ittai@shemesh.gba.nyu.edu (Ittai Hershman) (11/26/90)
Proposal: The creation of a newsgroup called "comp.multimedia"
to discuss interactive multimedia technologies and
applications: systems which combine text, graphic images,
animation, sound, and/or video, with computer technology.
The newsgroup would promote discussion of relevant
technologies (e.g. DVI, CD-I, CD ROM, videodisc)
applications and methodologies.
Rationale: At present there is no newsgroup which addresses
"multimedia" technology and applications per se.
There are three groups which discuss specialized
aspects: comp.mail.multi-media, comp.ivideodisc
and comp.cog-eng. None, however, is regarded as
a focal point for "multimedia" and all suffer from
crossposts as a result.
"Multimedia" is a group of technologies with a lot
of momentum, in the same way that "AI" and "groupware"
have been before. As these technologies and their
applications mature, traffic may dictate the formation
of subgroups (like: comp.multimedia.interactive,
comp.multimedia.desktop, comp.multimedia.dvi, etc.).
At the moment, however, one forum with one unified name
would be best in my opinion.
Naming: Ten days ago I floated the idea for "comp.multimedia" on
the comp.ivideodisc newsgroup. The reaction was positive,
but a number of people voiced dissatisfaction with the
term "multimedia". One person typified the naming problem
when he stated: "The lexical token `multimedia' is pretty
much debased." Alternatives such as "polymedia" and
"new-media" were suggested.
My response to these concerns is that whether we like it or
not the term "multimedia" has stuck to this stuff. I
suggest its use in the title simply because it is the term
which most people associate with the topic and is therefore
most likely to attract those who are interested.
I hope we do not spend the next month -- the alotted time
for discussion before a vote, arguing about neologisms.
Unless this gets bogged down in hopeless disagreement (which I hope
does not occur), I will continue the process with a "call for vote" on
December 15th. I ask all interested parties to voice an opinion on
news.groups in response to this message (preferably positive :-) and
to vote accordingly (via e-mail) in response to the "call for vote" on
December 15th.
Ittai Hershman
Associate Director of Academic Computing
NYU Stern School of Business