Thursday, October 06, 2005
Roots of a name - from PiCasa to MiCasa to MyPalace
As I reflect on my growing cluster of blogs on pieces I want to add here and there, I have been realizing the need to say a little about how I can to adopt the name MyPalace for the Digital Engine that aleady morphed through many name changes.
Actually, I described in that post In one of my earlier blog posting - on my first - and so far oly posting on the Picasa, but it wouldn't hurt to repeat the essence of the story.
I had installed Picasa, and while I it did allow for some level of organization of the many images on my drive, I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the dificulty in navigating my images, in setting up any reasonable form of catalguiing of the images, and in particular difficulties finding images or sets of images and I came to the conculsion that there was a clear need for a well developed database to be integrated with Picasa.
I also had the image of Googlie - spinning for an eclipse =- the play on the cricket term googly that had emerged when I put together the beginnings of a database to organize Google search results for "information ecology - and came up with the name Googlie - a fusion of Google and information ecology (ie) - with the Picasa metamorphosis as a prime example of the "way the googlie bounces".
As I reflected on the name "Picasa" - evidently a shortening of "Picture casa" - picture house - I began to reflect that it might make sense to create a house that was not just for pictures, but for all one's Internet transactions - or at least all those related to the use of Google tools - immediately seeing the potential value of being able to integrate, in a user-friendly database format, al of one's Google-related transactions, so as to maintain a comprehensive history and catalog.
This also brought to mind the issue of a user's right to know his or her Internet history and records, and essentially, to be in a position to make use of the same sort of tools that corporations use to track our Internet travels, purchases, etc.
The creation of a digital engine with these capabilities could have a significant effect, imho in shifting the balance of power and awareness in an Internet age and in enabling much broader access to some of the powerful tools of analysis and observation for our own benefit, rather than just to leave them in the hands of corporations.
So it was that from a Googlie perpective on "Picasa" evolved the name My Palace - a name whose selection grew out of exploring the availability of the domains micasa.net, my-home.net, my-castle.net - none of which were available for registration.
Part of the attraction of the name for me was the sense that a palace conveys of great size, a home with many, many rooms - corresponding to the vast freedom and potential of domain architecture in an environment free from the constraints of the laws of conservation of mass and energy, free from the constraints of physical size.
Actually, I described in that post In one of my earlier blog posting - on my first - and so far oly posting on the Picasa, but it wouldn't hurt to repeat the essence of the story.
I had installed Picasa, and while I it did allow for some level of organization of the many images on my drive, I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the dificulty in navigating my images, in setting up any reasonable form of catalguiing of the images, and in particular difficulties finding images or sets of images and I came to the conculsion that there was a clear need for a well developed database to be integrated with Picasa.
I also had the image of Googlie - spinning for an eclipse =- the play on the cricket term googly that had emerged when I put together the beginnings of a database to organize Google search results for "information ecology - and came up with the name Googlie - a fusion of Google and information ecology (ie) - with the Picasa metamorphosis as a prime example of the "way the googlie bounces".
As I reflected on the name "Picasa" - evidently a shortening of "Picture casa" - picture house - I began to reflect that it might make sense to create a house that was not just for pictures, but for all one's Internet transactions - or at least all those related to the use of Google tools - immediately seeing the potential value of being able to integrate, in a user-friendly database format, al of one's Google-related transactions, so as to maintain a comprehensive history and catalog.
This also brought to mind the issue of a user's right to know his or her Internet history and records, and essentially, to be in a position to make use of the same sort of tools that corporations use to track our Internet travels, purchases, etc.
The creation of a digital engine with these capabilities could have a significant effect, imho in shifting the balance of power and awareness in an Internet age and in enabling much broader access to some of the powerful tools of analysis and observation for our own benefit, rather than just to leave them in the hands of corporations.
So it was that from a Googlie perpective on "Picasa" evolved the name My Palace - a name whose selection grew out of exploring the availability of the domains micasa.net, my-home.net, my-castle.net - none of which were available for registration.
Part of the attraction of the name for me was the sense that a palace conveys of great size, a home with many, many rooms - corresponding to the vast freedom and potential of domain architecture in an environment free from the constraints of the laws of conservation of mass and energy, free from the constraints of physical size.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Cascading Links: Example 2 - Curriculum elements
Another example of cascading links within a panel - in this case to dsiplay nested relationships in a hierarchically structured curriculum outline for information ecology.
As I prepared to convert this capture of a screen from the curriculum elements panel, I realized the need for a revision of the process so as to enable a distinction between data fields - in white and window displays in cyan / light blue.
