Information Retrieval List Digest 080 (August 22, 1991) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-080 IRLIST Digest August 22, 1991 Volume VIII, Number 37 Issue 80 ********************************************************** I. NOTICES A. Meeting Announcements/Calls for Papers 1. 6th International Workshop on Natural Language Generation B. Publications Announcements 1. Mind Machine Digest IV. PROJECT WORK C. Miscellaneous 1. WAIS ********************************************************** I. NOTICES I.A.1. Fr: Robert Dale Re: 6th International Workshop on Natural Language Generation Call for Papers The Sixth International Workshop on Natural Language Generation Castel Ivano, Trento, Italy, 5th--7th April 1992 *** NOTE---REVISED SUBMISSION DATE AND OTHER DETAILS **** PURPOSE AND SCOPE: Following on from the five previous International Workshops on Natural Language Generation, this workshop aims to bring together researchers in a rapidly consolidating field. We intend to structure the workshop around a number of emerging topic areas: Multi-modality: the practical and theoretical issues underlying development of systems that integrate language generation other media (such as graphics, maps, and forms). The representation and use of syntactic knowledge: we particularlye papers which attempt to bridge the gap between earlierase structure grammar based approaches, systemic roaches, and newer constraint-based approaches, and discussions of how these approaches address the motivation of syntactic choice. Approaches to text planning: a number of approaches to discourse structure (such as RST, DRT and schemas) have relevance to text planning. What are their respective strengths and, especially, weaknesses? In what areas do we need additional theories? Applications of NLG: the use of language generation techniques in, for example, expert system explanation, machine translation, dialogue systems, and report generation; their implications for more theoretical issues. Multi-linguality: the effects upon system architecture and underlying representation of building systems which generate text in more than one language. To what extent is it possible to build plug-and-play realization components for different languages for use with generic text planners? SUBMISSIONS: Contributors interested in participating in this workshop are initially requested to submit A PAPER OF 10 PAGES in length. Papers will be reviewed by an international programme committee. Accepted papers will be returned for polishing and revision into full length papers before inclusion into the workshop proceedings, which will be published as a book. The cover page of the draft paper should include the title, the name(s) of the author(s), complete addresses (including email address and fax number if available), a short (10 line) summary, and a specification of the topic area. Send to: Mail: Robert Dale Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Edinburgh 2 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9LW, Scotland Tel:(+44) 31 650 4416 Fax:(+44) 31 662 4912 Email:R.Dale@uk.ac.ed SCHEDULE: Submissions are due at the above address NO LATER THAN 4TH NOVEMBER 1991, either by paper mail, email (in LaTeX form), or fax; notifications of acceptance should be received by authors BY 6TH JANUARY 1992; camera ready versions of the final papers are due 17TH FEBRUARY 1992. Approximately 15 papers will be accepted for presentation at the workshop and subsequent inclusion in the book. Note the change of submission date and change in length of paper required. WORKSHOP INFORMATION: Attendance at the workshop will be limited to around 50 people. The workshop has been timed to follow the Third Conference on Applied Natural Language Processing, being held in Trento, Italy from 1st--3rd April 1992. Details of this conference can be obtained from Oliviero Stock, IRST, 38050 Povo (Trento), Italy; Tel: (+39) 461 81444, email: stock@irst.it The cost of the workshop, including accommodation and meals, is expected to be in the region of $300 per person. Financial support for the workshop is being sought. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Esprit Basic Research Actions and the Special Interest Group on Generation of the Association for Computational Linguistics. Organising Committee: Robert Dale, Eduard Hovy, Dietmar Rosner and Oliviero Stock. ********** I.B.1. Fr: Dana Nibby Re: Mind Machine Digest MIND MACHINE DIGEST mailing list * Devoted to the discussion and proliferation of information of: MIND MACHINES -- Consciousness altering electronic devices. With an emphasis on the practical application of these devices: -- Building your own devices -- Experiences with these devices (home-built or commercial units) -- Speculations on the human potential value of said devices -- Reviews of commercial units -- Information files available: ** Schematics, patent lists, reference lists, etc. NON-ELECTRONIC DEVICES: -- Float tanks Other topics of discussion include: Sensory Deprivation, Sensory Overload, Hypnosis, Trance States, Subliminal Technology RULES OF THE LIST [1.1] No profane language will be tolerated. Personally, I am in no way offended by profane language, but there will always be those folks who are. [1.2] Speak freely and honestly. If you have an unpopular opinion, fine, just be able to support your opinion intelligently without attacking others personally. Please keep flame wars to private e-mail. [1.3] This is not a science-fiction book discussion list. If you want to delve deeply into the discussion of SF authors/works, please do it elsewhere. The books most likely to be discussed here are non-fiction. [1.4] Exchange of information is encouraged. One of the primary goals of this list is to be a crossroads and network for the exchange of mind machine information [1.5] Don't be intimidated. This list is not meant exclusively for techies (although techies are