Scopeware Vision. This prog is from David Gelertner (sp) who impresses
me very much as a clever fellow. But what does this software _do_ that
is so breakthrough? It seems to me that it just gives you software
sorted by date and extension. Surely there is more. i'm just not
getting it, I'm sure. I bought and downloaded the stuff, and it's
nice, like shareware can be nice, but why is it so high on itself?

Hello jimbaen,

Thank you for your question.

Scopeware touts it product as:

"Scopeware Vision™ is a powerful new Windows-based software tool that
helps manage documents and email on local or shared network drives.
Whether you are a casual or power user, if you're looking for a
solution to help you organize, discover, and easily access your stuff,
then Scopeware Vision is for you...

...Simply point Vision to your stuff — Office documents, PDFs,
pictures, MP3s, favorite web pages, even your email. Vision catalogs
and remembers everything about your information — knows where it is
and understands what it contains. It even finds old stuff — stuff you
forgot about. It's all together, in one place — in a single easy to
use, time-ordered stream..."

So what we have here is a program that will index your documents,
images, emails, web pages and music files by "keywords" allowing you
to search by same and produce a list of matching files by date.


Rather than using the built-in "find" mechanism of your operating
system, this program embellishes your search by providing a thumbnail
image to further aid in finding exactly what you are seeking on your
drive or network drives. You can then further refine your search by
searching the results with a tighter specification.

Instead of just searching titles of you files, this program maintains
a database of the content. Instead of performing a sometimes time
consuming search for keywords in the body of files in your operating
system, which will also search dll's and executables as well, and then
having to perform a separate search through your email client for
emails relating to your search keywords, all of this capability is
provided in one application. And since it is indexed, the search time
is much shorter than standard searching.

Some of the features they emphasize:

Comprehensive Catalog Of Your Information 

  Vision creates a full text catalog and knows the location of all
your documents and email. Simply type in a keyword and Vision displays
all documents that contain this keyword.
    
Common Document Types 

  Vision supports common Windows-based document types, including
Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), text files,
HTML files, web pages, images and pictures, sound files, MP3 files,
video files, and PDF files. All information is displayed in a single
easy to use, visual interface, regardless of it's location.
    
Email  

  Vision supports Outlook and Outlook Express email. It searches the
content and unites emails with your desktop or network documents
allowing you to discover related information, not just individual
files.
    
All Your Stuff In One Place 

  All your stuff is typically scattered about your PC or it is
archived on network drives. Vision presents you with a single, highly
visual view of all your information no matter where it is located.
Documents and email are united and presented in a single time-ordered
stream . The stream allows you to flip through all your information
quickly and easily -- like flipping through the pages of a magazine.
The most recent documents and email are in front, followed by
cascading older content in the rear. Check it Out >>
    
Preview Your Stuff  

  Vision provides a preview or glance view of your stuff for easy
visual recognition. Simply place your cursor over the document in the
stream, and Vision shows you a glance of the document, containing a
thumbnail, title or subject line for email, document type icon, date,
and a short summery of the document contents. This feature allows you
to quickly recognize the document or email without opening the
application.
    
Time Ordered Sequence 

  Vision displays all your information in a time ordered sequence --
new information up front followed by progressively older information.
This allows you to flip through all your information quickly and
easily -- like flipping through the pages of a magazine. The most
recent documents and email are in front, followed by cascading older
content in the rear.
    
Always Up To Date 

  Vision monitors all your files and email. If you edit a file, create
a new document or email, or simply move it, Vision keeps track of the
most current information and knows where it is. This assures that you
will always find what you need, accurately and easily.
    
Document Filters 

  Filters allow you to refine your searches based on document type. If
you are only looking for spreadsheet documents containing specific
keywords, you can type in the keyword and select the filter for Excel
so you can quickly sort through large amounts of information.
    
Create Detailed Searches Using With The Wizard 

  The Vision search wizard allows you to specify a number of criteria
in order to perform a search. Criteria include keywords, document
type, and date range. You can create complex searches. For example,
you can search for Word documents, containing the phrase "vacation"
created sometime between January 15, 2000 and August 25, 2001.
    
Save Common Searches  

  If you frequently search for a series of documents or email, then
you can save any search criteria, including complex searches, for fast
future access. Store a search for "Hawaii vacation" or "quarterly
review" and with just one-click you can see all your documents and
email related to this topic.


So, it is a feature rich search mechanism for finding files and data
more easily than traditional methods and the visual confirmation is a
nice touch.

While not a technology breakthrough, it can be useful for some users.
I am always suspect of any program that works in the background for
several reasons, though. Depending on your operating system,
resources, or lack thereof can be a problem. Any program constantly
operating in the background, particulalry one that is indexing, can
slow down your computer and use valuable resources. I would have to
audition this program to decide for myself if the benefits outweigh
the *potential* performance loss. Microsoft Office, for example, has
(or had) a similar function called Find Fast which indexed Office
documents. It was designed to install itself automatically and always
run in the background. Most power users immediately turned this
function off and gained valuable performance and resources from their
computer.

