Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #02443



To: Sean Rigter rigter@cafe.net, "JVernonM@aol.com" JVernonM@aol.com,
From: Bruce Robinson Bruce_Robinson@bc.sympatico.ca
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 16:50:32 -0700
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: History of Beam


So, the genome idea has sparked a lot of discussion, and kind of
branched out in all sorts of directions. I think I may have been the
first to mention the history aspect of it, but Dave's comments did cause
me to focus my thinking a little.

A history would be interesting; and now's the time to do it -- while the
field is still young an memories haven't frayed too much. But that isn't
really what I need. What I haven't been able to find in all my surfing,
is a really good, structured, INDEX. Now I'm not refering of a typical
index as found in the back of a book -- I'm thinking more of a very
structured index that can be got at in different ways. Perhaps it's
closer to a table of contents. For example:

A genealogical approach:
1.) Walkers
1.1) True walkers
1.1.1) Single-motor walkers
1.1.2) Two motor walkers
... etc.
1.2) Walker-like
...
2.) Rollers (wheeled)
3.) Crawlers (tracked)
... etc.

And a power source approach:
1.) Solar
2.) Battery
3.) Steam (tongue firmly in cheek here).

And a "circuit" approach:
1.) VSPANS (read the Tilden patent!)
1.1) Monocore
1.2) Bicore
... etc.
2.) CPU based (OK, maybe not)
... etc.

The idea here is that ultimately you could enter the index (or whatever
it is) from the point of view you were interested in. You could then
work down through the list to find what you were interested in. Or you
could "surf" a branch -- say you got really good with some simple solar
powered devices, and you were looking for more challenging solar
projects. Ultimately, these lists would point to various web pages
related to the subject.

I've found lots of Beam web sites organized around various types of
structures, pointing to other related sites. But they are all organized
differently. I suspect many of them were attempts by their authors to do
precisely what I am proposing -- but they only go as far as the author's
personal needs (naturally).

Of course, you don't need to restrict yourself to a "mechanistic"
approach -- you could use the same mechanism to build a "history
approach", a "genome approach", or whatever.

Is this useful to anyone? I know I need something better than the 75
Beam bookmarks I've already got. I never get them organized right.
There's too many ways to organize them.

Key points:
- Consistant format, so it has the same look no matter who builds it.
- Compatible with as many browsers as possible.
- Feedback capability via forms: solicit missing links, gaps in the
history/genealogy/genome, new web pages, other ways to organize things
that we haven't thought of, etc.
- Ultimately points to as many beam sources as possible.

OK, there it is. In way more than two sentences (sorry, Dave).

Regards,
Bruce

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