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>From: Richard Gaskin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: MC, the Web, and you
>Date: Mon, Aug 14, 2000, 3:35 AM
>
> Thanks for the feedback, Andu:
>
>>> A quick survey of MetaCard developers, if you don't mind:
> ...
>> But what do you need this for if I may ask?
>
> - What untapped opportunities may still exist in the
> world of desktop applications?
My project uses MC as a custom browser to deliver artificially intelligent
"adaptive" tutorial and content mastery certification services on the
client side (we serve the college/university market). In this case MC is
100% of the internet-savvy client experience. But the project also relies
upon Lasso for CGI and FMPro for database services 100% on the server side.
These tools are, of course, replaceable by various competitive systems--we
just happen to know these well enough to begin with.
>
> The breadth of what MetaCard delivers also makes it relatively difficult to
> define. We can build almost anything for a client, but more and more they
> seem to prefer that it take place inside of a browser window.
We use the internet as a communication link and server-side systems for
record keeping, content storage/distribution, auto-updating our software to
the client and parameter passing (such as timing out certain chapters after
a test deadline has expired). All of this means the services of our
application are largely "custom" determined by the changing state of a
client's records on our server.
> Given the relative newness of this Web fenzy, I suspect that the browser
> will ultimately prove to be a transitional phase, a stepping stone on the
> way to other things which allow more flexible user interfaces for both
> content presentation (which is currently good on the Web) and data
> manipulation (at which the Web sucks -- can you imagine using a
> browser-based spreadsheet?).
>
We deliver in a custom MC browser in order to have complex scripts deliver
the AI services that normal browsers, even with Java, can't. MetaCard is a
perfect tool for expanding the potential of internet connectivity, and I
frequently describe our difference as one of delivering education vs mere
information (e.g., the difference between a classroom and a library) via the
internet. If you made production tools, such as laboratory simulations or
spreadsheet applications, then you could add production to the "education"
part of the vs statement as well. I don't know of any browsers that are
"productive." Standard browsers are largely limited to informing, not
guided skill building (read: adaptive training) or problem solving.
Finally....
In case anyone on the list is interested, we plan an open-access to the
downloadable of our client software in a relatively short time (we are
still in our software beta period and are thus still solving problems--a
couple of which I've posted to this list-- much less not having all our
desired content prepared). We plan to build a "visitor" section of a
hypothetical "course" for potential customers (and/or interested parties
like those on the list) where samples of what we do can be explored and
evaluated. I hope that some of this may be worthy of demonstration to your
clients as reasons to let you also go" beyond the norm."
Roger
--
Dr. Roger D. Ray
Department of Psychology
Rollins College
Winter Park, FL 32789
adaptive instruction at www.psych-ai.com
cyberrat at www.psych-ai.com/cyberrat
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