NCA’s Virtual Bookshelf offers profiles of new and notable books authored by NCA members.
A free-flowing space where communication educators can contribute to an ongoing dialogue designed to improve communication instruction.HUC web post No. 1 September 19, 2007 corrections as of 12/26/07
HUC(R) is a concept
for a universal information access system based upon the Hilton Universal Code for the unique identification of all recorded
knowledge and information. This concept was first copyrighted and presented in 1967 to the 33RD CONFERENCE OF FID AND INTERNATIONAL
CONGRESS ON DOCUMENTATION which met in Tokyo.
The publication of this site and material has been precipitated
by the article in the &Financial Times& for Friday September 14, 2007 entitled &Google in call for privacy
legislation.& & From 1967 until comprehensive information control legislation is adopted,
the creation of a universal information access system could be easily achieved by a person with a vision and the necessary
resources. Such a system would be the second of the two elements comprising the Global Information Infrastructure. The first
element to emerge was the Interactive (Internet) the second or Universal would be based upon unique identification in a structured
64-bit format with special identifiers for confidential and private information.
The next posting on this site
will describe how the HUC System would help protect individuals privacy in the delivery of information and improve the effectiveness
of searches for specific information.
The objectives of this site and the documents and commentary that it will
present are (1) to describe such a system in detail and (2)to ascertain if there are any individuals, organizations, companies,
or government entities interested in the creation of a universal information access system.
This initial posting
will consist of an outline for the points relevant to a description of the system and the major headings for the specific
documents, proposals, and thoughts that will be added from time to time. It will conclude with four letters and proposal sent
to Tom Ridge as head of Homeland Security and a copy of a letter sent to J. D. Kleinke, Chairman and CEO of Omnimedix Institute
including a proposal for action on privacy legislation.
OUTLINE&OF THE HUCSYSTEM as of November 2007&
Part 1: Introduction:&The term &HUCSystem(R) embraces all aspects of the Hilton&Universal Information
System and the Hilton-Silha product&development and marketing strategy. This outline, which has&ten parts, covers
both proprietary and copyrighted&information.
I. Major parts of the outline
&A. Introduction
&B. Assumptions
&C. General concept
&D. Systems concept
&E. Product concept
&F. Marketing concept
&G. Decisions for the implementation of the concept
&H. Operations
&I. Implications
&J. Conclusions
II. Origin
&A. Vannevar Bush 1945
&B. Life article 1945
Developments prior to 1967
III. Formulation of the Hilton Universal Code for the unique identification
of all recorded knowledge and information
&A. Copyright 1967
First use International Conference on Water for Peace
&C. Tokyo paper
&D. Technological development
&E. Institutional problems
IV. Government proposals
&A. Penn State Univ.
&B. Legislative 1970
&C. Executive branch information systems
&D. Freedom of Information Act
&E. Proposal for Govt. of UK
&F. Letter to President Carter
V. Private sector proposals prior to 1980
VI. Viewdata and Prestel
VII. Discussions
VIII. Private sector approaches post 1980
IX. Alternative financing for PBS
X. White House Conference on Small Business
XI. Subsequent papers
XII. Hilton-Silha connection
Part 2: Assumptions
XIII. Transition from print and paper to electronic&dissemination
of information
XIV. The state of the world
XV. The dominant factor
XVI. Resources
XVII. Unique identification required
XVIII Market potential in the billions
XIX. Costs much less than many predict
XX. Technology ready
Part 3: General Concept
XXI. Objectives
XXII. Database organization
XXIII. Hardware
XXIV. Software
XXV. Communications
XXVI. Security
XXVII. Payments
XXVIII. The Hilton Universal Code
Part 4: Systems Concept
XXIX. The role of the
XXX. The organization subsystem
XXXI. The distribution subsystem
XXXII. The
user subsystem
XXXIII.The income subsystem
XXXIV. The input subsystem
potential for the telephone industry
Part 5: Product Concept
XXXVI. The index database
XXXVII. The document database
XXXVIII. Software as a product
XXXIX. Hardware as
XL. Services
XLI. Franchises
Part 6: Marketing Concept
XLII. Transnational companies
XLIII. Professional organizations
XLIV. Products
XLV. Services
XLVI. Homes
Part 7: Decisions for the Implementation of the Concept
XLVII. Organization
XLVIII. Distribution
XLIX. Coding
L. Marketing
LI. Design and engineering
LII. Legal
LIII. Political
LIV. Software
LV. Database priorities
LVI. Franchise agreements
LVII. SI and encryption
LVIII. International
Part 8: Operations
LIX. Quality control
LX. Customer relations
LXI. Ten year plan
LXII. By country and category
9: Implications
LXIII. For the innovative company or organization
LXIV. For Charter Subscribers
LXV. For Founder Subscribers
LXVI. For users
LXVII. For the United States Hilton-Page
Govnet proposal
LXVIII. For other countries
LXIX. For various industries
10: Conclusions
LXX. Risks and rewards
LXXI. Costs and benefits
LXXII. The
HUCSystem in 2015
Howard J. Hilton Ph.D
425 Golden Beach Blvd.
Venice, FL 34285
941 485 6958
LETTERS AND GOVNET PROPOSAL
Howard J. Hilton, 425 Golden Beach Blvd., Venice,
September 24, 2001
The Honorable Tom Ridge, Director
Homeland Security Agency
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania, Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
The key to the success of your mandate to assure the security of our country is information. It is essential
that the information resources of the many departments and agencies that are involved in various aspects of security be available
to your agency.
