Jason Compton VIScorp 111 N. Canal Street Suite 933 Chicago, IL 60606 9/28/96 Mr. Compton, Thankyou for your call, I can only put forth the effort to communicate how important it was and is to me. And hope my continuing communication efforts succeed. Alot is up to you here. As you have expressed to me, all mail is being directed thru you. To use and analogy: a simple 741 op-amp is of greater value when the componets are added to cause/allow feedback. Without it, little if any can be accomplished. As I responded, I really do understand and already knew that until VIScorp completely has the Amiga it would not be wise to proceed with energy (manpower, finances, etc.) on that which is dependant on having the Amiga. Please know this, that I know this. So why am I still communicating, rather than waiting? Because I see something else, something important, something that is not dependant on weither or not VIScorp gets the Amiga (though it can, if there, contribute alot). What it is I see is not a tangible asset but that which is very important to producing the needed tangible assets. That which can cut thru all that has been blocking such asset production. And what this is, is the attitude to ask, really listen, think and respond with honesty, with the objective of producing value. I also recognize the struggle the Amiga has gone thru, those looking back and seeing with the 20/20 vision of hindsight, are also the ones to have reason to have this attitude. And it is this attitude and reason for it, that is extreamly important and priceless in value, a value beyond calculation simply because you cannot calculate the tangible value it creates until you have what it creates to calculate. Tangible values so many see and know could have existed by now via hindsight, but doesn't exist now due lack of having the priceless intangible value needed long ago. A priceless value that can be created/caused by struggle, but in this case it happens to be the Amiga, for so many, as the focal point of the struggle. An attitude/value worth keeping regardless of the focal point or whatever its evolutional direction becomes. At best, the focal point, the struggle, will succeed productively producing ever increasing value. And when it's time has come, it will be looked back on and appriciated for it's stepping stone value to even greater value production. As the struggle vanishes, converts to success, the priceless value, the attitude need not vanish. There are many other valid focal points to apply this attitude to, to shift the attitude focus to, rather than lose it altogether. Some focal points may, in their success, not be worth as much as others. Some will be worth a great deal more than the success of the Amiga. But it is this intangible priceless attitude that is simply to valuable to lose so easily. Jason, I could have communicated with ESCOM, but I did not. Simply because I did not hear or see any effort on their part of requesting feedback and honestly listening. Of establishing a strong and viable feedback loop with their end users/customers and all in between. Experience has proven to me that unless the ears are open, of those you put forth the effort to communicate with, there will be no valid productive feedback loop established. (i.e. Escom did not have their ears really open and it was only thru Tim Jensons little understanding of the german language that Tim was able to know and put forth the effort to correct an error on their part about him, obiviously and totally missing the fact Tim has tangible reason to love the Amiga. Clearly showing that ESCOM was never really intouch with tangible value to begin with.) I was not wrong in not trying to communicate with ESCOM, Mr. Jenson has alot more tangible proof than I, but it all comes down to asking and really listening but ESCOM never really asked. VIScorp, on the other hand, has been asking. Not once, twice but continues to ask. And VIScorp has those whom have been responding, sometimes with great effort on the part of those who need to respond (i.e. and in no small way, AAi+++, of which even you took part in). (Side-tracking, parrallel track, for a moment) BTW, Ray, owner of ACS here in Atlanta was called by ESCOM and asked what he thought about the, at the time, planned AAi banquet. His responce was lacking in support. The reason I'm telling you this is not because ESCOM didn't show, though Rays responce may have contributed to ESCOMs reason (really I'm mumbling "excuse"), but mostly for the importance of honesty and the valid feedback it allows to happen. Ray is a good person, but everytime I go over to ACS, I see or become aware of something Ray is doing without realizing it. He throws opportunity away. He often is given peices of a puzzle but throws them away before he receives the matching, value generating, peice. Only to realize to late what he did, but never correcting what he needs to correct to stop doing this. Jason, Ray is an Amiga Dealer, and I did take the time to write him about this thing he does and how to correct it. I took it to him a few days ago. I don't know if he read it. But as an Amiga Dealer, he needs to correct. You might call him, though it would be up to you as to what to say, but you are in a position to make a strong impression on him that he may make the correction he needs. Perhaps something along the lines of not throwing puzzle peices away so quickly. ACS (770) 263-7852. (Back on the main track) VIScorp, so far, appears to really have it's ears open. And in so many ways I recognize this as the best I've seen anyone, and I do anyone as in individual and/or company, having their ears really open. And I, no, alot of people, need this, right now, in a very very big way! I don't know what will become of the Amiga, I really do want to see it happen and in a very big way. But what I'm counting on here, is the open ears to hear, think, understand and know I am not on a pedistal but in a ditch being dug by those whom don't have their eyes open. And I want so much for their eyes to open and see, so to stop digging this ditch deeper and deeper but to help all of us out of it and even fill it in while filling in alot of