As you might have noticed, even the testimonials for this product do
not seem particulalry exciting:

"I am using Scopeware to rewrite a lecture - actually, combine several
old ones into a new one - which I could not do so easily without the
program. I love it." — Virginia Newmyer, Lecturer

“This is a great product and in the few days that I've used it, Vision
has been a lifesaver. It's going on every PC in my organization...” —
George Verras


Although the product has garnered lukewarm to positive reviews at
sites such as:

WinPlanet
http://www.winplanet.com/winplanet/reviews/4757/1/

and 

SmallBusinesComputing.com
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/2193081

ZDNET notes only 303 downloads for this program and user reviews are
very negative:
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3302-2248_2-10166250.html

"non-functional/buggy"

Downloaded to an XP box and ran their Wise installer. Created a folder
with 2 PDFs and 1 text document. Told their program about the folder,
ran their indexer. Keyword search turned up nothing. On further
checking, their indexer ran but failed to process any documents. Did
anyone Q/A this product or is it still in alpha? Also, license says
program will periodically send your favorite bookmark info to their
site. Why? Do they also send the content of my bank statements, tax
returns and other personal documents? From what I saw today, I am not
impressed with this product or this company. "

Hmmm. The added potential for this acting as "Spyware" also concerns
me. My bookmarks are my business, not theirs.


Search Strategy:

"Scopeware Vision" +review


I trust my research has provided an explanation of this program and
answers your question. If a link above should fail to work or anything
require further explanation or research, please do post a Request for
Clarification prior to rating the answer and closing the question and
I will be pleased to assist further.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by jimbaen-ga on 08 May 2003 13:54 PDT

This was a pretty complete answer; alas it mostly told me what I
already know. What i'm after is some sort of insight into Geletner's
mindset that makes him think this thing is the solution to all our
computer problems. What it seems to me to be is a set of virtual
shareware progs that will sort your hd's files by various criteria
within criteria. All very nice. But what is Galetner _getting_ at?
This is a very smart guy, he had a brainstroke and invented this
program and now he purveys it. What does he think he has here?

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 08 May 2003 14:33 PDT

Hello again jimbaen,

I think if you look closely, you'll notice you have changed the target
of this question from what the program does and why it might be of
value to the mindset of the author.

"...But what does this software _do_ that is so breakthrough?..."

to

"...What i'm after is some sort of insight into Geletner's mindset
that makes him think this thing is the solution to all our computer
problems..."

Had that been the original question, I probably would have not chosen
to answer as it is probably next to impossible to know the mindset of
any author unless they have chosen to share this with you. Nor have I
uncovered any mentions or claims that he feels this is "the solution
to all of our computer problems". Quite the contrary, it seems
described and adverstised as just what it is, a program to make
finding your data easier to find. Not a cure for Windows crashes or
the common cold.

I do feel I have accurately answered the posted question and provided
insight into customer acceptance and a potential that he program can
act as spyware and transmit some of your personal data back to the
author's company. What the program does and what is its value is
answerable. What the author was thinking when he wrote it is not.

"What it seems to me to be is a set of virtual shareware progs that
will sort your hd's files by various criteria within criteria..."

Actually, it does not sort your programs or files at all. It simply
creates a searchable index to make them easier for you to locate.

Scopeware notes:

"David Gelernter, PhD   
      
  The Scopeware solution is the result of 10 years of research by
technology philosopher and Yale University professor, Dr. David
Gelernter.

 Dr. Gelernter's work on parallel programming, artificial
intelligence, and information management has heavily influenced many
of today's current generation tools; the programming language called
"Linda" is used worldwide and forms the basis of Sun Microsystems
Java. In his ground breaking 1991 book Mirror Worlds, Gelernter
predicted the rise of the World Wide Web as a business medium, long
before its widespread use and adoption. Gelernter's additional titles
include: The Muse in the Machine, an in-depth examination of poetry
and artificial intelligence; 1939: The Lost World of the Fair; Drawing
Life, Gelernter's moving personal account of surviving a Unabomber
attack; and Machine Beauty, a book about aesthetics and technology. In
addition to his work as an art critic for The Weekly Standard,
Gelernter has published in numerous publications, such as the Wall
Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Commentary,
ARTNews, National Review, Time magazine, and many others. Dr.
Gelernter is a frequent keynote speaker, most recently at PC Expo and
Internet World Wireless."

So he does seem both educated and a contributor to modern computer
science.