One way that you can stay on top of that mass of information is by assigning a
unique identifier to every item and maintaining a record in your agency. While many agencies have excellent systems, some
can't communicate with others. There is no way that you can presently have promptly at your disposal all information on
a single subject or individual available in all of the government files. I have been working for the past 59 years---in government
retiring as a Foreign Service Officer, as a professor in the Pennsylvania State University system, and on my own---trying
to anticipate future needs. I perceived that information systems would play a crucial role and that an essential element in
information planning was missing. My solution was the development of a system concept for handling all recorded knowledge
and information. In recent years my colleagues and I have been waiting for the technology that could provide the hardware
capable of handling all information in digital form. That technology and our system concept can now meet your present urgent
Our system would provide a unique identifier for manageable data sets covering all items
of interest. All information and data in the system would be indexed and retrievable using a 64-bit structured identifier.
Present technology can provide you and your agency with 64-bit processors, terabytes of storage, broadband communications,
and the capability of integrating internal systems and of keeping our people and the world informed with reliable public information.
What is lacking in present Government information systems is the concept for effectively managing all of that data, both confidential
and public. The secrecy provided by our concept is essential, but so is the necessity of keeping the public informed. As Madison
perceptively stated: &Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. If we are to mobilize those in the world that wish for
peace and mutual respect against those manipulated by messages of hate and destruction, we must provide the people with the
power of knowledge. Our concept would also provide the people with that knowledge and the means of retrieving it in homes
and in libraries.
When faced with the problem of bringing a person back from the moon, the suggestion of a lunar
orbiter was met with scorn. Our concept of a 64-bit identifier for all of the Federal Government may well receive the initial
reaction accorded the idea of a lunar orbiter. My colleague, Chuck Page, has offered our services in proposals to the present
administration. His web
describes his commitment and our joint effort.
Given three years,
the turnover time of most workstations, new systems with 64-bit processors, 64-bit identifiers, and software for storage,
retrieval, and communications would enable the entire Government to operate with much greater efficiency. This is an innovative
concept for solving a difficult problem.
We are ready and willing to serve in this effort. I can be reached by
Email at , by Fax at 941 488 6166, or by mail.
Sincerely yours,
Howard J. Hilton,
Second Letter to Ridge
October 8, 2001
The Honorable Tom Ridge,
Homeland Security Agency
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania, Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Congratulations on your formal
assumption of the duties of the Director of Homeland Security. In your acceptance comments and in your address reported in
the &New York Times& of October 3, 2001 you made the essential point about the importance of maintaining liberty
in our society. As I noted in my letter to you dated September 24, 2001, public information is one of the two essential elements
for the type of information system you need to fulfill your mandate. The other element of that system is maintaining maximum
security for sensitive information involving lives of individuals. An example of essential maximum security is the case of
a foreign operation in which only about 13 individuals in the Government knew the name of the person whom the CIA was helping
to escape from the Soviet Union.
Since my letter of August 1, 1975 to the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget, I have been trying to impress on the Federal Government the necessity of having a unique identifier
in a structured format capable of identifying any information, device, or object requiring an identifier. This ranges from
every identifiable galaxy and its components in space to the smallest element of matter, all recorded knowledge, and including
individuals, products, and communicating devices. Were the Federal Government to have had such a system with biometrical coded
visas and other documents, the pattern of movements and behavior of the terrorists should have become apparent.
You are undoubtedly flooded with all kinds of advice, but I believe that none will have more ultimate impact
on the United States and the world both politically and economically than the creation of a universal information access system.
Such a system based upon unique identifiers, detailed indexing, and the 64-bit parallel processors will make all systems from
handheld devices to the largest desktop computers more efficient for both the public and private sectors. Broadband communications
and the unique identifiers will support both elements of a new Homeland Security system.
deficiencies noted 26 years ago in my 1975 letter still exist today &in the information storage and retrieval systems
presently in operation in the Federal Government.& With your decision to take charge and to create an effective information
system, my colleagues and I could provide the detailed steps required to develop such a system. By utilizing the talents and
abilities of the people in the agencies involved in homeland security and with the funds available to procure the necessary
hardware, you could have a system in operation in the time it takes to draft the RFPs and procure the hardware. Some parts
such as biometrical coding for visas and other documents may require additional time.
