3.652 HyperSearch; EDUCOM; software rental (102)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca)
Fri, 27 Oct 89 20:07:04 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 652. Friday, 27 Oct 1989.


(1) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 11:41:38 EDT (18 lines)
From: Geoffrey Rockwell <Geoffrey_Rockwell@poczta.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Mac Text Indexing

(2) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 13:15:29 EDT (35 lines)
From: "Diane P. Balestri" <BALESTRI@PUCC>
Subject: EDUCOM's new direction

(3) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 13:42:47 EDT (24 lines)
From: Jan Eveleth <EVELETH@YALEVM>
Subject: Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1989

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 11:41:38 EDT
From: Geoffrey Rockwell <Geoffrey_Rockwell@poczta.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Mac Text Indexing

I recently saw a set of HyperCard extensions called HyperSearch, from
Voyager. The extensions allow you to index the text in a HyperCard
stack and search it. It's main advantage is that the package is around
119.95 $ (US). Indexed stacks can be distributed for 3.00 $ (US) a
copy. If you want the include the resources so that the user of your
stack can reindex it, that is an additional 15 $ fee. While this is
still not free, as programs like TACT are, it is closer. Voyager can be
reached at (614) 761 2000. Let me add that I have not tested the
product, so I cannot comment on its quality.

Geoffrey Rockwell
rockwell@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca
Toronto

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------42----
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 13:15:29 EDT
From: "Diane P. Balestri" <BALESTRI@PUCC>
Subject: EDUCOM's new direction

I was pleased to read Norm Coombs' description of this year's EDUCOM
conference, and I want to add one dimension to what he had to say about
the receptiveness of EDUCOM to the interests of groups such as HUMANIST.
For the last few years, a group of volunteer individuals has been
working within EDUCOM on a set of projects collectively called the
EDUCOM Software Initiative. These projects have resulted in books,
pamphlets, collections of materials, sur veys, etc (the best known is
probably the brochure "Using Software" that outlin es issues related to
the legal and ethical uses of software)--all related to th e USE of
information technologies. Understandably, the volunteer group has bee n
mixed, including computing support administrators, faculty, academic
administ rators, and vendors. Steve Gilbert, an EDUCOM VP, has been the
leader of this group, which has grown itself into a lively movement
within EDUCOM. From the point of view of HUMANISTs, the most
significant event of the EDUCOM conference, I think, was the
announcement by EDUCOM Pres. Ken King that the activities of the
Software Initiative are now to be expanded and made co-centra l with
Networking as THE programmatic interest of EDUCOM. The members of the
Software Initiative present at EDUCOM '89 voted for a nine member
committee that will work with the Board of EDUCOM to define directions
and projects for EDUCOM that will enhance the USE OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING. At the moment, this program in
EDUCOM is called EUIT for "Educational Uses of Information Technology".
If you would like to keep up with the developments of this new program,
you should ask EDUCOM for a subscription to (What is still called) the
ESI Newslett er. (send a message to EDEN@EDUCOM). If you have thoughts
about ways in which a consortium such as EDUCOM can have a national
impact on the character and quality of educational uses of information
technology, you can send me a message directly (I am a co-chair of the
member committee for EUIT, along with Peter Lyman who heads the Center
for Scholarly Technology at USC).
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------31----
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 89 13:42:47 EDT
From: Jan Eveleth <EVELETH@YALEVM>
Subject: Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1989


For those interested in the notice about Senate Bill 198 (Computer
Software Rental Amendments Act of 1989), here is some interesting
information. The Judiciary Committee was to have voted on this Oct.
25. They didn't. The woman I spoke with in Washington (tucked away in
some office of which I didn't catch the name) said that it probably
wouldn't get to vote before mid November. There is still time to
express your views on this bill before the vote. The committee meets
again on Nov. 2. It would be safer to get in touch with your senator
prior to that time, but you will *probably* have a bit of leeway beyond
that. Perhaps in an ideal future the libraries and computing services
of our academic institutions should be under one financial and
administrative roof, but such a move should be made at the discretion of
each institution when it is appropriate to do so. The move should not
have to be forced by a bill that sounds very much like it was designed
by software corporations as a means of increasing their income. If I
read the bill correctly, I'm opposed.

Jan Eveleth
Yale University