W3 is actually as good a first step as any in this direction. Since
the markup is (at least one step toward) SGML, it is possible to
create documents that are usable within W3 that actually look nice on
paper. That's a big step forward. I am not sure yet whether you can
design something that's optimally designed for a 24x80 ascii screen
and also for paper (probably not) but at least it'll be usable in both
contexts.
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You all should take a look at news:comp.text.sgml, in particular
news:92307.124934U35395@uicvm.uic.edu, which is a trip report by
Charles Sperberg-McQueen on the SGML '92 conference. Here is an
enlightening perspective on the various roles that tool-builders play
in the publication efforts (are you a scribe, rubricator, or
illuminator?)
Moving to his main theme, Goldfarb proclaimed the death of the
"document", which he said may in fact never have been anything more than
a makeshift to enable the use of computer technology. The future of
SGML lies in its use to link both within and between documents. The
future of SGML, that is, is HyTime. He showed medieval pages (from the
Winchester Bible) and discussed the division of labor among scribes,
rubricators, illuminators, and applicators of gold leaf, which
corresponds closely to the division of labor, in presenting a hypermedia
document today, among the text displayer, the graphics presentation
software, and other specialized modules. Hypertext schemes today differ
from the methods of the past only in incorporating time-based
information. The data structure must be highly optimized to make
possible real-time presentation of time-based data, but logically
speaking, all that is required are mechanisms for establishing
(specifying) synchrony among events. SGML provides a firm basis for
representing the abstract information structures needed.
Edward Vielmetti, vice president for research, Msen Inc. emv@Msen.com
Msen Inc., 628 Brooks, Ann Arbor MI 48103 +1 313 998 GLOB