Reflections on NoteCards: seven issues for the next generation of hypermedia systems

ABSTRACT

NoteCards, developed by a team at Xerox PARC, was designed to support the task of transforming a chaotic collection of unrelated thoughts into an integrated, orderly interpretation of ideas and their interconnections. This article presents NoteCards as a foil against which to explore some of the major limitations of the current generation of hypermedia systems, and characterizes the issues that must be addressed in designing the next generation systems.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.4 Hypertext/Hypermedia
          Subjects: User issues

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
          Subjects: Human factors
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.4 Systems
          Subjects: Distributed databases; Query processing
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.2 Types of Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.3 Group and Organization Interfaces
          Subjects: Computer-supported cooperative work

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.m Miscellaneous

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
Collaborative work, hypermedia, hypertext