RE: Glossary and Acronym Update

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Craig A. Finseth [SMTP:fin@finseth.com]
	Sent:	Friday, November 12, 1999 3:29 PM
	To:	martin_spamer@kingston-comms.co.uk
	Cc:	www-tv@w3.org
	Subject:	Re: Glossary and Acronym Update

	   I would like to propose an addition to the glossary, IPG: an
Interactive
	   programme guide.

	   I also suggest that some differentiation between and EPG and IPG
is
	   established.  In my mind and EPG is essentially passive and an
IPG is
	   definitely active.

	Can you explain this difference further?  Perhaps an example of
each?

OK, my musing on the differences between EPG and IPG.

The content is pushed by an EPG, the user interaction is essentially
passive, the schedule is simply displayed by channel or carousel; any
'interaction' is limited to selection.  Teletext TV guides are an example of
an EPG. 

The content is drawn/pulled by a user interacting with an IPG.  The IPG
would select/filter the content from a database based on the user selection
criteria before returning the results.  IPG Software is acting as an agent
for the consumer, either permanently or on demand.  The agent could also
prompt the consumer at the start of specifically selected programmes.

Some Example IPG scenarios, might include:

*	Show me a list of news channels.
*	Show me a list of films/movies from a selected genre.
*	Select a review of a specific film/movie.
*	Show me a list programmes suitable for family viewing.
*	Tell me when programme X starts.


	   On the Program(me) side I also need to point out that in UK
English (and
	   most of the Commonwealth) we have slightly different usage of
	   Programme/program, though both are typically regarded as synonyms
in modern
	   dictionaries.  A "programme" is a TV broadcast programme or
schedule of
	   events and 'program' is a computer software program.

	   Could we exploit this to aid differentiation?  I don't know, I
haven't even
	   fully convinced my self about this but thought I'd throw it in
the ring any
	   way.

	With sympathies to the people who write and speak our shared
language
	correctly on the other side of the Atlantic, I think that an attempt
	to draw this distinction would be more-or-less doomed to fail.

	Craig A. Finseth                        craig@finseth.com
	Firwood Consulting                      craig@firwood.net (coming)
	1343 Lafond, St Paul MN 55104           +1 651 644 4027
	USA                                     http://www.finseth.com/~fin
	A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what a ship is for--Adm
Grace Hopper

Martin Spamer
Senior Software Engineer
Kingston Vision LTD
Phone +44 (0) 1482 602 670
Fax +44 (0) 01482 602 899
E-Mail martin_spamer@kingston-comms.co.uk
<mailto:martin_spamer@kingston-comms.co.uk> 
http://www.kingston-vision.co.uk/ <http://www.kingston-vision.co.uk/>

Received on Monday, 15 November 1999 06:40:13 UTC