Oulipo Machine

A Xanalogical System for the Creation of New Literature

Goals and Features

The goal of OulipoMachine is to build a complete xanalogical system with bidirectional linking and with micropayments for content providers.

The designs and interactions are inspired by Udanax Green (Xanadu 88.1)

Current features include

• Keystore management and server authentication
• Server node creation
• Adding users
• Creating document meta-data
• Document and link access control
• Creating Links between documents
• Finding links
• Retrieve Endsets (from/to VSpans)
• SPARQL queries of backend data
• REST queries

Future features will include:

• Distributed p2p architecture (replacing Federated Servers)
• Block-chained documents with post-quantum cryptography
• Localization and language support
• Optional Encryption of Text Streams
• JavaFX Browser and Content Viewer
• JavaFX Content Publisher
• Viewing of links between documents
• Access tokens for temporary permissions to access/edit documents
• Micropayments
• Keystore and Security UI
• Search document text
• Assistants for writing constrained literature (in the Oulipo sense) and non-sequential writing

17 Principles of Xanadu

The August 2017 release of OulipoMachine meets 5 of the 17 Principles of Xanadu

• Every Xanadu server is uniquely and securely identified. (1)
• Every user is uniquely and securely identified. (3)
• Links are visible and can be followed from all endpoints. (7)
• Every document is uniquely and securely identified. (10)
• Every document can have secure access controls. (11)

The first alpha release will target another 6 of the principles

• Every user can search, retrieve, create and store documents. (4)
• Every document can consist of any number of parts each of which may be of any data type. (5)
• Every document can contain links of any type including virtual copies ("transclusions") to any other document in the system accessible to its owner. (6)
• Permission to link to a document is explicitly granted by the act of publication. (8)
• Every document can be rapidly searched, stored and retrieved without user knowledge of where it is physically stored. (12)
• Every transaction is secure and auditable only by the parties to that transaction. (16)

2019 will focus on federation, micropayments and data redundancy, meeting another 5 of the principles

• Every Xanadu server can be operated independently or in a network. (2)
• Every document can contain a royalty mechanism at any desired degree of granularity to ensure payment on any portion accessed, including virtual copies ("transclusions") of all or part of the document. (9)
• Every document is automatically moved to physical storage appropriate to its frequency of access from any given location. (13)
• Every document is automatically stored redundantly to maintain availability even in case of a disaster. (14)
• Every Xanadu service provider can charge their users at any rate they choose for the storage, retrieval and publishing of documents. (15)

Release Milestones

• Initial release of features August 2017
• Alpha release (includes browsing and publishing) Early 2018
• Beta release mid 2020 (distributed p2p over Tor, block-chained version)
• Production release early 2021
• Micropayments 2021