Re: Mathematics via Distance Drawing

Re: Mathematics via Distance Drawing

[Andrew Stacey]

[ Note from moderator: As the poster rightly suggests, time to move
further discussion off of list; this is the last of this thread. BTW, I
can confirm from a first use this morning that jarnal works smoothly as
advertised - shared page collaboration is easy and no external server
required; thanks to Andrew for the tip. ]


On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 11:57:45AM +0000, a.tonks@londonmet.ac.uk wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 3:03 PM, Andrew Stacey
> <andrew.stacey@math.ntnu.no> wrote:
> > On Mon, Mar 08, 2010 at 03:26:04PM -0500, Ellis D. Cooper wrote:
> >> For years I have been advocating the use of internet technology to allow
> >> mathematicians the use of ordinary handwriting and drawing on a single
> >> shared "virtual" sheet of paper.
> >
> > This is already possible.  The free program 'jarnal' allows one to set up
> > a server whereupon people can connect and see what everyone else is writing.
> > Together with a graphics tablet, this is exactly what you describe.  As jarnal
> > is written in java, it works on any platform.
> >
> > Andrew
> >
> 
> Yes I agree we are *nearly* there with a combination of tablets or
> tablet PCs, plus something skype-like, plus something like Andrew says
> -  and might I mention, for those who don't have the inclination to
> set up their own servers for some informal discussions, there are even
> free whiteboard/conferencing sites e.g. imaginationcubed.com and vyew.com.

One of the things about jarnal is that "setting up a server" is trivial.  It
does it all for you.

I should confess that I have never actually used jarnal for this, though I use
it all the time for my lectures (being able to write on the computer saves
a lot of time).  If anyone likes the sound of giving it a go and would like to
see what it's like, I'd be happy to try it out.  Probably best to arrange this
off-list if anyone's interested.

Andrew


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Re: Mathematics via Distance Drawing

[a.tonks]

On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 3:03 PM, Andrew Stacey
<andrew.stacey@math.ntnu.no> wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 08, 2010 at 03:26:04PM -0500, Ellis D. Cooper wrote:
>> For years I have been advocating the use of internet technology to allow
>> mathematicians the use of ordinary handwriting and drawing on a single
>> shared "virtual" sheet of paper.
>
> This is already possible.  The free program 'jarnal' allows one to set up
> a server whereupon people can connect and see what everyone else is writing.
> Together with a graphics tablet, this is exactly what you describe.  As jarnal
> is written in java, it works on any platform.
>
> Andrew
>

Yes I agree we are *nearly* there with a combination of tablets or
tablet PCs, plus something skype-like, plus something like Andrew says
-  and might I mention, for those who don't have the inclination to
set up their own servers for some informal discussions, there are even
free whiteboard/conferencing sites e.g. imaginationcubed.com and
vyew.com.

Andy

-- 
Dr A Tonks, STORM/FoC
London Metropolitan University
166-220 Holloway Road N7 8DB


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Re: Mathematics via Distance Drawing

[Andrew Stacey]

On Mon, Mar 08, 2010 at 03:26:04PM -0500, Ellis D. Cooper wrote:
> For years I have been advocating the use of internet technology to allow
> mathematicians the use of ordinary handwriting and drawing on a single
> shared "virtual" sheet of paper.

This is already possible.  The free program 'jarnal' allows one to set up
a server whereupon people can connect and see what everyone else is writing.
Together with a graphics tablet, this is exactly what you describe.  As jarnal
is written in java, it works on any platform.

Andrew


[For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

Mathematics via Distance Drawing

[Ellis D. Cooper]

Dear Professor Benabou and all colleagues,

At 10:46 PM 3/7/2010, you wrote:
>Has the sorry time finally  arrived when one can no longer work in
>Mathematics unless he knows  TeX, LaTeX, and/or other sophisticated
>word processings? Should I,  and many others it would be too long to
>name, stop doing mathematics?
>
>I'd appreciate answers from all colleagues

For years I have been advocating the use of internet technology to
allow mathematicians the use of ordinary handwriting and drawing on a
single shared "virtual" sheet of paper. For example, I wrote "Science
on a Napkin: Virtual Drawing is to Drawing as the Telephone is to
Speaking" and made it available in 2007 for dowload at

http://distancedrawing.com/Napkin071215a.pdf .

Nowadays with Skype (currently free) and high-resolution digital
video cameras (low-cost) I am certain a scheme can be worked out to
achieve my goal of "distance drawing." But even short of a "single"
shared piece of virtual paper, already my collaborator and I
routinely share real-time video of each other's pads for free over
Skype, and have enjoyed hours of technical conversation. There is no
reason that mathematical material cannot be recorded by one or more
mathematicians and distributed via the internet to subscribers --
with audio, handwritten equations, and diagrams -- in color.

Ellis D. Cooper




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