[WEB4LIB] RE: Vendors Who Borrow from One Another

[Marshall Breeding]

In my understanding:

OpenURL was a construct devised by Herbert Van de Sompel at Ghent 
University as part of the SFX environment he developed at as part of his 
Ph.D. research.  A series of articles appeared in D-Lib describing the 
environment:

  http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april99/van_de_sompel/04van_de_sompel-pt1.html
  http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april99/van_de_sompel/04van_de_sompel-pt2.html
  http://www.dlib.org/dlib/october99/van_de_sompel/10van_de_sompel.html


Ghent / Van de Somple sold SFX to Ex Libris in February 2000.

Ex Libris began beta testing of SFX as a product in June 2000 

OpenURL submited to NISO for standards consideration in January 2001

Detailed documentation is available on Ex Libris' SFX website:
   http://www.sfxit.com/openurl/openurl.html


Endeavor announced LinkFinderPlus their independent, OpenURL-enabled 
linking solution in June 2001 
(http://www.endinfosys.com/news/linkfinderplus.htm) 




> Well, OpenURL was developed initially by SFX, who is now the primary
> force behind its acceptance from NISO as a standard.  I imagine that
> Endeavor grabbed SFX's list.
> 
> However, given that OpenURL is coming into its own, I think SFX should
> start distancing itself from the standard. It is no longer just SFX's
> product, but rather a standard that is being used by both SFX and
> Encompass.  Virtually all documentation related to OpenURL is on SFX's
> site; NISO does have some info, but it is primarily related to the
> acceptance process.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Karen R. Harker, MLS
> UT Southwestern Medical Library
> 5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
> Dallas, TX  75390-9049
> 214-648-1698
> http://www.swmed.edu/library/
> 
> >>> "Drew, Bill" <drewwe at MORRISVILLE.EDU> 7/29/02 12:10:28 PM >>>
> The real question is now:
> 
> Which came first, ExLibris or Endeavor?
> 
> which one laid the rotten egg?
> 
> I know that SFX has been available for a quite awhile.
> 
> Bill Drew
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-marshall