Is the WWWeb that difficult?

[John Martin Johnson <kamikazebear@gn.apc.org>]

You will find that the problem is not quite as complex as
you might think: Of course the promoters of Win-Doze and
the latest Mac OS might claim duopoly of the TCP/IP
protocols but software can handle any data as long as
it is warned whether, at any time, to recieve text or an
image or where to place it.
1       Graphics.
        The GIFF image is more or less standard on the WWWeb
        and it doesn't seem to care about the basic platform:
        in fact there was an article in an old Apple magazine
        about trying to display a GIFF but, on looking at the
        file format textbook I noticed that all there is to it
        is a tiny header which indicates the dimentions and
        'position' of the bitmap (which can be reinterpreted
        within ][e/][gs parameters (High/SuperHighRes screen,
        of course), and a fairly rapid HPLOT within the designated
        bit of screen.
2.      Text.
        No sweat with the exception of those prats that send it
        in bitmapped form to show off the latest font: what a waste!
3.      Linkages.
        Bearing in mind the actual tasks done, there shouldn't be
        any major problem: the trouble is that when you see it
        done on a ginormous platform it takes megabytes of
        program because they 'need' all the bells and whistles..
        unlike us, of course.
                a.      Placement of text-links
                80-column text taken as standard, I think
                but even the ][e can trap for cursor-position
                and the link-label word could easily be
                inversed/flashing on the humblest ][e.
                b.      Navigation
                People have a strange fixation with mice but
                we can live without them, honestly!
                Once the screen layout is sorted, finding
                your way using cursor keys is a piece of cake.
                Of course it need'nt be cursor keys as it doesn't
                take massive chunks of code to trap input from
                Paddles/Joystick, Tablet, Mouse (if you have to!)
                as long as you have a good card behind whatever
                peripheral you're using. Interrupt-driven would
                be cool so the system'll be sampling I/O between
                checking what else is going on.
.