If you are
interested, you may reach me by fax at 941 4886166 or email at
with copies to .
Third letter to Ridge
January 23, 2002
The Honorable Tom Ridge,
Assistant to the President
and Director of Homeland Security
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania, Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Governor:
Thank you for your card assuring me that an appropriate member of your staff
will respond directly to me in connection with my letters to you dated September 26th and October 8th of last year. I would
be most appreciative if a member of your staff would route this letter to the person who will be communicating with me directly.
We are entering the age of convergence in which the common language for the distribution, storage,
retrieval, and use of knowledge and information will be digital medium. It is not clear at this time which combination will
emerge as the primary choice whether it will be electronic, optical, chemical, holographic, organic, or some medium yet to
be developed. Nor is it yet clear whether the notation will be binary or some higher combination. As you know three states
have been achieved in the laboratory. Whatever emerges, the unique identification of every conceivable item of information,
device, product, or service will ultimately become necessary for the efficient operation of our society.
In my letters I have mentioned a code of 64 alphanumeric characters which can uniquely identify all conceivable
items of information. These characters can be reduced to a structured 64-bit identifier for ease of use by a variety of devices.
As is well known, it is possible to immobilize the Internet and to prevent urgent messages from reaching their destinations
by terrestrial means. Short of atomic holocaust it would be impossible for terrorists to achieve that goal when various satellites
If the Federal Government were to require all Departments and Agencies to use such identifiers
and to provide the satellite frequencies for the communication of information, the value of the system that I have previously
described would become evident. Some of the implications which might not readily come to mind include:
1. Its role in stimulating the economy of the United States and in the reconstruction of Afghanistan,
2. As a means of handling the identification of cryptographic codes,
3. Providing the United States Postal Service
with a new revenue stream and a new dimension in worldwide mail and package delivery,
4. Establishing more efficient
communications with State and local agencies,
5. Facilitating the delivery of public information to companies
organizations and individuals, etc.
I look forward to receiving comments and questions concerning
the role that this concept could play in the evolution of effective homeland security.
I can receive
communications by Fax at 941 488 6166 or by email at
Fourth letter to Ridge
February 8, 2002
The Honorable Tom Ridge,
to the President
and Director of Homeland Security
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania, Avenue
Washington,
Dear Governor:
If you and the President do not take charge
of the FAA GO program, its implementation may preempt or complicate your &master plan for coordinating domestic security.&
The FAA program as with all other such plans including the master plan will have to have unique identifiers.
As I stated in my letter to you of September 24, 2001, &the key to the success of your mandate to assure the security
of our country is information.& In that and subsequent letters dated, October 8, 2001 and January 23, 2002, I described
the essential elements of a universal system based on 64-bit processors and identifiers for the hardware and software. Implementation
of that program would create an effective national system covering all relevant departments, agencies and items in the database.
The New York Times in its editorial yesterday said that &there must be a unified approach&
to the problems that you face. The solution is available as well as the timetable for implementing it. Almost five months
have passed since my first letter to you, and I have yet to receive a substantive reply to any of my letters. Were my suggestions
in my letter of October 8, 2001 to have been considered and implemented, you could have the structure of a unified approach
in place today.
I look forward to receiving a substantive response by Fax at 941 488 6166 or by
Response to the Request for Information for a Government
Designed to Serve Critical Government Functions (GOVNET)
Submitted by
Howard J. Hilton, Ph.D.
and Charles P. Page
Members of the Homeland United Coalition
The RFI seeks &[I]deas
and suggestions that provide alternative approaches to designing, developing, acquiring, operating, and managing GOVNET.
AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH: It is clear from listening to the mayors, and reading statements and comments
in the press that the Federal Government requires a much more secure and effective information system. The mayors feel that
they are the frontline of defense against terrorism and they want a partnership with the Federal Government. That partnership
requires support, financial and otherwise, and an effective flow of information. The effectiveness of the information flow
depends on two aspects, content and delivery. GovNet, as conceived in this submission can provide the effective delivery of
the information. It is a first step in a comprehensive program to win the war against terrorism at home and abroad.
Effective information for the security of the United States has to include both the secure transmissions
of intelligence and satellite distribution of public information worldwide. Our Embassies and Consulates need to be able to
exchange information in real time. The public information database can play an important role in mobilizing those in the world
who wish for peace and mutual respect against those manipulated by hate and destruction. The following addresses the specific
points enumerated in this section of the RFI.
A. DESIGN: To be effective the design has to achieve
certain goals:
1. It must provide the speediest delivery of information to all interested parties.
2. All information and data in the system must be uniquely identified in a structured format.
3. All information
and data must be fully indexed.
4. An effective data structure must be created to serve the dual needs of the
users and system administration.
