Announcement: watermark web initiative

[Virginia Tech]

ANNOUNCEMENT

The model WWW-based Archive of Papers and Watermarks is now up and
functioning.

We invite you to review it and begin critique & discussion on this
discussion group.  The URL is:
http://www.bates.edu/Faculty/wmarchive/wm-initiative/

What you will find at this site is a model of what search results might
look like and a database design based on entity-relationship design.  

When looking at the Model Pages for Presentation of Data,  you should
imagine that you have done a search and that your search has located some
records that are possible matches for your query.

Our objective was to come as close as we could to a true relational
database in which searchers could determine what data thay would like to
see.  This goal is not perfectly realizable down to the level of
individual data fields, but it is possible for viewers to select what
class of information they will see first and select from there other data
classes and determine the sequence of what they want to see.

To keep the discussion focussed, please fill in the subject line with
language indicative of the issue you are raising for discussion.

We would propose as one question for discussion the following:  We feel
the next step is to develop a working system from the model.  Should we
use  (a) Filemaker Pro or (b) mSQL and Unix (Linux)?  Our current
inclination is to go with mSQL because of the low cost, troubles at Apple
Computer which could affect people's interest in Filemaker-based
databases, and the significant presence of Unix in American education and
Europe, in general.  However, the new version of Filemaker offers direct
access to databases from a Web browser without a separate web server,
making for a very easy set up.

Bob Allison
Jim Hart