Visual language is hard to input into computers, even with the GIMP, Inkscape, Tablet PCs, and scanners. Engineers naturally draw diagrams onto paper, but it gets time consuming when you sit at the computer.

(A word about Tablet PCs: They simply do not have enough resolution. Take something you’ve hand written, or hand-drawn, and then try to reproduce it on a Tablet PC. You simply can’t do it, without drawing big. And you discover that writing big takes longer, and dramatically interrupts the flow of thought. It basically doesn’t work, for visual language. It works for art, because you have the time to zoom in, zoom out, and do detail work. But writing is different.)

Since Christmas I have been writing “Paper Annotator,” with the idea that I can show people what I mean by “visual language.”

You can download a slightly old version, and open up the wxPython example.

I am indeed implementing semantic regions.

I have a lot to say on this subject; If you’d like to talk, feel free to email me, or call me up (206.427.2545.)

http://www.w3.org/mid/47822521.10202@w3.org

It is, actually, a nice use case!