5. The government must have access to all data available on the Internet.
6. It must have the necessary hardware and software for effective operation.
B. DEVELOPMENT:
The development of GOVNET should have two components interactive and multipoint distribution. The thrust of the RFI is on
the interactive component, but for that to be most effective, the multipoint distribution should be the focal element in integrating
all involved in homeland security. Homeland security also involves all the people who need to be kept informed by reliable
public documents and information. If the multipoint distribution were by satellite with encrypted information for authorized
recipients and clear text or public key encryption for copyrighted information, that would probably be the least expensive
and speediest method of distribution for all concerned.
The development of the interactive component
of GOVNET would proceed with the RFPs based upon the decisions of the Homeland Security Council. The development of the multipoint
distribution component should first be vetted by an Interagency Task Group to produce the following decisions:
A. 1. SPEEDY DELIVERY: The best multipoint distribution system would combine satellite and other broadband
technologies. Delivery of restricted or higher classified information to authorized recipients within the United States or
to selected Embassies could utilize direct fiber optic connections.
A. 2. UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION:
All information distributed to multiusers should be uniquely identified in a structured alphanumeric mnemonic string consisting
of no more than 64 characters. The code should be capable of identifying the type of source or device uniquely identified
including all index items, character of the source identification, the security or legal status of the item so identified,
a date field for a 1000 year span with time to the second, medium availability, copyright holder, language, and 64-bit identifier
also in a structured format. The hardware should have a special GOVNET key and a 64-bit processor capable of matching in parallel
the index profile of a document or device against a user profile.
The software should respond to a numeric entry
by any number of automatic operations, retrieve a document, connect with another device or control another device, or proceed
with a programmed protocol. As a simple example, if the number entered by a user in the United States is for a Fax machine
abroad, the software would either automatically send the Fax or say please put the Fax in the machine.
The essential requirement for an effective universal information access system is the unique identification of all
recorded knowledge and information in a structured format that will meet the needs of all nations and cultures. Such an identifier
or code has to be assigned for all sources or creators whose works are distributed by such a system. The source identifier
and a time then assure uniqueness. For ease of use, it should be mnemonic, as Dr. Bush suggested.
The Internet provides unique domain names in alpha characters, as whole words, or in mnemonic form, but many Universal
Resource Locators used on the Internet are too long to be effective unique identifiers for a worldwide system. While links,
as described in &As We May Think&, facilitate access, the creation of the Global Information Infrastructure could
provide even greater access and more effective use of all the information and technology available.
A unique identifier should be as compact as possible while providing additional essential information. Such information
should include status, media, primary storage or availability, medium address, payment account, and special fields for libraries
and numeric access. Ideally the length of the structured identifier should not exceed 64 alphanumeric characters. This would
enable each column in the code to be identified by a single bit for use by a 64-bit processor.
The source field of the universal code, used interchangeably with universal identifier, has to have the capability of uniquely
identifying all of the various items of the universe. Here on earth we are dealing with creators or sources of information.
Individual creators can be expected to number in the billions. Index terms including geographic segments are measured in peta
units. When one considers all of the objects of the universe beyond our solar system, the code has to have a capacity, certainly
during the next few generations, of identifying exa or quintillionfold items in photographs and telemetry data.
All units of governments and their information product have to be uniquely identified. The classification status, if private,
has to be designated. This will permit the same software to handle both public and private information with access to the
private limited to authorized individuals. This category should also include international organizations.
In addition to public and private with classification status, this part of a code would have limited entries for
varying types of access to intellectual property protected by copyright. These could range from payment to free use to public
domain for those products for which copyright has expired.
As mentioned, the time component of
unique identification is in many cases an essential element. The coding here should provide for the identification of time
down to the second for a thousand years and in Julian days for several thousand.
Languages and
translations also need to be incorporated as additional relevant information for identifying all recorded knowledge and information.
Identification would inevitably have some limitations. For example, language groups will have to be used for some original
documents with translations into official languages of international organization such as the UN.
Since access to some public information requires payment, any unique identifier to be part of a universal information access
system has to provide an account into which payment can be made and access obtained to any specifically identified document.
The structure of such a field will no doubt involve credit institutions. Another important field consists of 16 characters
for a 64-bit identifier. This field should provide access to every item in the database and could be used for accessing TV
programs, establishing communications and receiving signals.
The numeric identifier is an essential
component of a universal information access system. It is the foundation for 64-bit processing and the means for maximizing
the potential of computer interaction with directories and users. It consists of 16 special numeric characters the equivalent
of the 4-bit byte of the hexadecimal notation.
