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#include "header.wml" select=nutshell
<subject "Gzz in a Nutshell">
<p>
Gzz is an implementation of action invented by Ted
Nelson. Gzz is being developed by Hyperstructure Group at the
university of Jyväskylä, Finland, in collaboration with Nelson.
<h2>What is Zzstructure?</h2>
<p>Zzstructure is a way of representing the structure of information.
Compared with the previous ways, Zzstructure is very different,
for example the concepts of 'file', 'folder' and 'application' are
abandoned. Because of this a bit of fantasy, creativity and an ability to
forget previous knowledge is needed in order to understand Zzstructure.
<p>A Zzstructure structure consists of cells and dimensions. A cell is the basic
unit of information of a Zzstructure structure. Cells containing related
information can be connected with each other along dimensions, the number of
which is unlimited. A Zzstructure structure is separate from its visualisation
(= the way the data is presented on the screen), which means that a Zzstructure
structure can have many visualisations designed for different
purposes.
<p>Even though a Zzstructure structure is separate from its visualisation, a
Zzstructure structure is not separate from other Zzstructure structures. Every piece
of information stored in a digital device using based on Zzstructure is in the
same space: the same cells can be connected on several dimensions created
for different structures. For example, the cells containing
the names of one's relatives can be connected on dimensions created for a
family tree structure, an address book structure and a photo album
structure.
<h2>What are the advantages of Zzstructure?</h2>
<p>Based on the definition given above, the main advantages are summarized
here shortly:
<ul>
<li>Because a Zzstructure structure is separate from its visualisation, different
visualisations can be build for different users. For example an
information structure designed for teaching purposes can have different
visualisations showing different information for beginners and for more
advantaged learners. Different targent audiences, such as
children, senior citizens or handicapped people can easily be catered.
<li>Because a Zzstructure structure is separate from its visualisation, the same
structures can be used (without modifications) in different digital media,
varying from cellular phones to PC to immersive virtual reality
systems. Only the visualisations are different and can be constructed to
take full advantage of the medium in question.
<li>The cell and connections mechanisms of Gzz can provide for seamless
co-operation between different devices.
<li>Because the same cells can be used in several Zzstructure structures,
updating information becomes faster. In the current computer systems the
same information is stored in several places in separate files and the
user has to update the change in every file. A user of Gzz
only updates a certain piece of information once and the changes can be
seen everywhere.
<li>Cells and dimensions allow a more flexible way to arrange the
information than the conventional file and folders model. A user of
Gzz can connected related information in any structures,
based on her associations.
<li>It appears that it is considerably easier to write new visualizations
using Zzstructure than e.g. CORBA, as adjusting to a new data structure
expressed in terms of cells and dimensions is easier than
adjusting to a new API.
</ul>
<h2>Future of Gzz?</h2>
<p>Our goal is to facilitate the production and arrangement of information by
creating, as Nelson expresses it, "a high-power personal and media system,
with editing and presentation systems that expand the state of art".
<p>Currently we have a working Gzz on the Java platform, and in the near
future we are focused on developing
<ul>
<li>Clang, a cellular language , which makes programming easier
<li>A network protocol for exchanging cells between computers enabling
synchronizing information between a laptop and a desktop or remote
collaboration with different users
<li>Virtual structures, which enable any data, such as Web pages
and conventional databases, to be seen through the Zzstructure structure
<li>Porting Zzstructure to different devices, for example PDAs and virtual
reality
<li>Some applitudes, e.g. an e-mail, a digital image processing
and a text editing applitude
</ul>
<p>
Gzz is a free software project: the source code is released under the
LGPL license and everyone interested is welcome to join our mailing
lists. "Patches", as people of the free software community say, and any
other ideas of developing the system are gladly accepted.
<p>We are also looking for partners (universities, companies etc.)
interested in developing Gzz. Please contact <a
href="mailto:lukka@iki.fi">lukka@iki.fi.</a>.
See more files for this project here