[topicmapmail] TM for Linux desktop

[Carlo Moneti]

To all,

Here's a thought--admittedly a bit off the cuff. This is in the context of 
spreading topic map usage and, perhaps, greatly accelerating the adoption 
of Linux as a desktop operating system.

Today Linux, MAC, and MS all use conventional menus for their desktop 
environment (and applications). Suppose one or more of the Linux desktop UI 
projects (gnome, KDE, Ximian, etc.) were convinced to create a topic map 
navigation scheme for their UI; a newly installed application would 
associate itself to the desktop menu/navigation system by adding some TM 
fragments to the topic map.

With this foundation (plus general increased awareness of TM), application 
developers might more readily begin to see how individual applications 
could implement TM in their menu/navigation, and how application data 
(where applicable) could be stored in a TM-friendly way (i.e., generic 
datamodel, TM export).

Over the course of a few years, we might be able to see the holy grail of 
application integration: a transformation from distinct "walled-in" 
applications to seemless traversal from one functionality (or service) to 
another, where the application window and backend data are easily shared.

I sure would like to get your comments on this idea and it's viability.

Thanks,
Carlo moneti
http://arsteca.net