The numeric identifier is structured by the size
of the identifier. The category with the smallest size, 65,536 bits, is the Unicode which identifies characters used in the
languages of the world. The next category would be the system character set and the identification of level and type of the
information, two of the six index categories. Following that would be two index categories covering (1) subject terms and
phrases, and (2) individuals and organizations. The larger identifiers would apply to all communication devices, barcodes,
credit cards, and the last two of the six category index, geographic and space. The identification of public documents is
the largest category capable of identifying more than a quintillionfold or exa items of documents and their profiles, mnemonic
identifiers, and other relevant information. The space index category requires special treatment having a separate 64-bit
identifier for cataloging the entire myriad's of items being revealed by signals and images being captured by telescopes
and other devices.
Although the most important function is the identification of all public items
in the broadcast database, the next important function is the numeric identifier for the private data of individuals and organizations.
One key bit makes it possible to separate such information from the public data. This enables individuals to use the same
software for private use while protecting the private data from the public.
Between the thousands
of bits for the Unicode and quintillionfold or exa for the public and private documents and data, provision has to be made
in the broadcast identifier for the document and its components including, the alphanumeric designation, document profile,
seriatim identifier, and chain link or links.
Data broadcasting with profiles in 64-bit streams
enables parallel processing to handle comparisons more efficiently.
The structured format of the
numeric identifier enables a chip to identify and to act in a proscribed manner. For example, if one assumes a calculated
amount in a certain range, the appropriate action might be to store a Unicode character, proceed to dial a telephone, to set
a VCR or to tune a TV program, or to enter an index term in a search command, among other things.
The numeric code is also the database and access mode for cryptographic data, including public keys for individuals and
for devices. It can also be the source, with another satellite transmission, for the delivery of disappearing keys. The concept
of these keys is based upon a series of random numbers broadcast continually at high speed. Two parties communicating in code
each select the code key starting at the same character in the stream. Since terabytes of random numbers would provide the
key, one could assume that deciphering a message with a key contained in terabytes of possibilities would be highly improbable.
While any person or organization can create unique identifiers given an assigned unique source code, such is
not the case with a numeric identifier. This must be assigned either individually or in contiguous blocks at the time of initial
distribution.
A. 3. INDEX: Complete indexing is the key to effective access to information as
it is distributed or as it is retrieved from a storage network. The index should cover all recorded knowledge, products, and
services with information available in digital form. The index should include words and phrases in all languages, proper names
and places geographic segments and elevations to one second, significant numbers and dates, the type and level of the item
identified, and all items in space and the universe. The index would be created by software at the time of initial distribution
and would be the document profile for the software decision to keep or not as the document is received from the multipoint
A. 4. FILE STRUCTURE: The file structure plays an important role in keeping track of
the terabytes of information that will be developed by the system. The essential files are a seriatim file for each broadcast
document or item, a source file, a chain file, and a group of administrative files.
A. 5. GOVNET
ACCESS: For GOVNET to be an effective operation it must have access for internal distribution in identified and indexed format
to all information available on the Internet. This can be achieved either by legislation or by other means. It also needs
information from other Governments that can be communicated to the GOVNET operation center or through U.S. channels available
in the country providing the information.
A. 6. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE: The communications hardware
and software for fiber c
connections and for satellite delivery are largely in place. The most unsettled element
in the complete system is storage and its connection to the delivery system. During the 1980s network attached storage (NAS)
began to develop. At first the networks were LANs or local area networks. They have since expanded to wide area networks (WAN),
and up to storage area networks (SAN). As the networks have grown so have the speeds that the storage systems have to handle,
from early Ethernet to OC 48-2 a 2.5Gbps. From the early Network File System (NFS) developed by Sun Microsystems and now in
the public domain, storage companies are now looking methods for handling global requirement for (GFS) Global File System.
Here the RFP for storage needs to specify the file structure for handling the unique identifiers.
C. ACQUISITION: RFPs can acquire all of the elements in the multipoint distribution for specific needs.
A. 1. There are two ways to achieve speedy delivery of information to the many agencies and departments that require
such information to achieve assigned goals. One is by satellite and the other is by broadband multipoint delivery. It should
be apparent that as the number of potential recipients increases so does the cost by broadband terrestrial links. As illustrated
by the events since September 11, 2001, one does not know in advance often what specific information may be required. Anthrax
is a specific type of information, but states would presumably capture all biological information for which they might someday
have to face as a terrorist attack. When such information will be required, better retrieval than available on the Internet
will be essential. Effective Boolean searches of full text file will provide such retrieval capability.
A. 2. The Federal Government has sufficient in-house expertise to define the character set and the fields for a
unique identifier. What needs to be acquired is the keyboard and keypads for a pilot test and the software for handling both
the alphanumeric and numeric identifiers. An RFP for these items should produce quick results. The basic software for indexing
the various databases could also be acquired by an RFP.
A. 3. With the software and hardware,
all agencies could proceed with indexing their databases and assigning the unique identifiers.
A. 4. The definition of the data structure should be agreed together with the definition of the unique identifiers. It should
be a part of the RFI for the centralized storage of the public and private components of Govnet.