other ditches. A ditch that is quickly becoming a canyon. Please Mr. Compton, hear what I'm saying. I looked thru my Amiga programming related books last night, Rom kernal manuals, Lattice C manuals, other Amiga programming books, as well as books on OS development, Complier and Interpreter writting. I also looked at the dictionary and thesaurus, the way they are layed out. I see the structure, logic, and representation of processes, I see what is common with all of these, I see what is constant. I thought about programming, problem solving, but most of all I see an answer to many problems, a single problem solved that can easily cause such a level of positive productive impact that I'm very concerned that you might turn away in disbelief. I'm concerned that your ears may close, that you'll be blind to something so simple, something there is no valid reason not to do. Concerned that if I tell you even some of what the impact WILL be, you'll think to yourself, nobody can tell the future and you'll be both right and wrong, but you'll still miss it. You'll be right, nobody can tell the future. You'll be wrong in that those whom are creating the furture are calculating it, have the vision to see what the future is going to be. And in their calculation, if they are wise, they know how to adjust so to keep on the track of positive productivity, value generation. What is in this for me? At best, the opportunity to earn a very good living while doing what I'm good at and enjoy. A very small reward, in comparison to the overall value the impact it will have. What is in this for VIScorp, credit for being the company that listened and did and does, and the opportunity to receive plenty of value for continuing to do. What is in this for everyone else? The removal of very costly/non-productive problems. The reduction of time, frustration and distraction caused by these non-productive problems. The availability of finances otherwise spent on dealing with these non-productive problems. Finances that can be better invested in positive productive efforts. And there is alot more to gain but this alone, it's impact as you'll see, is quite large. Although there is a great deal more to do than anyone individual or company (regardless of size) can do, it all starts with something very simple. In example of why all there is to do, is more than even the company microsoft can handle, take a good look at the AAi X-10 video, a team-work effort of the whole spectrum, from successful companies like NewTek, Motorolla, as well as the Media, politics, developers, some whom know nothing about the Amiga, and most of all user groups - the users. THE USERS! Who else could have done this with such a level of open and inherent honesty, than the users. That it is honestly the user in all of us, whom spoke up. Not the Business owner, Not the Media person, Not the - well maybe the politian, but it was the user whom spoke up. I do believe you see, know and understand this, Mr. Compton. Although I was not involved in the video or any part of the material used, I know it took time and effort on the part of many to create it. And it will take a little time before it spreads far and wide, but I know that it will. How? For the same reason someone saw and communicated the Question "Will Commodore survive?" Only here the message is good and positive. Likewise, I know success won't happen in a day, but I also know that no matter how hard and long one might try, No company, No media, No one with inherent direct personal gain, could ever cause, or would even likley know to allow, such a work and message to be communicated as the X-10 video, without something to bring them together, without the users genuine involvement. This letter is not about the X-10 video, but I am presenting you peices, very important peices, of an important puzzle to solve. A puzzle that has a solution, a simple solution. And I feel it important, that you see the peices before I identify some of the results of the problem and identify the missing peice. A problem- In the U.S. alone: 31% of software development is cancelled = $81 billion 53% of software development is challenged - late, cost overruns = $59 billion 16% of software development success. Dollar for dollar, most of the money is spent on maintaince and repair. These non-productive investments are not a complete loss, the money does go into circulation. But there is no value being generated in it transfer for non-productivity. And this is only the part that was calculated. What is not calculated is the non-productive expence of the end-user time, frustration and distraction in dealing with failure, the loss of company finances in both paying the user for their non-productive time and the resulting inability to invest this money in productive efforts. Not to go into the overall impact of this in industry in general. With just the above figures, that's over $140 billion in the U.S. alone. This is annually and it's a growing canyon, made from many small ditches. If the missing piece only corrects 1% that's $1.4 billion. But the missing peice is alot more than just a small fix. It is a key peice in bringing many together and in many ways. Jason, I told you I am not a programmer, but I realize you may find this a bit puzzling with what I have communicated to you. The fact is I did specifically go to College to take a few programming classes (Intro to programming, basic, C and advanced C programming) receiving a straight 4.0 GPA. I have as well and amoung other interest, studied on my own. Also having a background in electronics study, with 4.0 marks. But what I have done for a living has been building things, often where I'm allowed to apply my creative talents to solve problems. And although I'm above average in all of this, what I'm really good at is finding simple solutions or things that can be done to inherently improve productivity, lower cost, while maintaining quality and increasing value. And it does not seem to matter what I focus on, given enough time I'll make inherent, certain to succeed, progress. Often without the recognition I honestly am owed. The side effect of seeing and doing simple