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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_3/klaus.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_3/klaus.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..64094b4313 --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_3/klaus.tex @@ -0,0 +1,446 @@ +\title{Hyper-G: Information---the Next Generation} +\author{Klaus Schmaranz} +%\inst (Graz University of Technology, Austria\\ +%kschmar@iicm.tu-graz.ac.at)} +\begin{Article} + +\begin{abstract} + +The first part of the paper deals with problems and shortcomings of +electronic publishing today that have up to now prevented the really +big breakthrough. In the following sections the use of Hyper-G, the +first second generation Web system for distribution of electronic +publications on the Web as well as on \acro{CD}-\acro{ROM} is discussed. It is shown +that the object oriented database architecture of the Hyper-G server +overcomes most of the problems of today's solutions. The last section +contains a short description of journals and books that are already +utilizing this new technology. + +Please note that throughout the paper the name Hyper-G is used +describing the technology of the system. The server itself as a +product is available under the product name HyperWave. + +\end{abstract} +\section{Introduction} + +Speaking about portable documents one will easily realize that +portability of documents has several faces. Mainly portability means +that documents can be transported on the Web. This implies that the +document format chosen has to be compatible with several hardware and +operating system platforms. So far one can make sure that interesting +information is useful for the majority of Web users by choosing the +right format. + +Although a well chosen document format makes sure the documents are +usable for readers this is only the first step to really portable +information. Documents on the Web only make sense if interested +readers can find the information they desire. Thus easy location of +documents has to be considered to be part of the portability aspect +too. Besides easy data retrieval transmission speed is a sensible +point to be considered. Readers having to wait annoyingly long for +documents or having to deal with broken connections are very likely +not to be interested in electronic publications at all. + +Considering that at the moment an estimated 300 million users from +different cultures and speaking different languages have access to the +Internet, multilinguality of documents becomes more and more +important. Although with today's methods it is not possible to +translate documents to other languages on the fly there is a lot that +can be done. One can consider publishing papers in more than one +language and mechanisms can be implemented to give the user the +possibility to look up unknown terms. Dictionaries as well as +glossaries can be made available for specialized areas. + +Electronic publishing naturally does not only mean to publish +documents on the Web. There are also a lot of potential readers of +electronic publications that still have no Internet access. To keep +costs low the system chosen for distribution must be able to support +both Web and \acro{CD}-\acro{ROM}. Otherwise the amount of work doubles because these +versions have to be prepared seperately. + +A look at electronic documents on the Web shows that at the moment +most of the Web sites serving electronic publications are run by +universities and only a few are operated by publishing companies on an +evaluation basis free of charge. However electronic publishing in the long +term is surely driven by publishing companies which means that +charging mechanisms and user as well as group access management are +highly important topics. + +In the following sections you will find a detailed discussion of the +features of Hyper-G, the first `second-generation' Web server [Maurer +96] that make electronic publishing easier and more effective +than ever before. This includes navigation issues that help the +readers to find their way through the electronic jungle. Also the +standpoint of publishing companies concerning billing and access +rights is considered making sure that the system will fit their +needs. Additionally turnaround time from submission to appearance of a +paper and the cost effectiveness of this process will be discussed. + + +\section{Using Hyper-G for Electronic Publishing} + +Before discussing new publishing paradigms let us have a closer look +at Hyper-G. Using Hyper-G for electronic publishing solves a lot of +the problems mentioned above and opens the way for completely new +electronic publishing paradigms. + +Hyper-G automatically supports hybrid Web and \acro{CD}-\acro{ROM} publication +without additional effort as has been successfully proven over the +last two years with \acro{J}.\acro{UCS}, the Journal of Universal Computer Science +by Springer-Verlag [Maurer 94]. + +The kernel of the Hyper-G server is an object-oriented distributed +network database with a separate link database. Information structure +as well as document meta information are a basic part of the concept +[Kappe 91]. This makes it possible to present the user with a seamless +world-wide structured information space across server boundaries. + +The document structure gives readers the possibility to locate +interesting papers easily since all the information can be structured +by topic, by journal or by other criteria that are +important. Structure in Hyper-G is achieved by the use of collections +that themselves can hold collections or documents. This concept allows +it to build structured information trees where the contents of a +collection need not even reside on the same server as the collection +itself. Collections or documents can be members of arbitrary many +collections without physically copying them. The result is that +different structures can be applied to the same dataset and users +can choose the most logical structure for their purposes. + +Document meta information such as author, title, keywords, creation +date, modification date as well as expiry date and many more, support +the readers in getting as much information as possible. Naturally +document meta information is searchable and full text searches may +be performed. The scope of searches is user definable and can be one +small part of one server or even the whole content of all servers +worldwide in one single operation. Even when doing searches on +multiple servers it is not necessary to know about the server +addresses. + +More than that: meta information cannot be applied only to documents +but also to hyperlinks! This means that links can have types, such as +annotation links, inline links, also version links for documents where +multiple versions exist and many more. + +Hyper-G servers do not provide read access only, write access is also +possible. Read and write access to documents are controlled on a +user and group access right basis and billing is integrated in the +server. + +All links in Hyper-G servers are stable [Andrews 95], which +means that dangling links (links pointing to nowhere) are +impossible. Whenever a document is moved from one location to another, +even across server boundaries, all the links pointing to that document +automatically point to the new location. This kind of stability is +achieved using \acro{URN}s (Uniform Resource Names) instead of \acro{URL}s +[Berners-Lee et al.\ 94]. \acro{URN}s can naturally be mapped to \acro{URL}s when +accessing a Hyper-G server with a standard WWW or Gopher client. If +documents are deleted all the links pointing to this document remain +open and are hidden. Whenever the document reappears the links are +closed again. + +Not only are all links stable, they are also bidirectional. Accessing +a document on a Hyper-G server readers do not see only the outgoing +links of documents but also all links pointing to the document from +the outside. Links can be followed in the reverse direction, which would +not be possible using first-generation Web servers. This very special +feature is achieved by the separate link database of Hyper-G +servers. If links were embedded in the documents themselves as is the +case with first generation Web servers this would not be possible. + +The separate link database has another advantage: it makes +every document hyperlinkable even if the document format does not +allow links [Maurer 96]. + +Amongst other structuring elements Hyper-G supports the concept of +clusters. A cluster contains several documents that are related to +each other and therefore should be viewed together. As an example out +of chemistry 3\acro{D} molecular models could be clustered together with an +explanatory text. In this case the user would get the 3\acro{D} model in one +window together with the explanatory text in another window. + +Clusters are also used to serve multilingual documents. Documents in +different languages are clustered together and the user then gets the +document matching his language preferences. In first-generation Web +systems the only possibility to have multilingual documents is to +let the user choose the language on the entry page and then follow +different paths through the server for different languages. This +approach causes a lot of work for server operators and the readers +have no chance to change the language while reading. With Hyper-G only +one path through the server has to be maintained and the readers can +switch between multiple languages on the fly [Andrews 94]. + +Versioning of documents is also supported using clusters. Different +versions of a document are clustered together and the reader can +switch back and forth between different versions on the fly. To +support the server operator and keep maintenance of multiple document +versions easy a special parser is available. When updating documents +this parser tries automatically to find the positions of all +hyperlinks of the old version in the new one. + +Other special features of Hyper-G are glossaries and automated +glossary hyperlink creation. A glossary in Hyper-G is defined as an +arbitrary collection of explanatory documents that are classified by +their titles and keywords. Hyperlinks to glossary items in a document +are then automatically created by a special parser that searches for +the glossary items in the text of the document. Automated creation of +glossary links is at the moment supported for \acro{HTML} and +\acro{HTF} documents, \acro{PDF} and PostScript support are under development. + +To make creation of referential hyperlinks easier a +{\it Vocative Hyperlink Creation Language} (\acro{VHCL}) has been +implemented. This language supports the description of document +context and potential hyperlinks in that context. As an example +typical phrases like ``see also page \emph{nn}'' would be recognized by the +program and a link to page \emph{nn} would automatically be created. +Journals normally have their well defined citation rules making it +easy to write a \acro{VHCL} program that recognizes citations and +automatically creates inter document as well as intra document +hyperlinks. As is the case with glossary links this feature is at the +moment implemented for \acro{HTML} and \acro{HTF}; \acro{PDF} as well +as PostScript +support are under development. + + +\section{Providing Quick Access} + +As has been mentioned earlier it is extremely important to provide +quick access to information otherwise it would be worthless. Since +Internet is neither very reliable nor fast considering long distance +data transfer it is necessary to mirror documents to several servers +world-wide. Doing this