A. 5. The access to all of the data on the Internet is essential for the effective operation of Govnet. This access can
be assured by legislation or by payment or both. The history and language of copyright law has provided that copies of material
seeking copyright protection must be registered and deposited with the copyright office. In the days of print an paper distribution,
it was impossible for the copyright office to handle the volume. Now with material in digital format, the requirement should
be mandatory. For example, any material in digital format seeking copyright protection should be deposited with the copyright
office within six months of its initial distribution. With this requirement, the copyright office will be in the position
of the patent office in making public all applications for copyright. At the same time, it can reduce the cost of copyrights
in digital formats.
D. OPERATION: private contractors for both the satellite and terrestrial distribution
can handle the operation of the multipoint communications. The assignment of the unique identifiers, indexing, and assigning
priorities should be retained in the Federal Government.
E. MANAGEMENT: The multipoint distribution
of the public information should be handled by the private sector while the classified information should be controlled by
the Federal system.
F. IMPLICATIONS
This response to the RFI for Govnet
has imlications for the future that Govnet can initiate and serve as a foundation for future development. This section describes
the alternative approach encompassing the big picture in the War against terrorism. This approach has political, economic,
legal, and social implications.
The war on terrorism needs what General Grove did with the Manhattan
project in World War II. That war was won with the destructive power of men and materiel of which the atomic bomb was the
final blow. This war will be won by the use of intellect and intelligence by men and women from all areas of the globe. One
name for such a project could be the Freedom Coalition Project.
The Freedom Coalition Project
as with the Manhattan project must have the highest level of support and security to protect intelligence information. As
with the important programs of World War II it must have the funds to mobilize the talent to design and implement programs
using intellect and intelligence. It needs to have the focus of the Manhattan and Bletchley Park projects, and the political
vision of the Marshall plan. The Freedom Coalition Project in the beginning will not have the single focus of creating an
atomic bomb or breaking enemy codes. The intelligence element does have the sharper focus of finding and interdicting terrorist.
Fortunately, agencies are in place to perform that function. What the Freedom Coalition Project would bring to those operations
would be coordination and an even better information handling capabilities.
It was the intellect
of the physicists, codebreakers, and other scientists that succeeded in World War II. This war requires a broader range of
talent to design programs recognizing our security requirements and the needs of people. If the effort of the Coalition to
mobilize those in the world who wish for peace and mutual respect against those manipulated by hate and destruction is to
be successful, it must rely on people to people programs providing sustenance for both the body and the mind.
The core of the Project should be the creation of a central database to serve all areas of Government and the
strategies and tactics that the Project will be designing and implementing. This database would be an essential component
of GovNet. It would maintain the security of intelligence information while making public information more accessible to the
agencies producing and using it. Other public information in the database and broadcast worldwide would be designed to provide
the peoples of the world knowledge and information that is the basis of a freedom loving civil society. This could be a major
goal to make available all recorded knowledge and information using the talent of students unable to find gainful employment
after graduation. For example, Islamic Governments could be asked to fund projects for converting basic Islamic texts and
ancient documents into digital form. The Library of Malta with manucripts dating from the first millenium would be only one
The first problem for the Project should be the agreement on a code that would uniquely
identify all recorded knowledge in digital format from the beginning of the human record until the year 2500 AD. This unique
identifier and its 64-bit equivalent would be used for the Project's database.
The central
element of the project is the use of information and the creation of a new system for identifying, distributing, storing,
retrieving, and using information. Just one simple example can illustrate what the new system can provide. We all know the
difficulties of finding addresses in strange cities. Imagine a universal postal code with 12 numeric characters and a simple
GPS receiver that would take one to the precise address. When billions are made, they will be as inexpensive as the calculators
that are often given away as incentives to buy other products. Universal phone numbers consisting of 11 numeric characters
for every phone in the world will be a big help as world becomes safer and more global in outlook and economic and social
interchange.
Information distributed by satellite broadcast has a much lower marginal cost than
that delivered by terrestrial means. This is especially true as the number of users increases. For users who would access
public domain data without charge, the cost would be much less than that paid to an information provider, likewise for distributors.
They would have only an inexpensive charge for the indexing and identification of their material.
Advertising performs an essential function in any economy, especially so in a capitalistic market economy. There are two
principal types of advertising that which provides essential information regarding product, service, location, and price and
that which is designed to catch the eye and create company or brand identification. Like Gresham’s law the latter
seems to be driving out the former on rmation
Infrastructure includes all elements
that enable a society or system to function. In the beginning of the Internet, the infrastructure included the vision of Licklider,
the resources of the Defense Department, and the participation of some key universities. With their computers and terminals
the era of networking was launched.
