Re: Z39.50 on the web (and in print)

Sebastian and Mike wrote:
> >If history has taught us anything, surely it's that a vague, ill
> >disciplined, unstructured, decentralised mess like the web has far,
> >far higher survival potential than something "better".  F&N is the
> >way!  Let's do it!
> >
> >(Jaded observers might feel that today I am full of random, unfocussed
> >energy in search of something to be enthusiastic about.  There may be
> >some truth in that.  Still, this is a good plan.)
> 
> Oy, oy, giddy, contagious energy! Inspirational, yes. Would be even *more* 
> inspirational if accompanied by sample XML record. Hurry, hurry!!

Does not real Explain already have a F&N feature -- Surrogate
Explain Databases as described by Denis Lynch in:

    http://ftp.se.kde.org/pub/z39.50/mirror-loc/articles/denis.ps

All you're really looking for is an excuse to play with some new
sexy XML tools. Who's bothered about boring old technology that
is here now and works. Why _not_ invent a new variant of something
we already have, thereby ensuring even less interoperability than
before. Still it gives the programmers something new to play with
and put on the CV.

> Someone define the exchange/negotiation mechanism and data format and I'll 
> race ya to implement it!   :-)

Can I suggest z39.50 and Explain records :-)

Ashley.

-- 
Ashley Sanders                                a.sanders@mcc.ac.uk
COPAC: A public bibliographic database from MIMAS, funded by JISC
             http://copac.ac.uk/ - copac@mimas.ac.uk

Received on Friday, 22 February 2002 11:36:39 UTC