In a recent Mac online magazine article, the site's editor summarized
a bit of the origin of HyperCard and expressed a certain amount of
wistfulness over its lack of strong support from Apple. In the
interest of providing an "on the other hand" perspective, I emailed
him a little MetaCard info from my perspective. For those who might
be interested, I am including the following exchange of messages
between.
The key point (it's down at the bottom in his last message) is that
he posted my email and mentions considering adding a MetaCard section
to the site to accompany a HyperCard section, if there's interest. He
also welcomes any other point-of-view or informative articles from
the MetaCard community.
Regards,
David
The original HyperCard piece "The dream that was - Hypercard the
legend of the killer app":
http://www.1984-online.com/writers/hypercard.html
My first email follow-up "HyperCard - what happened next":
http://www.1984-online.com/writers/hypercardnext.html
1984 Mac Online editor's email address for submissions:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >>> From: David Cramer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>> Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 10:17:24 -0600
>>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> Subject: HyperCard and its descendants
>>>>
>>>> Hi Darren,
>>>>
>>>> I enjoyed your recent coverage of HyperCard's altruistic origins.
>>>> I've also become quite interested in What Happened Next with the
>>>> whole scripted card metaphor. There's a lot of talk about the death
>>>> of HyperCard lately, but I think to a large extent the energy going
>>>> into it is misdirected, not because HyperCard itself isn't dead, but
>>>> because its children are continuing the family tradition.
>>>>
>>>> SuperCard, HyperStudio, ToolBook, and MetaCard (as well as apparently
>>>> defunct OMO) all employ and extend the original HyperCard metaphor
>>>> far beyond what the original was funded to do. There's even an
>>>> interesting mailing list for these xTalk-based applications,
> >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, which explores issues common to all of them.
> >>>
> >>> As far as I'm concerned, though, the breakthrough product is
>>>> MetaCard, <www.metacard.com>. I wish two things for MetaCard. 1) That
>>>> more people knew about it. And 2) that the default interface wouldn't
>>>> look so disgusting to curious first-timers.
>>>>
>>>> I hope you already know something about MetaCard, which began in 1990
>>>> as an initiative to engineer a Unix version of a HyperCard-like
>>>> authoring program. There are many things I find amazing about
>>>> MetaCard.
>>>>
>>>> - There are versions for a whole slew of X-Windows and Linux,
>>>> Windows, and Mac
>>>> OS that allow incredible cross-platform development. The stacks are
>>>> interchangeable.
>>>>
>>>> - Virtually the entire MetaCard IDE is created in MetaCard itself! Every
>>>> dialog
>>>> box and menu, including the main menu (even the main menu in Mac OS) is in
>>>> fact a MetaCard MetaTalk-scripted object, and can be unlocked for complete
>>>> modification/customization.
>>>>
>>>> - It's extraordinarily Internet-capable. Any component of a
>>>>stack including
>>>> any
>>>> graphics or text or other stacks can be referenced externally and
>>>> equivalently
>>>> from local hard drive or any location on the Internet.
>>>>
>>>> - It's wicked fast.
>>>>
>>>> - There appear to be some awfully bright and really nice people
>>>> working on it.
>>>> Scott Raney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> deserves a medal for his devotion
>>>> to helping
>>>> people on the MetaCard mailing list.
>>>>
>>>> And there's work underway to provide a more elegant shell for
>>>> MetaCard, once again written in MetaCard itself, from the folks at
>>>> <www.xworlds.com>, which will probably be called Revolution, and
>>>> which is a gorgeous interface with some interesting expanded
>>>> functionality, and is currently in alpha.
>>>>
>>>> They also carry info for the MetaCard mailing list. The archives are
>>>> a great place to get a feel for what's being done with MetaCard.
>>>>
>>>> This is the MetaCard mailing list information.
> >>>
>>>> Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/metacard%40lists.best.com/
>>>> Info: http://www.xworlds.com/metacard/mailinglist.htm
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> And then there's the MetaCard motto:
>>>>
>>>> "MetaCard: You know, there's an easier way to do that..."
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> David
>
>
> >> Hi David
>>>
>>> Thanks for the email.
>>> We have a HyperCard and SuperCard section going online soon with help and
>>> tips.
>>>
>>> Tell you what, why not let me post your comments as feedback, that way
>>> 1,300 readers will learn about MetaCard taking off where HyperCard left off
>>> and more?
>>>
>>> Let me know I can post you thoughts online for Wednesdays update.
>>> All the very best
>>>
>>> -----------------------------------------------
>>> Darren Edwards - Editor in Chief & Founder:
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> Web page: http://www.1984-online.com
>>> -----------------------------------------------
>>> ..1984 Mac Online the worlds foremost ezine..
>>> ._and resource pages for the Mac community_.
>
>
> > Hi Darren,
>>
>> Thanks, I'd be delighted! I'll forward any information on your site
>> activities to the MetaCard mailing list. I'm sure they'll appreciate
>> the opportunity to share their excitement over MetaCard with more
>> surfers.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> David
>
>
>Please do email them, ask if anyone wants to write an up-to-date article on
>MetaCard, they are welcome to send one to me.
>
>It'll help the profile, posted your thoughts today.
>
>All the best, stay in touch.
>Ask their list that if they want, we are thinking of putting up a MetaCard
>section too, after yesterday's article and feedback along with the HyperCard
>area.
--
David Cramer, Process Innovation Evangelist 87-1313 Border Street
PBSC Computer Training Centres (an IBM company) Winnipeg MB R3H 0X4
Corporate Office Research & Development Canada
This is the MetaCard mailing list.
Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/metacard%40lists.best.com/
Info: http://www.xworlds.com/metacard/mailinglist.htm