A methodological note on creating these screen shots from DataPerfect: the non-standard - non-numeric, non-alphabetic characters in DataPerfect are based on an ASCII character set whose representation is not maintained in an HTML environment.
With the help of a data panel in the DPManual database and a small in WordPerfect Program Editor, I created a WordPerfect 5.1+ macro that automatically translates the non-standard ASCII characters into their HTML equivalents.
Then I used a WordPerfect style from a Style Library to surround the field data with <font class="field"> </font>, added a new element to the cascading style sheet, and revised the style for pre-formatted text display. To look at how the characters are coded in HTML, you can look at the source code for this page.
I will create a link shortly to a web page - generated from the DPManual database - that shows the various conversions between ASCII and HTML characters.
┌─MyPalace.Z03─348──────────────────────────────────────────────BROWSE─────────┐ |
As I prepared to convert this capture of a screen from the curriculum elements panel, I realized the need for a revision of the process so as to enable a distinction between data fields - in white and window displays in cyan / light blue.
A methodological note on creating these screen shots from DataPerfect: the non-standard - non-numeric, non-alphabetic characters in DataPerfect are based on an ASCII character set whose representation is not maintained in an HTML environment.
With the help of a data panel in the DPManual database and a small
Then I used a WordPerfect style from a Style Library to surround the field data with <font class="field"> </font>, added a new element to the cascading style sheet, and revised the style for pre-formatted text display. To look at how the characters are coded in HTML, you can look at the source code for this page.
I will create a link shortly to a web page - generated from the DPManual database - that shows the various conversions between ASCII and HTML characters.
Cascading Links: Example 1 - Water bodies
Below is a sample record from the water bodies panel of MyPalace showing an example of the use of cascading links, through which water bodies are linked with upstream sources and downstream destination.
On a historical note, the water bodies panel - along with a set of related panels defining relatonships between water bodies, between water bodies and cities, states/provinces, countries and land bodies - were developed in late 1999 in the context of dissemination of information on the location of major chemical plants that were judged to at risk from potential computer malfunctions as the Year 2000 begun.
An examination of the location of these chemical plants preparations for Y2K revealed that almost all of them were adjacent to major bodies of water and hence posed a risk not only to environmental health in the immediate area but also to any downstream locations.
On another note, the descriptive column at the left - and the name of the database on the center and right of the bottom row are a special kind of window - for which I have beenusing the name curtains in that they were created not jost to provide guidance as to the meaning of adhjacent data fields, but also to cover up information that can might serve as a distraction when one is browsing through records.
┌─MyPalace.A00─331──────────────────────────────────────────────BROWSE─────────┐ |
On a historical note, the water bodies panel - along with a set of related panels defining relatonships between water bodies, between water bodies and cities, states/provinces, countries and land bodies - were developed in late 1999 in the context of dissemination of information on the location of major chemical plants that were judged to at risk from potential computer malfunctions as the Year 2000 begun.
An examination of the location of these chemical plants preparations for Y2K revealed that almost all of them were adjacent to major bodies of water and hence posed a risk not only to environmental health in the immediate area but also to any downstream locations.
On another note, the descriptive column at the left - and the name of the database on the center and right of the bottom row are a special kind of window - for which I have beenusing the name curtains in that they were created not jost to provide guidance as to the meaning of adhjacent data fields, but also to cover up information that can might serve as a distraction when one is browsing through records.
Information Relationships
The identification of relationships between information elements - hinted at in the link diagram below - is critical to an understanding of information ecology, just as the replationship between of species in a natural ecosystem with other species and with their habitats, and an appreciation of information relationships and the context of information is vital to an appreciation of the value and meaning of information.
Incidentally, the link diagram below - complex as it may appear - greatly simplifies the web of relationships that are embodied in MyPalace. Firstly it only conveys that a relationship exists between information in separate data panels/files, and in many cases there are multiple relationships; secondly, the diagram does not show relationships within a single panel, and in a number of the panels - for example water bodies - contain a series of cascading relationships between records in a single panel/file that I will talk about in an upcoming post.
The use of cascading links can also bring into significance and focus the body of data within which a single record exists, and with the use of the windows feature of DataPerfect that allows one to see a set or subset of record that have a relationship with a particular record.
Incidentally, the link diagram below - complex as it may appear - greatly simplifies the web of relationships that are embodied in MyPalace. Firstly it only conveys that a relationship exists between information in separate data panels/files, and in many cases there are multiple relationships; secondly, the diagram does not show relationships within a single panel, and in a number of the panels - for example water bodies - contain a series of cascading relationships between records in a single panel/file that I will talk about in an upcoming post.