A page at Yale notes:
http://www.cs.yale.edu/people/faculty/gelernter.html

"David Gelernter

Professor of Computer Science 

B.A., Yale University, 1976Ph.D., The State University of New York at
Stony Brook, 1982

Joined Yale Faculty 1982 

David Gelernter's research interests include information management,
parallel programming, software ensembles and artificial intelligence.
The coordination language called "Linda" that he developed with
Nicholas Carriero (also of Yale) sees fairly widespread use world-wide
for parallel programming..."

So, if I were to guess, I would think that he would think has devised
an information management system to assist the average computer user
at an affordable cost. However, I would have know way to know or to
research this for you.

You might try reaching him through the general feedback form at the
Scopeware site:

http://www.scopeware.com/company/contact_feedback.html


And as noted in the usenet group, comp.parallel, his email address in
1990 was dhg@CS.YALE.EDU and is most likely still functional today.

Kind regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by jimbaen-ga on 08 May 2003 17:49 PDT

Hi, I don't really need a clarification, I just wanted to argue with
you. :) No, seriously, I should have mentioned that I got my knowledge
of Gelerntner's attitude about this software -- a genuine conceptual
breakthrough in his opinion -- from a Tech TV video, Great Minds, I
think it was, featuring DG. He spent a half hour walking us through
his vision of the results of what he thought he was doing. Sorry I
didn't make myself clear. But again, what's so visionary?

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 08 May 2003 18:10 PDT

Hi Jim,

That would have been helpful information. The more we know about what
you know, the better we can answer! And pick and choose the questions
we feel most qualified to answer. But thanks for letting me know that
and the apology.

As far as I am concerned, there is nothing revolutionary about this
product. Perhaps DG was coached for Great Minds by Ron Popeil?

As my colleague denco quotes in his comment: 

"...Gelernter says the mouse, icon, and windows metaphors are no
longer able to manage the flood of information on most people's
PCs..."

Perhaps, but this program is not a replacment or improvement for any
of those, in my humble opinion. And I have not seen anyone yet provide
a better way of personal computing.

-=clouseau=-

Howdy Jim,

Let me see if I can meander (and because it is a comment, not much of
a meander at that...) my way to some clarity on what David Gelernter
might be getting at.

From the Scopeware site and the horse's mouth.
http://www.scopeware.com/news/pr_vision_2-18-03.html

"Scopeware is developed by Mirror Worlds Technologies, Inc. (MWT).
MWT's philosophy is based on the premise that information should be
woven into a flowing narrative stream with a past, present and future,
and that information should mirror the structure of life, not the
structure of computers."

Some of Mr. Gelernter's own words from the Edge Foundation, Inc.
website.
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bios/gelernter.html

"A community is not a community of disembodied spoken statements, in
part because the most important aspect of the communication that
people
have is emotional, and one often communicates emotion not in terms of
the text but as a subtext. The physical body is not irrelevant to a
human community. The emotional subtext of human communication is
crucial
to human thought. It isn't a footnote. Too many computer scientists
don't understand this."

Some more insight(?) from the The University of Tennessee at
Knoxville's
Department of Computer Science website.
http://www.cs.utk.edu/news/archive/2003-01-29.html

"Yale University computer scientist and veteran developer David
Gelernter
says he is now focusing on creating tools that make it easier for
users
to find 'stuff' on their computers and otherwise improve the end
user's
computer experience. Gelernter says the mouse, icon, and windows
metaphors
are no longer able to manage the flood of information on most people's
PCs.
He says, 'As email and the Web became a big thing, it was clear that
the hierarchical file systems and tools we've inherited from the 70s
would not work.'"

"Scopeware ... allows users to search for standard documents on their
PC by keyword, but presents the results as a visual, time-sequenced 
narrative. Gelernter says the user should determine the presentation
of information, not the machine. 'I want my information management
software to have the same shape as my life, which is a series of
events in time,' he says. 'I want the flow to determine the shape
of the picture I see on the screen.' Gelernter says that future
iterations of Scopeware could allow a community of users to share
documents pertinent to them through peer-to-peer systems."

So, it appears that Mr. Gelernter is trying to add some contextuality
to what he perceives is a system that is unorganized.  Scopeware seems
to be his (first?) attempt at a system that treats information
scattered
throughout a computer as something that should be treated as related
subjects.

Within that whole context, and the source of some's concern of this
being some kind of spyware, is the envisioned capability for someone
to be able to look outside of their computer and be able to gather
information that is related to what is on their own computer, and
have that presented in a (quaint, if you ask me...) "narrative" type
of structure.

I understand what you are getting at, and I don't know if this isn't
a case of "Emperor's new clothes" (as well?) but then, I don't "get"
Buckminster Fuller either.


Search Strategy:

Google search with keywords: "David Gelernter"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22David+Gelernter%22

Also went to the product's website: http://www.scopeware.com

Looking Forward, denco-ga