markh@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark William Hopkins) (12/29/90)
What do you get when you combine the best of two worlds, with one being the real-time world of multichat systems, and the other being a serious group of people with a mutual interest in neural net research and applications? The answer: a TELESYMPOSIUM. Interesting questions pop up. What does it involve? Just a talk-together of people with a common interest? Maybe an actual exchange of files and (sample) programs? Maybe an on-line brainstorming session? I couldn't possibly answer the question, since I've never really done anything like this before. What kind of format is used? Are logs of the transactions to be published? (Is there to be on-line automated translation for non-English participants?) Does it have a schedule and format, or does it just go on and on and on...? It's not just an idle question either. Software to accomplish this task is relatively easy to obtain or write. I've done this kind of thing before. Easy, that is, if the number of participants is under 60 or so, a bit more difficult if it is larger. I'd like to hear some feedback on the general idea.
magi@polaris.utu.fi (Marko Gronroos) (12/30/90)
Mark William Hopkins writes: > answer: a TELESYMPOSIUM. > It's not just an idle question either. Software to accomplish this task > is relatively easy to obtain or write. I've done this kind of thing before. > I'd like to hear some feedback on the general idea. There are two interactive talking (/chat/conference) systems; IRC (Internet Relay Chat, on Unix machines) and DRC (Decnet, on IBMs, etc.). IRC is propably more common and faster-developing system. Currently there are not many people using these systems seriously and there are very few scientific conference meetings. The meetings on IRC can be moderated, invite-only, etc.. I don't think any translation from English to other languages is possible; it would be too slow or too inaccurate. If some IRC/DRC people are reading this, they might like to make suggestions about meeting schedules. Propably some time around 7pm GMT on one day in week would be suitable for most people. The meetings would be quite (if not very) informal, I think. For more info about IRC join the newsgroup alt.irc or ask me. Warning: Most people on IRC are NOT talking about anything useful :-) The irc software can be obtained with anynymous FTP at least from: funic.funet.fi, directory: /pub/unix/irc/ There's also a VAX/VMS version of the client, but it doesn't work too well.. ------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: I didn't send this message, some system cracker did, I don't know anything about this, and no one else here does. I couldn't even have sent this becouse we are not allowed to use netnews via modem lines. Any negative comments on this are forwarded directly to KGB (our system admins).
melby@daffy.yk.Fujitsu.CO.JP (John B. Melby) (01/07/91)
You forgot to mention RELAY, the precursor to IRC (which runs on BITNET). Due in part to the static tree structure of the physical BITNET links, it is much slower and somewhat less reliable than IRC, but it works. (Of course, some people still prefer centralised chat systems, since the response time is faster and messages always appear in the same order.) ----- John B. Melby Fujitsu Limited, Machida, Japan melby%yk.fujitsu.co.jp@uunet