FYI, here's a press release about a new service on Prodigy. Like
it or not, natural language searching is catching on.
Jim Milles
Head of Computer Services
Saint Louis University Law Library
millesjg@sluvca.slu.edu
---------- Text of forwarded message ----------
Date: 6 Nov 1993 14:23:33 U
From: Joshua Kopelman <josh@smtpgw.infonautics.com>
Subject: Prodigy to turn kids into Infonauts
Prodigy to turn kids into Infonauts
INFONAUTICS PRODUCT WILL JOIN PRODIGY'S
EXTENSIVE EDUCATION LINEUP
Prodigy to offer Interactive Homework Helper Database
Prodigy Serves Company and Infonautics Corporation have signed a letter of
intent to offer Infonautics' educational service, Homework Helper, to PRODIGY
service members in 1994. The PRODIGY service has over 300,000 children
included in its membership.
Homework Helper, a breakthrough reference service, lets students with home
computers search millions pages of reference material. It is perfect for
students, because it responds to commands in PLAIN ENGLISH. For example, the
query "Who said 'Et tu, Brute?'" will yield the full text of Julius Caesar;
the complete Monarch Notes; an encyclopedia article on Caesar; and references
from newspapers, magazines and other sources. When asked, "Why is the sky
blue?" Homework Helper cites the encyclopedia, mythology and poetry.
Homework Helper carries the works of over 35 publishers, including USA Today,
The Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Simon & Schuster, Reuters, Journal Graphics,
and Time Magazine. Additionally, the system houses over 700 major literary
works; the King James Bible; CNN Television Transcripts; Compton's Multimedia
Encyclopedia; and the World Alamanc and Book of Facts.
Homework Helper uses a new generation of searching technology that adds
meaning to search words (previous technology relied on spelling along).
Thus, in a query such as "Who is Columbus?" the system will automatically add
concepts such as "15th century," "age of exploration" or "new world" to the
search. Homework Helper also lets students instruct the software to deliver
references appropriate to their age and reading ability.
"This technology allows children to explore their favorite topics in
easy-to-understand language," says Jim Galambos, Prodigy's General Manager of
Education and Entertainment. "For schools and families, this will be the
most exciting new educational feature in 1994."
Marvin Weinberger, President of Infonautcs, added "Our agreement with Prodigy
will help American children become 'infonauts' -- to launch out into
information space and go anywhere there dreams can take them."
Prodigy has built the country's largest online collection of educational
content by creating alliances with NOVA, National Geographic, Grolier's
Encyclopedia, Scholastic, INC., and Broderbund.
The PRODIGY servic is America's most popular online service. It gives
families with personal computers on-demand access to up-to-the-minute news,
weather, sports and other information; reference databases including a
regularly updated encyclopedia; games and educational features; electronic
mail and 800 bulletin-board topics; and online shopping, travel ticketing,
banking and a discount brokerage.
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