On Sat, 17 May 1997, Scott Alan Leonard wrote:

> What does this hold for us in terms of trying to use the EAD
> when our patrons have to have the latest Microsoft OS just to get an SGML
> browser to view our finding aids?  Are there any other SGML browsers on
> the market, or does SoftQuad have a monopoly?

This isn't anything new.  Those of us using the Mac OS have been waiting
for years to have a Panorama version for the Mac!  Scott Leonard's message
highlights the inherent weakness in relying on any software development
company's browser product in order to disseminate information encoded in
EAD finding aids.  It also highlights the need right now in the archival
community for a broader discussion of dissemination options that use SGML
for intelligent storage and retrieval of f.a. data and HTML for delivery
to end users.  Maybe the best option to pursue is not to rely on SGML
*browsers* for the delivery of SGML-encoded *data*, but to take advantage
of the overwhelming ubiquitousness of HTML (browsers, CGI programming,
etc.) as an information delivery vehicle.  What we really need are good
analyses of the EAD delivery systems being put together at institutions,
like Yale and UCSD to name two, where Panorama is not the sole alternative
for utilization of the encoded information!

            ----------------------------Bill Landis
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