The use of cascading links can also bring into significance and focus the body of data within which a single record exists, and with the use of the windows feature of DataPerfect that allows one to see a set or subset of record that have a relationship with a particular record.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Link Diagram of MyPalace
After numerous attempts I have managed to create a pdf file with an link diagram between the ninety-nine distinct data panels in My Palace> as well as a gif file - below that gives the shape of the file - although without being able to read the details.
Note that if you click on the image, this will open the pdf file in a new window and you will be able to see the names of names - along with information on the number of fields, indexes, data links and panel links and dosplay windows in each data file - if you zoom in for a close-up view of the pdf file.
I had previously tried without success on many occasion to generate a pdf file that was both readable and that preserved the format of the page as viewed in Corel WordPerfect - both with the publish to pdf feature and with an old Adobe printer driver for Windows 98, but WP had either been unable to complete the printing or the pdf file had been skewed.
I finally achieved success with the pdf995 printer driver that I have been very happy with since discovering it a few weeks ago. Not only is the price very reasonable - $9.95 - but the driver can continue to be used as shareware if you don't mind seeing an advertisement for other software from the same company - almost all of which only cost $9.95 and can be used on the same evaluation basis.
Not only was I able to generate the pdf file, I had also discoverd a few weeks ago how to generate the link outline - from the DPLinks program - with an expanded line length. Before that I had been improvising with macros in WordPerfect 5.1+ and assembling the full link diagram with a lot of cut-and-paste operation - so that now it will be a straightforward task to generate link diagrams for other DataPerfect digital engines
Note that if you click on the image, this will open the pdf file in a new window and you will be able to see the names of names - along with information on the number of fields, indexes, data links and panel links and dosplay windows in each data file - if you zoom in for a close-up view of the pdf file.
I had previously tried without success on many occasion to generate a pdf file that was both readable and that preserved the format of the page as viewed in Corel WordPerfect - both with the publish to pdf feature and with an old Adobe printer driver for Windows 98, but WP had either been unable to complete the printing or the pdf file had been skewed.
I finally achieved success with the pdf995 printer driver that I have been very happy with since discovering it a few weeks ago. Not only is the price very reasonable - $9.95 - but the driver can continue to be used as shareware if you don't mind seeing an advertisement for other software from the same company - almost all of which only cost $9.95 and can be used on the same evaluation basis.
Not only was I able to generate the pdf file, I had also discoverd a few weeks ago how to generate the link outline - from the DPLinks program - with an expanded line length. Before that I had been improvising with macros in WordPerfect 5.1+ and assembling the full link diagram with a lot of cut-and-paste operation - so that now it will be a straightforward task to generate link diagrams for other DataPerfect digital engines
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Main Menu - My Palace
Perhaps the best place to start is with the main menu of MyPalace - the inner home of Information Habitat: Where Information Lives.
MyPalace has evolved from a progression of databases developed by Information Habitat and its precursors with names that have either reflected an organizational name or a concept, from EIN - Earthcare Interfaith Network - through SYNERGY - International Synergy Institute; INFOHAB; NGOS@UN - Non-Governemental Organizations at the United Nations; INTERNET; ECOLOGY; HABITAT3; MESO-SUM - Mesopotamian Summer, and DIGITAL - of which more later.
MyPalace has evolved from a progression of databases developed by Information Habitat and its precursors with names that have either reflected an organizational name or a concept, from EIN - Earthcare Interfaith Network - through SYNERGY - International Synergy Institute; INFOHAB; NGOS@UN - Non-Governemental Organizations at the United Nations; INTERNET; ECOLOGY; HABITAT3; MESO-SUM - Mesopotamian Summer, and DIGITAL - of which more later.
──── ♥ welcome to my palace ♥ ♥ may peace be upon all who enter ♥ ─── |
Dedication
Bismi-Llahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim
In the name of Allah,
Supremely Compassionate, Supremely Merciful
All Praise be to Allah,
the Sustainer and Cherisher of the Worlds
Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
Lord of the Day of Judgement
Thee alone do we worship;
Thine aid alone do we seek.
Reveal Your direct path
The path of those who surrender
to Your sublime Guidance,
Not of those who stray from the path;
Nor who are subjected to Your Wrath
Al-Fatiha - Opening verse of the Holy Qu'ran
In the name of Allah,
Supremely Compassionate, Supremely Merciful
All Praise be to Allah,
the Sustainer and Cherisher of the Worlds
Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
Lord of the Day of Judgement
Thee alone do we worship;
Thine aid alone do we seek.
Reveal Your direct path
The path of those who surrender
to Your sublime Guidance,
Not of those who stray from the path;
Nor who are subjected to Your Wrath
Al-Fatiha - Opening verse of the Holy Qu'ran