One thing we have found time and again in our own research is the need
for fewer applications in the work day, not more.
This is why we started with what we call a Web Hub. Yes, it's just a Web
site with Web based email, but we think of it as a hub because we get to
access it through any browser any time and it has a nice large display
area.
There is no need to open a separate email application.
We rolled Newsgroups into it as well and eliminated another application
while adding features (replies show up in the users InBox not as emails
but as links) and still staying 100% compatible with the rest of the
Newsgroup universe. Unfortunately, this service is not up at the moment.
It's just too expensive to run.
We then added Live Web Links which reduce the need for a separate Web
watcher application.
End result is the most prime real estate on the Net and on the end users
screen is their email InBox. So wrap as much around that as possible!
For OHS/HyperScope I see much the same situation. We can't change legacy
data, we can't change peoples browsers, we can't mess with their file
formats and we have to sneak the benefits to them almost stealthily.
This is why the very concept of the HyperScope is so powerful.
Doug solved many of the problems of an always connected information
environment with NLS on a timeshare system. Since then everything has
become fragmented and we're living with a lot more semi-'frozen' system
like the browsers, Java and JavaScript. XML seems to still be quite
liquid and an excellent opportunity to add some flexibility to the system
which will have to stay rigid in places. We can make this skeleton dance
without breaking it!
Frode Hegland
http://www.liquidinformation.com
http://www.liquid.org
http://www.appleblunders.com
http://www.frode.com
UK: (44) 777 953 3856
US: (1) 877 239 1010
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0.0 : Tue Aug 21 2001 - 17:58:07 PDT