The infrastructure as it now exists includes the interactive
part provided by the Internet as we know it. For universal information access we have satellites for worldwide distribution
of information, devices for receiving and processing such transmissions, bandwidth, and storage devices. What is missing is
the vision coupled with the resources necessary to utilize the existing infrastructure and add some bits and pieces of hardware
and software to make all public domain information available to anyone capable of receiving satellite signals.
But where does one find that combination of vision coupled with resources? The vision can start in garages,
but launching a universal information access system requires capital and organization and a person with a vision of what the
future that can be. As Toffler wrote in his book, The Adaptive Corporation, AThe men of Theodore Vail=s generation faced enormous
handicaps and succeeded, in the end in creating something [the Bell Telephone system] that never before had existed.&
A similar challenge faces those who will create a universal information access for the world.
Such an individual with vision and command of resources can be found in large organizations, foundations, governments, and
perhaps in a consortium of institutions. Following organizational and technical decisions concerning a character set and setting
identification parameters, the next step is a big one --- tackling the mountain of public data available without charge and
creating the index databases for the six-category index.
While organizing the data for identification
and indexing, it is also necessary to arrange for the satellite distribution that would cover most of the globe and to test
the available equipment and reception. All of this technology and software is readily available both for the broadcast and
for testing the effectiveness of the system
Effectiveness should be measured from two points of
view, the system deliverers and the system users. Testing has to cover the frequency, accuracy, and resolution of downlink
signals and should cover more than speed and accuracy of the data transmission. It should include the reception of the database
by the user and the effectiveness in use. This might include some of the new concepts involving watermarks and embedded systems
to help keep track of data and facilitate payment for use when that is required.
Effectiveness in use applies
equally to the interactive and distributive components of a Global Information Infrastructure. The distributive component
should provide 64-bit addresses and index profiles for all web sites as well as for all communication devices, products and
When the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) is in place, the system would function
as a common pool of knowledge and information. This common pool would consist of document identifiers for all public information
broadcast and index profiles. Presumably, most members of the United Nations would wish to maintain a complete file and to
submit their public records to the system. The process for creating this common pool would involve several steps. Initially
intellectual property would be delivered to an uplink station. Here it would be indexed, assigned a numerical 64-bit identifier
and broadcast. If copyright protection is desired, it could be registered and deposited with Office of Copyrights as the same
time. The uplink and downlink are continuous streams containing documents, profiles of the documents, and other relevant information.
The downlink could be received by anyone with a receiver and processor. The processor would match
the document profiles against the users' profiles and store the relevant information for the selected documents.
Documents not stored on the users' systems could be retrieved from the interactive Internet service
using the 16 numeric character identifier
The first major example of a change in legal structure
to accommodate the transition to a new epoch was the Statue of Anne in 1710 that set the standard for copyright law. This
Statute gave the Stationers protection for their publications and in return required them to make copies available to the
Crown. A similar principle was incorporated in the copyright law of the United States. But the copyright office and the Library
of Congress could not begin to keep and to make available all of the intellectual property in paper or film form seeking copyright
protection.
In this age of convergence more attention is being given to the fact that there are
two classes of information, public and private. All material seeking copyright protection is by definition public material.
That is not to say that it is free, although some may belong in that category. Private information ranges from the highest
governmental security classification to advertising material that might be thrown in the garbage bin.
What both classes have in common is the necessity of a common structure for the unique identification of each and every
item. Such unique identification is essential for the creation of a universal information access system covering both public
and private information. The following discussion will cover the need for change in the provisions for the protection of intellectual
property in digital form and the requirements for the creation of a universal system.
The problem
with respect to intellectual property is to find an equitable balance between the interests of society for access and use
of knowledge and information and the creators of intellectual property for remuneration of their efforts and protection of
their reputations. Since the Statute of Anne in 1710, a basic principle of copyright for intellectual property has been the
requirement that a copy of the material seeking protection be deposited with the authority issuing the copyright.
In the epoch of centralized print and paper distribution, no authority could manage all paper material seeking
copyright protection by the simple use of the 8, or even the paper copies deposited with the Office of Copyrights as required
for a registered copyright document.
In the present epoch of bits and bandwidth the deposit of
all such material available in digital form can be managed. An essential requirement for such a managed system is that any
person or organization desiring to produce public or private information secure a unique identifier in a structured format.
For the user, these identifiers would be mnemonic, but for computer usage each mnemonic identifier would have a 64-bit, 16
special character identifier.
One of the elements missing in the discussion of intellectual property
and information access is the various levels that are inherent in the process. The following are four suggested levels:
Level I: This should include a profile of all information released to the public. By definition this
would include all intellectual property for which copyright protection is desired.
Level II: This
would include the full text of all public domain material.
Level III: Would be information protected
by copyright with license for further distribution and copying.
Level IV: would include intellectual
property made available for sale to the public and for which fees might be charged for use and reproduction.
