[SCC_Active_Members] Notes from last month's NLS status report

[Philip Gust]

I apologize for neglecting to send these out after last month's meeting.

NLS/Augment Talking Points
SCC Meeting 2/15/2006


Technical

- Cooperating with NFS funded HyperScope project run by Eugene Kim of Blue Oxen

- Jonathan and Phil to get second NLS system installed on Phil's machine
         - Phil will investigate interfacing existing keysets to 
JAugTerm under Windows and MacOS
         - Once done, will try to move Doug over to JAugTerm, and 
tune until he's satisfied
         - Long-term would prefer making entire window system keyset 
enabled, rather than just JAugTerm

- Jonathan Cheyer is continuing to study NLS internals and datastructures
         - Investigating feasibility of creating an XML based data 
model to match current structures
         - Would like to export NLS content using data model for 
study and reuse

-  Artifacts
         - Jonathan now has all Doug's keysets and is working with a 
Sun engineer to identify working and document their interfaces
         - Ken Harenstein will donate his schematics for the Line Processor
         - Dave Hopper (the author of the DOS AugTerm program has 
Line Processor #1 and will donate
         - Jeff Rulifson has given Jonathan a CD with source code and 
materials from early SDS 940 (c. 1968) version NLS
         - Need to get paper/PDF forms to give people with artifacts 
to donate (web form isn't good enough)

- Phil is investigating options for more keysets
         - Talking with John Sechrest at AO in Portland about 
building small lot -- John will provide quote in the next week
         - Looking at commercially available USB chordic keyboards. 
None are exact match, but several are promising:
                 Bellaire wireless: 
http://www.bellaire.demon.co.uk/newcykey.htm
                 Infogrip BAT: 
http://www.infogrip.com/product_view.asp?RecordNumber=12
         - Jeff Rulifson recommends considering commercially 
available ones; may eliminate need to use mouse buttons to make up 
for only 5 keys
         - Have found several chordic keyboard "standards" out there; 
will investigate whether any of these would be acceptable

- Jonathan needs to get additional modules that Raylene Pak did not 
include with Augment release she gave us
         - e.g. Spreadsheet
         - Add them in before public release


Legal

-  Boeing
         - Continuing saga with Boeing.
         - Working with Sally Abel to find wording that Kathy 
Gallagher's boss at Boeing will sign off on.
         - Issue is that they have no records; all hearsay, are being cautious
         - Kathy had originally said Boeing would commit to following:

"Boeing has no existing or continuing ownership rights or interests 
in the Augment software, including (but not limited to) any copyright 
and/or trademark rights in the work, and will not take any action 
against the CHM in connection with any rights associated with or 
interests in Augment:

         - If she balks at that, will at least will try for the following:

"McDonnell Douglas transferred registered US trademarks 1487229 and 
73256814 for AUGMENT to British Telecommunications PLC on 11/20/1989, 
prior to Boeing's acquisition of McDonnell Douglas.  Boeing has no 
records on the software itself.  Consequently, Boeing cannot make any 
claim about its ownership of copyrights or other intellectual 
property in the software, or take any position regarding the use of 
Augment by the Computer History Museum."

-  BT
         - Potential win at BT!
         - Simon Garrett of BT has agreed to provide a letter.
         - Phil has given John Toole draft request letter with 
wording to send to Peter Ratcliffe at BT, who will writer on behalf of BT
         - Other potential lead at BT, Kevin Purell went cold

- MCI/Verizon
         - Jonathan's network has led to contact with Janis Manning, 
Verizon's Assistant General Counsel, Trademarks & Copyrights, and 
Anita Odonovich, an attorney who works in her group. Will follow up 
later this week
         - Ken Harrenstein has relayed our request to Vint Cerf for 
assistance;
         - Vint has agreed to help (like Lew Platt at Boeing).
         - Need to pass Jannis's and Anita's name on to Vint once we 
get a game plan.







Philip Gust
(650) 961-7992 (daytime)
(650) 367-7763 (evening)
gust at acm.org