certainly welcome). Technical discussions are welcome, but the only prerequisite needed here is an interest in mind machines. Discussion of subjective experience is encouraged. [1.6] There will be no discussion of virtual reality. Space does not permit it. If VR is your primary concern, there is a VR newsgroup/mailing list. (I do not know the addresses) TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIST: send e-mail to: D_NIBBY@UNHH.UNH.EDU Leave your full name, mailing address ( Please make sure you give me the internet version of your address), and a description of your specific interests and/or experience with mind machines. Those who provide no description whatsover will not be considered for a subscription. If you have no background with mind machines fine, just say so. NOTE: If you do not receive a digest within two weeks, please re-apply. All the work around here is done manually, and requests for subscriptions sometimes get zapped by mistake. If there is a zero in your address, please indicate that it IS a zero and not the character '0', where applicable. I will add you to the list manually, as there is no LISTSERV facility at this node. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send e-mail to: D_NIBBY@UNHH.UNH.EDU Leave a message saying that you wish to unsubscribe with your full name and mailing address TO POST MESSAGES: send mail to the same address The list is sent out in digest form at approximately 2-4 day intervals. All posts become property of the list manager. Virtually, Dana ********************************************************** IV. PROJECT WORK IV.C.1. Fr: Brewster Kahle Re: Overview of Wide Area Information Servers Overview of Wide Area Information Servers Brewster Kahle April 1992 The Wide Area Information Servers system is a set of products supplied by different vendors to help end-users find and retrieve information over networks. Thinking Machines, Apple Computer, and Dow Jones initially implemented such a system for use by business executives. These products are becoming more widely available from various companies. What does WAIS do? Users on different platforms can access personal, company, and published information from one interface. The information can be anything: text, pictures, voice, or formatted documents. Since a single computer-to-computer protocol is used, information can be stored anywhere on different types of machines. Anyone can use this system since it uses natural language questions to find relevant documents. Relevent documents can be fed back to a server to refine the search. This avoids complicated query languages and vendor specific systems. Successful searches can be automatically run to alert the user when new information becomes available. How does WAIS work? The servers take a users question and do their best to find relevant documents. The servers, at this point, do not "understand" the users english language question, rather they try to find documents that contain those words and phrases and ranks then based on heuristics. The user interfaces (clients) talk to the servers using an extension to a standard protocol Z39.50. Using a public standard allows vendors to compete with each other, while bypassing the usual proprietary protocol period that slows development. Thinking Machines is giving away an implementation of this standard to help vendors develop clients and servers. What WAIS servers exist? Even though the system is very new, there are already several servers: * Dow Jones is putting a server on their own DowVision network. This server contains the Wall Street Journal, Barons, and 450 magazines. This is a for-pay server. * Thinking Machines operates a Connection Machine on the internet for free use. The databases it supports are some patents, a collection of molecular biology abstracts, a cookbook, and the CIA World Factbook. * MIT supports a poetry server with a great deal of classical and modern poetry. Cosmic is serving descriptions of government software packages. The Library of Congress has plans to make their catalog available on the protocol. * Weather maps and forecasts are made available by Thinking Machines as a repackaging of existing information. * The "directory of servers" facility is operated by Thinking Machines so that new servers can be easily registered as either for-pay or for-free servers and users can find out about these services. How can I find out more about WAIS? Contact Brewster Kahle for more information on the WAIS project, the Connection Machine WAIS system, or the free Mac, Unix Server, and X Window System interfaces. There is a mailing list that has weekly postings on progress and new releases; to subscribe send and email note to wais-discussion-request@think.com. Brewster Kahle Project Leader Wide Area Information Servers Brewster@Think.com ********************************************************** IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California, Division of Library Automation, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA. 94612-3550. Send the subscription request SUB IR-L to: LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET Send submissions to IRLIST to: IR-L@UCCVMA.BITNET Editorial Staff: Clifford Lynch lynch@postgres.berkeley.edu or calur@uccmvsa.bitnet Nancy Gusack ncgur@uccmvsa.bitnet Mary Engle engle@cmsa.berkeley.edu or meeur@uccmvsa.bitnet The IRLIST Archives will be set up for anonymous FTP, and the address will be announced in future issues. To access back issues presently, send the message INDEX IR-L to LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET. To get a specific issue listed in the Index, send the message GET IR-L LOG ***, where *** is the month and day on which the issue was mailed, to LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET. These files are not to be sold or used for commercial purposes. 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