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═════════════════════════════════════════════════════
The Mass Indexing and Retrieval (MIR) Project
"Finding Information in a Gigabyte World"
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════
For: Directors of Information Services
and Custom software providers
and Data publishers
and Educators
and Programmers
If you are interested in the technical side of enabling
people to find information within any quantity of data,
here's an opportunity, at minimal cost...
» to do your job better;
» to cut development time and costs;
» to learn and to have fun;
» to start with world class technology, tinker with
it, modify it, port it to other computers, make it
yours and make it better.
What's in this for you?:
The Mass Indexing and Retrieval (MIR) project offers:
» free software covering all aspects of indexing and
finding information in massive or moderate sized
databases, including "copyleft" source code;
» shareware tutorial sets that explain indexing and
retrieval techniques, and how to use the software
to help people find information;
» opportunity to share in developing products that
demonstrate the power of high tech retrieval
(automated keyword indexing, concept search, hard
disk and BBS organizers to cut through data glut);
» consultation and database services.
Background:
Open architecture indexing and retrieval technology is the
aim of the MIR project. Effective standards and uniform
high quality in the management of information will not
happen so long as software providers are committed to
closely guarded, proprietary technology. The Mass Indexing
and Retrieval project has taken the first steps toward open
co-operative development.
Marpex Inc. is developing a word/phrase/concept indexing
and retrieval system. With assistance from the Canadian
Government and cooperation from Innotech Inc., Marpex is
sharing source code under the Free Software Foundation GNU
Public Licence. This is to encourage people to develop the
product further and share their improvements.
Marpex Inc. was founded in 1976 by Douglas Lowry (Ph.D.,
Sloan School of Management, M.I.T.) In 1984-85 Marpex
invented the technology underlying the FindIt CD-ROM
system. Dr. Lowry collaborated in the early development of
the Discis Knowledge Research literacy tools (recipient of
Mac User's 1990 Educational Software of the Year award).
The MIR project builds on years of working with natural
language computing and massive databases.
Here's our approach:
MIR output consists of an introduction and five sets of
tutorials, together with related software and source code
under these headings:
INTRO What, for whom, why, how, "copyleft"
ONE Database Analysis
TWO Secrets of Data Preparation
THREE Keys to Automated Indexing
FOUR Search Engines and Information Retrieval
FIVE Related Topics and Applications
Improvements and innovations from subscribers are edited
into later releases. Through cooperative development under
"copyleft" rules, everyone benefits, most of all those who
subscribe to successive MIR tutorials.
Features:
» "Copyleft" C language source code... "Copyleft"
means you can do almost anything with the software
except copyright it
» Detailed "how to" hands-on tutorials
» Open architecture, interactive publishing invites
your improvements
» Compatibility with emerging interface/server
standards
» Enables an ordinary 386 based PC (or any UNIX
machine) to be used as an index building platform
» Easy access to MIR software and tutorials through
electronic bulletin board services (BBS such as
CompuServe and Canada Remote Systems)
» The shareware approach means zero risk for you...
take a good look before you buy; registration is
only $29 per release of any set of tutorials
» The software may be used and distributed by anyone
without payment of royalty
What's the catch?:
The Introduction, MIR Tutorial ONE, and about 25 software
programs have been released.
The catch is that the schedule of later releases depends on
the rate of shareware registrations. If you and people
like you recognize the value, and if word spreads quickly,
and if people who use it pay the nominal shareware fees,
the project may be completed by August 1993. If a later
release is more helpful than the copy you registered for,
please register again. Our target is to release each
tutorial with its software when the preceding tutorial has
reached 1,000 registrations. That's a modest target, and
obviously we hope for more. Please vote in support of an
"economy of sharing" by registering and participating in
open architecture development.
Where to from here?:
If you do not have the MIR files, there are four ways to
get them:
» Have a friend make you a copy (copying is okay!).
» Download them from a BBS such as CompuServe or
Canada Remote Systems.
» Use the accompanying order form to ask for up-to-
the-minute diskettes or laser printed paper copies
of introduction and text. (If you need an order
form, FAX us a request.)
» A UNIX version is available via the order form.
Use PKUNZIP (available on most BBS) to decompress the BBS
files. In the BBS file names, # is a revision number:
MIR0A#.ZIP 65 page ASCII text introduction to the project
MIR1A#.ZIP ASCII text of MIR Tutorial ONE (shareware)
MIR1C#.ZIP C source code of 26 MIR Tutorial ONE programs
MIR1D#.ZIP data file SVP_TXT, useful in connection with
the worked examples in Tutorial ONE
MIR1X#.ZIP DOS executable of 25 MIR Tutorial ONE programs
The diskette versions contain an INSTALL program and two
copies of the Introduction and Tutorial text... one of
straight text, the other formatted for WordPerfect 5.1.
Insert the first diskette, and input the command "TYPE
A:README.MIR" or "TYPE B:README.MIR" for more information.
Then input "A:INSTALL" or "B:INSTALL" to get started.
Consultation services:
We welcome within reasonable limits (and without fee) FAX
and electronic mail dialogue with registered users who are
competent in DOS or UNIX, especially those who wish to make
and share improvements. Fee-for-service consultation is
available in other cases.
CompuServe 71431,1337 Douglas Lowry, Ph.D.
FAX 416 963-5677 * Marpex Inc.
Internet douglas.lowry%canrem.com 5334 Yonge St., #1102
UUCP canrem!douglas.lowry North York, Ontario
Others douglas.lowry@canrem.uucp Canada M2N 6M2
* FAX number is subject to change late in August 1992.