Social Protocols comment

 

We have all kinds of protocols to communicate data. What we need are protocols for communicating information.

 

The difference is data means something to machines and information means something to people. Lets say you've received an e-mail from someone asking you to have lunch. You accept, and select the text with the invitation and command click it, letting your e-mail applications broadcast the event, to any Calendar/To Do application you have will which catch, parse and schedule it. So it's not about a protocol to more efficiently shove bits around, but information.

To begin with, the only thing needed is an extension of AppleEvents. Currently you can be in Claris Emailer and command click a URL which will then open in Netscape Navigator.

The calendar program ought to have been included with the computer, ready configured, as should most types of applications. The user should however be able to 'upgrade' to a more feature 'rich' (ladden?) application at his or her convenience. OpenDoc style.

If Apple ships applications tightly integrated (simple) applications with the OS, developers will have to make sure their applications are as integrated. Ie; they hook in to the Social Protocol web of information transmission standards.

Yum!

 

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