From: bau50671@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Brygg Ullmer)
Subject: Re: APP: virtual journals
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1992 21:11:07 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana



WGERLT@ATL.dnet.ge.com writes:

>It's time to dump the notion of papers being PRINTED ON PAPER.
>Don't we produce them on-line?  Aren't most of the images,
>pictures, screendumps, etc on-line to start with?  Isn't it
>faster to email something or ftp it in its original 
>electronic form than it is to get it printed, mailed, and
>distributed?  
>...

You might be interested in getting more information on AMIX.  I received 
word of it through the Foresight Institute, and after contacting AMIX received 
the following summary and a 250-line brochure.  Apparently AMIX offers an
electronically-accessible open publishing system (as anyone can
"publish," this wouldn't go far towards the "prestige through publishing"
argument offered in other posts), with the added feature of hypertext
links between "published" articles.  The brochure is really quite
interesting, as was Drexler's article describing the implications he saw
in such a service; the brochure can be requested via amixinfo@markets.amix.com.
Drexler's article may be available through this amix address as well; his
Foresight post was made through AMIX (AMIX apparently carries nanotechnology
articles among its other offerings).  Although AMIX has an e-mail address, I 
couldn't find explicit mention of Internet-born access in the brochure, though 
various types of connections were offered.  Of course, AMIX is apparently very 
new, and perhaps not even open to the general public, so Internet access
may be pending.

AMIX is apparently aimed much more at publishable works than USENET-type
discussions, as there is a minimum of a $1 fee for each article read, 
despite the presence of hypertextual cross-links for open "discussion"(?)
(I'm not really clear on this point).  I don't know if there is any preview 
mechanism.

The following is clipped from AMIX's online brochure:

-----
Summary:

On a new online Information Exchange -- AMIX -- anyone can both buy and _sell_
documents, software, or anything that can be stored digitally.  Those who buy
or sell customized information can carry out "mini-consulting" contracts; AMIX
handles all the funds transfer automatically.

This Information Marketplace has just entered the market-building phase, in
which information providers "stock the shelves" in preparation for the opening
of the market in early summer.

Charter customers opening their accounts in January will have their $50 set-up
fee applied to later connect costs.

For a charter account enabling early market participation, contact AMIX by
email at amixinfo@markets.amix.com or by phone 415-856-1234, ext. 207.

----

Quasi-disclaimer -- I'm not an AMIX customer, let alone employee, so
I post this for the sake of general interest.

Brygg Ullmer (b-ullmer@uiuc.edu)