By-products / CD-ROM / Online

International Organization Information / Research: 1995 (Part #6)

---

[Parts: First | Prev | Next | Last | All ] [Links: To-K ]

---

Compact disk (CD-ROM): This matter has been the subject of long and complex negotiations with SAUR for several years. These have been reported to the General Assembly on previous occasions.

The current situation is as follows. Following the unsatisfactory delays in negotiating with SAUR's partners in the USA in 1993, it was
decided that the UIA would itself experiment with producing a test CD-ROM using its own software. A test disk was successfully produced in October 1993 and shown to SAUR. A subsequent demonstration was made in Munich at SAUR's HQ. Seemingly this was important to the internal politics of the SAUR group -- a client producing a CD-ROM. It was then agreed that UIA would go ahead and improve the quality of the test version for general marketing.

Specific issues were:

• standardizing the functions
• resemblance to other SAUR products
• production techniques
• software required
• security
• adaptation to Windows

It was tentatively agreed that this work would be done in the first months of 1994. To do this two attempts were made to sub-contract portions of the work. These were not satisfactory. It was then decided that the UIA would undertake the necessary adaptation using in-house resources as much as possible.

Work on the CD-ROM and associated software upgrades was started in mid-1994. Hardware upgrades associated with this process were undertaken in April 1994. A distribution licence was negotiated with Revelation in January 1995 for a CD-ROM version. Although considerable advances were made in producing a software interface to take advantage of the UIA investment in Advanced Revelation software over the years, the following factors have hindered further development:

• significant "bugs" were reported in the available release of the software from Advanced Revelation. The upgrade to repair them was delayed and was only formally made available to the UIA on 23rd April 1995 (although a version has been obtained over by e-mail in April 1994).
• the absence of bug-free software has prevented completion of the user interface and leaves unsolved questions about security and other features which users increasingly request.
• in February 1995 reports on electronic publishing software strongly recommended the Folio Infobase software as a "robust" solution to many of the problems which it may prove difficult to integrate into the Revelation version, notably the security features.

Investigation of the Folio software resulted in the conclusion of a contract in March 1995 with a Quebec-based company (introduced by Christian de Laet) to convert UIA data into the Folio format. Work commenced 18th April on a schedule which should produce a CD-ROM by June-July. This software will also permit:

• inclusion of images such as photographs (relating to the Who's Who database), logos, or organization charts
• operation in a Windows environment (increasingly the standard platform) for CD-ROM operation

Two copies of Folio production software were purchased (with the assistance of Christian de Laet) to enable work to be done both in Montreal and Brussels. For marketing reasons, in addition to the Windows version, it will be necessary to purchase DOS (and possibly Mac) versions, according to Saur. The French initiative will also require a French interface.

The UIA has purchased a machine to record CD-ROMs, which can be used to test and produce master copies for reproduction elsewhere. It is intended to produce several different CD-ROMs, with more or less of the UIA information. Exactly what is produced will be determined in consultation with SAUR, although the UIA may produce versions for independent distribution (not through SAUR).

Possibilities include CD-ROMs with:

• Yearbook database only (with French versions?)
• Yearbook plus Calendar database
• Encyclopedia only
• "all" databases
• subsets by subject or geographical region

Note that using a scanner also implies the possibility of placing texts from back copies of Transnational Associations and other reports onto CD-ROM. Preliminary demonstrations of the use of the Folio software with Yearbook entries can be made during the meeting.

Internet (World Wide Web) publication: Since late in 1993, electronic publishing has been confronted by a new phenomenon as a result of
work done at CERN on hypertext linked documents. This has resulted in the emergence of what is known as the World Wide Web, accessible on all computers by modem from around the world. Throughout 1994 the technical and popular press has covered the major implications of this phenomenon (see Annex 5, Annex 6).

Such is the simplicity and elegance of the concept, that it constitutes an immediate challenge to any existing publisher, but especially to any organizations (or individuals) with publishing ambitions or information to disseminate -- notably of the kind produced by the UIA. In October 1994 the UIA subscribed on an experimental basis to a service providing access to Internet and the Web. The purpose was to test and offer e-mail access to the UIA, notably for organizations wishing to reply in this mode.

It quickly became evident that:

• the Web offered a unique place for organizations of every size and activity to display their wares. Many international organizations are now setting up "home pages" on the Web for this purpose.
• much software was available on a non-commercial basis to permit further experimentation by the UIA on a range of possibilities:
  • placing UIA data on Internet in some form (notably on the Web), through a third party. Preliminary discussions have been held regarding this possibility.
  • preparing the data to be placed on Internet for Web access (bypassing any need to invest in development of any software)
  • operating a UIA Web Server (see Annex 6)
  • the UIA can simulate access to its own data in hypertext Web mode on the UIA computer system. This has been successfully done. The results can also be made available on CD-ROM -- but without any security constraints.

A preliminary demonstration using much UIA data can be made during the meeting with access via a standard "web browser" (Netscape). The data will be held on CD-ROM demonstrating further possibilities.

Placing data onto Internet adds to the existing challenge for the UIA and SAUR of the balance to be found between book (Yearbook, Encyclopedia) and CD-ROM. A balance must be found between all three for marketing purposes and in the relationship with SAUR. Some of these points are discussed in more detail in Annex 5

"Guide series": Publications last appeared in this series in 1985. It was discontinued because of marketing problems.

SAUR has proposed the publication of a World Guide to Religious Organizations. This would be partly designed to make use of material collected for what was originally intended as the Who's Who in Religion. If final agreement is reached, work would start from June 1995, with a view to extracting information from the Yearbook to be partially updated for publication at the beginning of 1996.

The work will be done by the member of staff responsible for the Whos Who in International Organizations to be completed in June 1995.

---

[Parts: First | Prev | Next | Last | All ] [Links: To-K ]