. But I will have LaTeX soon so I can try it out for myself soon enough. I think SGML has great potential but we do not yet have the staff or expertise we need to pursue it. We work with PostScript and ASCII for now. As soon as I find the time I plan to post a note about a new Adobe Systems (PostScript creators) product due late this year. I suspect this product, currently known as Carousel, will give SGML some competition. It is not easy to convince an editor who is receiving articles in 3 or 4 formats, converting them to another as easily as he or she can, to then change all their procedures so that I can generate SGML documents that may look just like the ASCII text files I was able to run a macro in WordPerfect and dump. I know there's a heck of a lot more to SGML than that, but some editors are more concerned with how the electronic version looks and how quickly it can be posted. Librarians need to convince editors that the SGML will be of more value to them than an ASCII or PostScript product. ___ ____________ |---------------------------------------| \..\ /..___...___/ | James Powell | \..\/../ /../ | Systems Support and Development | \..../ /../ | University Libraries, VPI & SU | \../ /../ | Blacksburg, VA (703) 231-3336 | \/ /__/ | FAX (703) 231-3694 | Internet JPOWELL@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU or JPOWELL@VTTCF.CC.VT.EDU | ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 12:23:07 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Editors of PMC <pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet> Subject: Re: DVI and SGML In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 31 Mar 1992 11:40:04 EST from <jpowell@vtvm1> James-- I realized just after I sent my reply that you had not authored the document on DVI. Nonetheless, your comments on SGML are helpful. One misconception that I see in your reply, though, is the idea that SGML is intended as a format that an end-user would ever look at (cf. "some editors are concerned about how the electronic version would look"). SGML is intended to be a mark-up language, not a display format. Using SGML, one could filter the text for viewing through a sgml browser, a commercial word-processing program like Wordperfect, an on-line browser like Lector, or send output through a postscript filter to a printer. The reader should not ever be looking at the markup language itself. Also, the idea that Carousel will give SGML some competition seems questionable, since SGML has the weight of the department of defense's CALS initiative behind it (the DoD, as I understand it, intends to mandate SGML markup for all weapons systems documentation so that manuals for destroyers, fighter planes, etc. can be put on-line in a transportable format), and also the weight of the NEH-funded Text Encoding Initiative. Given this impetus in the business world and in the academic world, I wonder whether commercially developed formats won't end up adapting themselves to SGML, in the end. The argument for SGML having greater value than ascii or a postscript product is simply that SGML (which is ascii-based, by the way) can be used to generate other output formats (plain ascii, postscript, etc.), and it can also be used (this is, in fact, one of its principal purposes) to store documents in relational databases, where one can use boolean search techniques to find keywords in context and strings in specific document sections (title, paragraph, note, etc.). I can sympathize with those who don't want to deal with SGML yet, especially as many of the "filters" I mention above don't yet exist, but there is ample evidence (recent discussion on Humanist about Wordperfect's interest in developing SGML capabilities, for example) that this standard will be widely adopted and will be something that software producers--and editors and librarians--have to take seriously. John Unsworth ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 20:36:45 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Subject: Review Guidelines I am trying to put together guidelines for book reviewers and do not see any great need to reinvent the wheel. If other publishers would be willing to forward their review guidelines to me I would be most grateful. Any use of other guidelines would of couse only be done with permission. Perhaps such material could be archived on the VPIEJ-L fileserver. The e-journal that I publish - The Religious Studies Publications Journal, (subtitled the CONTENTS project), invites unsolicited reviews and also calls for self-nominated reviewers. I believe that PMC also calls for self nominated reviewers. It has been suggested to me that competent reviews are solicited not self-nominated. Now I can't sleep at night and all my days are grey. Personally, I think that such a suggestion is a load of rubbish and is heavily embedded in the "expert model" of knowledge dissemination and legitimation. I would be interested in hearing from others on this. It seems to me that the last thing that this new and potentially revolutionary (forgive me for using this rather tired word), medium needs is to be dragged down by out-dated models of print based scholarly publishing. (Keep in mind that CONTENTS does not publish just anything. Reviewers are still screened and the reviews themselves must meet standards of readability and fairness.) Michael Strangelove Department of Religious Studies University of Ottawa BITNET: 441495@Uottawa Internet: 441495@Acadvm1.Uottawa.CA S-Mail: 177 Waller, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 CANADA Voice: (613) 237-2052 FAX: (613) 564-6641 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 22:59:20 EST Reply-To: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> Sender: "Publishing E-Journals : Publishing, Archiving, and Access" <vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet> From: Editors of PMC <pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet> Subject: Re: Review Guidelines In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 31 Mar 1992 20:36:45 EST from <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA> Michael, Postmodern Culture uses at least 5 reviewers for articles: the two co-editors first, then two reviewers from the board and one self-nomina- ted peer reviewer whose qualifications are strong. For book reviews we follow different procedures--were you including those? We are happy to consider unsolicited reviews, but the BR ed. reviews the review. Eyal Amiran Co-editor, Postmodern Culture </pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></drobison@library.berkeley.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></pmc@ncsuvm.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></savage@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></mckellar@mtu.edu></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></mckellar@mtu.edu></jake@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></jpowell@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet></vpiej-l@vtvm1.bitnet>
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James Powell