Discussions at the data border: from generalised hypertext to structural computing

Structural Computing grew from the trend in hypertext research towards generalised systems, it asserts the primacy of structure over data. As a philosophy it has been compared to Structuralism in anthropology and linguistics and has given birth to a new trend in systems design known as Multiple Open Services (MOS). The Fundamental Open Hypermedia Model (FOHM) is an alternative approach to Generalised Hypertext that views the various Hypertext domains as continuous rather than discrete. Its relationships to Structural Computing, Structuralism and MOS have never been fully explored. This paper examines these relationships. We explore how FOHM might be implemented in MOS environments and describe the Data Border, the point where Structure meets Data. We then use this to explore how FOHM and Generalised Hypermedia are related to Structuralism and Structural Computing.