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First phase: mainframe Paper distribution and publication Second phase: fixed media Third phase: online access Conceptual development Current implementation First phase: mainframeMy first introduction to computers was in the distant 1966, when I entered the Code of Hammurapi on punched tape, and derived some simple outputs from it.Soon convinced of the immense (if still somewhat hidden) potential, I applied and received one of the first major NEH grants for the application of computers to the humanities. The project was entitled OBLAP: Old Babylonian Linguistic Analysis Project, and it ran from 1968 until 1973. We had graduated (!) to punched cards, and we entered the entire corpus of letters as they were becomign available through the publication of F. R. Kraus series Altbabylonische Briefe. In the process, I developed a rigorous encoding manual for both the graphemic and the morphemic aspects. We soon expanded the project to include other corpora (of uneven size), with the assistance of other colleagues and of some of my students, in particular:
Paper distribution and publicationElectronic distribution was not yet an option. We provided colleagues with enormous fanfold paper outputs, running into thousand of pages, which consisted of triadic sign concordances in "kwic" format.I also began a series of printed volumes, of which only four appeared in print:
I also started a printed journal entitled Computer Aided Research in Near Eastern Studies, which I do-edited with Olivier Rouault. Back to top Second phase: fixed mediaBack to topThird phase: online accessBack to top Conceptual developmentBack to topCurrent implementation |