Experiment to upload a Unicode text file prepared using the Microsoft WordPad program and a .png file to the same place.

Suppose that a database such as this were provided in which all of the files necessary to have a free to the end user distance education superstation (produced using the enhanced broadcast profile of the DVB-MHP system by customizing pooled generic software packages) could be stored.

There would be generic software packages available and also sets of files for customizing them collected together in collections.

Each collection could have a documentation file not intended for broadcasting and one or more Unicode text files for broadcasting and zero or more .png files for broadcasting.

Each collection could be just one particular customization of one of the pooled generic software packages which would also be available from the database.

A broadcaster who then wished to broadcast the superstation could then obtain all of the files directly from the database, with the files conveniently grouped in collections together with the documentation.

Thus, by activity from broadcasters providing air time, activity from people and entities providing generic software packages and activity from individuals providing the Unicode text files and graphics files to customize the pooled generic software packages, the dream of the worldwide superstation of free to the end user distance education could be realized.

Certainly there are many issues which need to be addressed, including the provenance of the content which is to become broadcast and including an infrastructure of the checking of one person's contribution by maybe two or three other people independently needing to be established.

Yet it may be possible for it to work.  A high quality secure database provided by a responsible organization, such as is this one, would be needed.

Can we discuss this possibility in this forum please?

William Overington

21 May 2003