things that are often not so easy for others to see, and why they don't see and do it themselves. It is not unusual for others to find mystery in me, think I have a second life, to play head games in order to "figure me out", etc.. But I know telling you this is important to help clear up questions you may have about me, perhaps even help give support to the fact the peice of the puzzle I see is not theory, not ego based, but more than just an simple application, but an application that will take hold and with certainty. So why have I not created this peice, if it is so simple? Distractions and the need to earn an income. I did try to get a job as a C programmer but it was at a time when things were slow, employers had choice pick and I didn't and don't have a degree. Fact is, if this peice existed 8-9 years ago, I'd been able to create it with ease, but then I'd not needed to create it, however, I would have made use of it and earned a good income from making use of it. And things would be much different today, not so much because I would be using it, but that many would be using it. And alot of little things add up and cause team-work, alot of little things working together to create additional benefits otherwise not possible from not working together. Actually, for me alone, creating this peice, seeing it being applied, defining it in terms of the inherent constraints of computers, and communicating it is no simple task. It takes alot in the way of concentration in depth and width and on many subjects, focus to see and consider alot at the same time, the ability and effort to not become subjective and to know when I am becomming subjective or biased and to step back so to regain proper focus. I saw this peice and sat down at my A1000 some 8-9 years ago, thinking that with all I saw and knew about computers, electronics and programming, it wouldn't take much time to do this. But what I found was what hasn't been done, something basicly simple. Something an experienced programmer could do with a little time. Problems been, I'm not an experienced programmer (if I was I would probably be to subjective and biased). And distraction and the need to earn an income have kept me from the energy and time I need to define it in such a manner that a programmer(s) will understand enough to create it, even though they may be to subjective or biased to really fully understand its functionality (but will certainly and quickly see it or some facet/application of it and begin using it, once they have it to use). And this is important to note, so many will see only some facet of it they can use to increase their productivity. But it is simple, especially in comparison to the problems it can and will inherently solve. Jason, you may have already guessed, I'm talking about the V.I.C. and please, please, please do not be distracted or become blind due terms I have used, such as Virtual Interaction Core, Knowledge calculator, imagination, etc.. Perhaps I shouldn't have used such terms, but they are correct terms, only they are terms which will become accepted as it's use evolves. Instead of seeing these terms, look at the functionality of AI and PK as I have defined them in some detail (see disk w/VISION directory). And realize what I have defined can easily be done/programmed. Understand the rest of it, what I haven't yet defined/written, can, as well, be easily done/programmed. And once level one is done, the hardest part is over with. To use a metophore, the engine cranked and running, all that is needed is for people, developers and users to get in and go. And this will happen, perhaps slow at first but as people begin to realize they can easily combine parts they produce with part others produce (not just texual scripts, definitions and processes, but programs complied and intrepreted, as well as compilers and intrepreter). They will see and understand more and more, inherently, easily. A great deal of energy and expence went into producing the ROM Kernal manuals and other books on Amiga programming. Now I seem to believe the ROM kernal manuals had/has some kind of online aid version. I don't know enough about it to say more, but I do see such information being applied via the V.I.C. to write code. I see the information in the Lattice C manuals also being used as well as the compiler being set in motion, all via the V.I.C. I see the lists of Do's and Don'ts listed in the ROM Kernal manual being automically handeled/adheared to via the V.I.C.. I see these parts having been created separately by different companies, using whatever text format each saw fit to use for themselves. But thru the V.I.C. they can all work together to give the programmer ease and greater certainty of success and very low bug count. Actually this is rather easy for me to see, but I also see where natural language processing is then added to give the end user ability to produce programs (with the web languages and authoring packages, already many have access to programming without knowing much about programming but the ability to logically organize their thoughts and do with the given tools, but even here many that can don't because they don't have the time). I see many contributing to creating, refining, sharing improvements. I see users doing this. And this is only the subject of programming. There is alot more! Mr. Compton, I know/suspect that right now much is being sent thru you in the form of user feedback, from around the world. It has taken me these past two weeks of not working, to deal with distractions, including the physical pain of a pinched nerve in my neck, to find and apply my focus back in the V.I.C.. Only to know after I write this letter to you I'll make a few notes before I go back to work tomarrow, sunday. To work at an exhibit house and a forman I have never meet. They called me today, they are in a pinch and need me for around eight days with long hours. I need the money but I know this type of work is not good for my neck. Jason, help me to help many, please. Tim Rue timrue@mindspring.com P.S. don't forget about Ray at ACS, thanks.
Email: timrue@mindspring.com
Copyright © 1988, 1994, 1996 Timothy V. Rue