There is no single source today which attempts to list all items for which copyright protection is desired. Even though copies
of all material registered for copyright protection are supposed to be deposited with the Office of Copyrights, it is unable
to produce some items that have been so deposited. What is needed with a universal information access system is the requirement
that all digital material for which copyright protection is desired be deposited with the Copyright Office.
Universal access means that any individual can have Level I access to information. If all Level I information is broadcast
in the clear by satellites with footprints that cover the globe, then any individual, organization, or company can receive
that signal with a dish and receiver. With a computer and appropriate software any material in home or company system could
be retrieved faster and with greater accuracy than is now available on the Internet..
Any Government could require
by appropriate act that any person or organization seeking copyright protection for a document in digital form must provide
a copy within six months and maintain access to that document on terms set at the time protection is sought. The inclusion
of document profiles of such documents and notification of their publication would help restore the balance between the interest
of the producers and users of information.
Whatever the future may hold, some developments seem certain. We
will have terabytes of storage and bandwidth available in offices and homes. To manage the information contained in those
terabytes unique identification in a structured format will be essential.
KLEINKE LETTER AND PRIVACY
Howard J. Hilton
P.O. Box 1053
425 Golden Beach Blvd.
Venice, FL 34285
Voice: 941 485 6958
January 6, 2007
J.D. Kleinke
Chairman and Chief Executive
Omnimedix Institute
619 SW 11th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205
Dear Mr. Kleinke,
Recent articles in the press and information on the Internet indicate that you recognize medical
records are a matter of universal concern. The organization that proposes a universal solution will be in the drivers seat
in implementing its program and in dealing with much larger companies interested in meeting the demand for secure and effective
information systems. The foundation of a universal system is the unique identification of everything. In that universe, identification
of individuals&and their personal information require special treatment.
This letter is the product of
three perspectives: private and public records in the academic area, health and individual medical records as viewed from
family practice, and public and private records in the totality of a universal information access system. The contributors
of these perspectives are Dr. H. Nelson Hilton Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia,
Dr. William Morgan, my family care Physician at Venice Family Practice, and myself, retired Foreign Service Officer and former
Professor at Pennsylvania State University.
My colleagues and I can provide you with a hardware and software
concept that will enable you to create a universal code. This code will identify all recorded knowledge, information, records,
and products in the public and private database you hope to create. The central elements in this concept are---
A. The protection of the privacy of individual records,
B. The ease of access and use by taking advantage
of present 64-bit technology,
C. The creation of an architecture to facilitate the transition to new technology,
D. Finally, the achievement of an effective Global Information Infrastructure.
Enclosed is
a draft of my concept for the protection of private personal records. My thought is to try an organize a bipartisan support
for the creation of a public private organization for the confidential identification of individuals. Such an effort would
begin with the two Senators from Oregon and Florida as a nucleolus. If the Government ever creates such a system, their protected
identifiers would be made available to any new such Federal organization. This identification system could be part of a much
larger system such as one being considered in the expansion of the Wiki concept.
If you are interested in exploring
this concept, please let me know.
Sincerely yours,&
Howard J. Hilton, Ph.D.
&December 12, 2006
Individuals and Privacy
The development of centralized storage
of medical and other records of individuals identified by name threatens their privacy. A major step in protecting that privacy
is the HUC& concept for a universal information access system based upon the Hilton universal code for the unique identification
of all recorded knowledge and information. In that system individuals who create public information are identified by a unique
64-bit identifier. Their name and number are used to retrieve their creations or references to them in a public database.
In order to protect private information, the concept envisages an independent organization that would, for a
fee, issue a unique private identifier to an individual using a secure biometric reading for identification. This 64-bit identifier
could be used for all private medical records for that individual. If only that number identified the individual, someone
searching by name would not be able to see a record without authorization and the person's unique number. The person or
organization using the records would control access using only the biometric identification. Whenever verification of the
individual is required, a request would be delivered to the secure repository. The individual would then reproduce the biometric
data and deliver it through a secure link.
For example, assume the storage organization receives a request for
all of the medical records for a person with a confidential numeric identifier. If the request emanates from an unauthorized
source, the storage organization would forward the request to the&secure identification repository that would then forward
the request to the individual or authorized organization to accept or to deny the request. Assuming the biometric identifier
is a fingerprint, the individual or organization would physically replicate the identifier and respond to the request.
Ideally the secure depository would be a public-private entity created by the Congress and responsible only to it.
The individuals having their biometric identities administered by this organization would have specified legal safeguards,
so that no administration, organization, or individual could have access to their identity without their permission or permission
obtained with a court order issued according to strict guidelines set by Congress.
Howard J. Hilton, Ph.D.
425 Golden Beach Blvd.
Venice, FL 34285
941 485 6958
Howard J. Hilton Ph.D.425 Golden Beach Blvd.Venice, FL 34285
Phone: 941 484 7306
Consultation by phone 941 484 7306 or by email .