readers are able to choose the server that is +geographically most convenient for them in the network sense. + +Implemented in Hyper-G are two mechanisms that make long distance +transmissions effective: first a cache is implemented that works as +all the well-known proxy servers do. Although caching can help a lot +it is surely not enough, because lifetime of documents in the cache +can be rather short depending on the traffic. For this reason a second +mechanism called replication is implemented. + +Replication means that documents from one server can be mirrored to +other Hyper-G servers and the replicated documents know about the +original. +%The benefit of replication is that users are no longer +%forced to know about mirrored documents but get the local document +%automatically instead of the remote one. As an example a user could be +%connected to a Hyper-G server in the USA and finds an interesting +%document in Austria. If a replica of the document exists on the server +%in the States the user automatically gets the replica instead of +%downloading the original from Graz. It is not necessary that the user +%knows about the replica, everything is done automatically. +This functionality is one of the benefits of using \acro{URN}s instead of \acro{URL}s, it +would be impossible to implement it for first generation systems using +\acro{URL}s. + +Besides caching and replication readers can actively utilize the +ability to have write access to their personal home +collection. Instead of defining bookmarks on their local computer they +can insert references into their home collection on their Hyper-G +server. The benefit is that their ``bookmarks'' are then accessible +from wherever they connect to the server, +%It is not necessary to sit on their desktop machine to access them +which is especially ideal for people who are travelling a lot. + + +\section{New Publishing Paradigms} + +Having a closer look at the way electronic publishing is done today +one will mostly find \acro{HTML} or \acro{PDF} documents that are very +similar to +their paper based counterparts. Often a search engine is provided to +make location of interesting papers easier, all other benefits of +doing publishing electronically are mostly neglected. For the reader +of electronic publications nearly no value is added compared to paper +based articles. Worse than that---considering \acro{HTML} documents the +possibility to do high quality printouts for archival purposes is +lost. This is surely not enough to make electronic publishing on the +Web a success. + +In the above section discussion was about the special Hyper-G +features. Utilizing them allows completely new electronic publishing +paradigms that are no longer driven by technical demands and +shortcomings of certain document formats like \acro{HTML}. Instead authors +can concentrate on the content rather than the document format and +choose a format convenient for them without loosing important +hypernavigation features. + +As an example a paper about new chemical structures could consist of +3\acro{D} models of molecules that are clickable. The hyperlinks could then +lead to spectrum images that are then linked to some additional text +based explanations in, for example, \acro{PDF} [Adobe 93]. A video of an +experiment, naturally again with hyperlinks to explanations, completes +the presentation. + +All the documents in the example above carry meta information like +keywords and can therefore easily be located in a search. + +Acceptance of electronic publications is highly dependent on their +quality. For electronic publishing quality does not only mean high +quality contents, which can be assured by an appropriate refereeing +process. Stability of electronic publications is at least as +important. Technically it is easy to change electronic papers after +publication but this is unacceptable. Instead Hyper-G's annotation and +versioning mechanisms can be used to alert the reader of new results +or errata. In this case the paper is not changed at all, only +additional information is added to the paper. Therefore all citations +of the paper that existed for the original version are still valid and +the reader can choose to browse annotations and newer versions of the +paper on demand. + +Annotations in Hyper-G are hyperlinks pointing to the document that is +annotated. Since Hyper-G's links are bidirectional the reader simply +follows an annotation link backwards to read the annotation. The use +of \acro{URN}s in a link database instead of \acro{URL}s embedded in documents +guarantees that the annotation links are stable. This means that an +annotated document can be moved around in the server or even from one +server to another without generating annotations that point to +nowhere. All links that pointed to the document before are then +pointing to the document at its new location. + +Being able to examine the neighbourhood of a paper makes it possible +to find other interesting papers on the same topic that very likely +are difficult if not impossible to locate if only unidirectional links +were possible as is the case with first-generation Web servers. + + +\section{Turnaround Time and Cost Effectiveness} + +One of the most time consuming processes of electronic publishing is +refereeing. Up to now refereeing normally means that a paper copy of +the submitted paper is sent to the referees who send a corrected paper +copy back. The annotated version is then sent to the author. If there +are misunderstandings between referee and author the document is +usually sent back and forth several times. + +A much faster turnaround time can be achieved if refereeing, +corrections and clarifying misunderstandings can be parallelized. The +logical way is to do refereeing electronically. Using Hyper-G's +electronic annotations this task can be performed easily: papers are +inserted into the Hyper-G server with read access only for the +referees and if the referees agree also for the author. + +The referees then comment on the papers using the annotation +mechanism. If desired annotations can also be made readable for the +author, so the author is able to react immediately on the referees' +comments. More than that -- the author himself could also annotate the +referees' comments to clarify misunderstandings. Naturally the author +as well as the referees remain anonymous [Maurer 95]. + +This kind of refereeing shortens the time used for the whole process +significantly because the authors are able to do corrections in their +papers and clear misunderstandings while refereeing is still in +progress. There is no longer a need to send papers back and forth +between referees and authors. + +Naturally it would be too optimistic to think that refereeing can +usually be done within days instead of weeks. There is nothing that +can be done about referees that are too busy, but most of the time +it helps a lot to do everything in parallel instead of sequential. + +An additional benefit of this kind of refereeing is that the whole +process from submission over refereeing to publication is +automatically documented and can be stored for archival purposes. + +In general electronic publications are considered to be cheaper than +paper based publications. This is true if both the electronic as well +as the paper based version of a paper have the same contents and the +electronic version only provides full text search as added value. This +is not true if one wants to utilize all the additional features that +lie in the electronic nature of the medium. The final step of +inserting the paper into the server is in this case not only the +insertion itself. Also hyperlinks as well as structure, eventually a +version of the paper that is split into single sections or versions of +the paper in different formats have to be prepared. Naturally there +can be other electronic specialities like Java scripts or 3\acro{D} +navigation rooms and many more. All that is very time consuming if it +has to be done by hand. The whole process is critical in terms of cost +effectiveness and should be automated to the highest extent possible. + +Using the special tools that Hyper-G provides such as the {\it Table +of Content Generator}, the {\it Glossary Hyperlink Generator} and the +{\it Vocative Hyperlink Creation Language} automates the additional +work to the maximum extent possible. The steps to be performed at +insertion are limited to running the tools and controlling them. All +reference and glossary link creation is done automatically. + + +\section{Current Electronic Publications With Hyper-G Technology} + +The first electronic journal based on Hyper-G was \acro{J}.\acro{UCS} -- the Journal +of Universal Computer Science by Springer-Verlag. It is a monthly +journal covering all knowledge areas of computer science and +additionally to the Web version a yearly \acro{CD}-\acro{ROM} and +printed version +are provided by Springer. Papers in \acro{J}.\acro{UCS} appear in two parallel +formats: hypertext and hyperlinked PostScript. \acro{PDF} is planned for +1997. + +Springer also publish Few Body Systems (\acro{FBS}), +one of the most reputable Journals in physics. Started in January +1995. + +Academic Press distribute the Journal for Network +and Computer Applications (\acro{JNCA}) (former \acro{JMCA} and \acro{JMA}). +Started in January 1996. + +Datenstrukturen by Ottmann and Widmeyer, the German bible of Data structures. +This uses hyperlinked PostScript. + +Meyer's Lexikon, one of the most comprehensive German encyclopedias, +is electronically available on a Hyper-G server on an n-user license +basis. + +Addison-Wesley publish some 30 books electronically on the Web using Hyper-G. + +\begin{thebibliography}{99999} + +\bibitem[Adobe 93]{AdobePDF} Adobe Systems Inc.: Portable Document Format +Reference Manual, Addison-Wesley (1993). + +\bibitem[Andrews 95]{AndKapMauSch95} Andrews, K., Kappe, F., Maurer, + H. and Schmaranz, K.: On Second Generation Network Hypermedia Systems, Proc. +\acro{ED}-\acro{MEDIA} '95, (1995), 69--74. + +\bibitem[Berners-Lee et al.\ 94]{BLCaiLuoNieSec94} Berners-lee, T., + Cailliau, R., Luotonen, A., Nielsen, H. and Secred, A.: The World-Wide Web. +Communications of the \acro{ACM} 37, 8 (1994), 76--82. + +\bibitem[Andrews 94]{AndKap94} Andrews, K. and Kappe, F.: Soaring Through +Hyperspace: A Snapshot of Hyper-G and its Harmony Client, Proc. of +Eurographics Symposium on Multimedia/Hypermedia in Open Distributed +Environments, Graz (1994). + +\bibitem[Kappe 91]{KapMauTom91} Kappe, F., Maurer, H. and Tomek, I.: + Hyper-G -- % +Specification of Requirements, Proc. Conference on Intelligent +Systems (\acro{CIS}) '91, (1991), 257--272 + +\bibitem[Maurer 94]{MauSch94} Maurer, H. and Schmaranz, K.: +\acro{J}.\acro{UCS} -- The Next +Generation in Electronic Journal Publishing, Computer Networks and +\acro{ISDN} Systems, Computer Networks for Research in Europe, Vol.\ 26 +Suppl.\ 2, 3, (1994), 63--69. + +\bibitem[Maurer 95]{MauSch95} Maurer, H. and Schmaranz, K.: + \acro{J}.\acro{UCS} and Extensions as Paradigm for Electronic + Publishing, Proceedings \acro{DAGS}'95, Boston Massachusetts, (1995). + +\bibitem[Maurer 96]{Mau96} Maurer, H. ed.: HyperWave -- The Next Generation +Web Solution, Addison-Wesley, (1996). + + + +\end{thebibliography} +\end{Article} +\endinput +%\end{document} + +-- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Dipl. Ing. Klaus Schmaranz +Institute for Information Processing and Computer Supported New Media (IICM) +Graz University of Technology, Graz/Austria/Europe/Earth/Milky-Way/Universe + +email: kschmar@iicm.tu-graz.ac.at,phone: +43/316/873-5611,fax: +43/316/824394 +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |