zz,pdm,spi,virt: the continuing OS thread

[Ted Nelson <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Andrew sez:

>Zigzag is a particular virtuality (for data structuring) and thus could
>be included at this level of an operating system.  However, that doesn't
>make Zigzag a complete OS in itself.

1)  My principal point is that it's not just a data structure.
 Like any idea, but more than most, it can be made the
 center of a complete all-encompassing paradigm for
 the structuring of interaction, the structuring of relationships,
 the structuring of programs, the structuring of utilities.

Existing operating systems are based on files, directories,
 and hierarchies, with a lot of string-referential mechanisms
 for the selection and manipulation of these things.  That is
 not merely the file structure, it is the unifying conceptual
 structure.  I am proposing another unifying conceptual
 structure.  Drivers can be added !-)

Repeating Andrew's second remark above:

>However, that doesn't
>make Zigzag a complete OS in itself.

2)  I didn't say it *is*.  Could be.  And the point I am
 making to my students, and y'all readers, is that things
 could be *completely different*.  Most people don't get that.

ChrzT


At 03:01 AM 10/9/98 +1000, you wrote:
>On Fri, Oct 02, 1998 at 03:39:04AM +0900, Ted Nelson wrote:
>> -- the DRIVER level, huh?
>> 
>> Now honestly, Andrew, is that what most people think of
>>  when they think of an operating system ?-)
>
>That may not be what people think of, but it's an essential part of any
>operating system nonetheless.  Without hardware drivers the hardware
>wouldn't operate, whether people are thinking about them or not.
>
>Any computer operating system must include some mechanism to access,
>control and manage the system resources and also provides APIs which
>present some virtuality to applications.  Some operating systems can even
>support multiple OS "personalities", where the APIs of other operating
>systems are also supported and thus applications written to those APIs
>can be executed.
>
>Zigzag is a particular virtuality (for data structuring) and thus could
>be included at this level of an operating system.  However, that doesn't
>make Zigzag a complete OS in itself.
>
>> I think we have been driven to agreement.
>
>I think we were in agreement all along and just didn't know it.  :-)
>
>Cheers,
>	*** Xanni ***
>-- 
>mailto:xanni@xxxxxxxxxx                         Andrew Pam
>http://www.xanadu.com.au/                       Technical VP, Xanadu
>http://www.glasswings.com.au/                   Technical Editor, Glass Wings
>http://www.sericyb.com.au/sc/                   Manager, Serious Cybernetics
>P.O. Box 26, East Melbourne VIC 8002 Australia  Phone +61 3 96511511
>
>
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Quotation of the day, 98.10.09:
"The most amazing thing is that on a small planet that circles a
medium-sized star, a species has developed that can ask these enormous
questions."  Rocky Kolb (Associated Press, 98.10)