> ## Content Index
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# Hyperscope and the future of the past
- URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/hyperscope-and-the-future-of-the-past/
- Published: 2006-09-05T13:03:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-25T03:37:46.000Z
- Author: Chris Messina
- Tags: Open source, Technology, Usability, Web building

[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/149431620/?ref=chrismessina.me)[Photo](http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/149431620/?ref=chrismessina.me) by [John Lester](http://pathfinderlinden.com/?ref=chrismessina.me).I can't quite tell how significant [this is](http://blueoxen.net/c/hyperscope/blog/archives/23?ref=chrismessina.me), but I know that it's been a [long time coming](http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/1968Demo.html?ref=chrismessina.me) and that, only over time, will we begin to understand what [this system](http://hyperscope.org/?ref=chrismessina.me) will really mean for [information systems](http://hyperscope.org/hyperscope/src/demos/augment-132082.opml?ref=chrismessina.me). In classic understated flair, [Doug](http://bootstrap.org/?ref=chrismessina.me), [Eugene](http://www.eekim.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) and [Brad](http://codinginparadise.org/?ref=chrismessina.me) will be [releasing the Web 2.0 version of Doug Engelbart's Hyperscope to the world tonight](http://upcoming.org/event/99931/?ref=chrismessina.me). It's hard for to describe succinctly, but basically it's taking hypertext and adding the "hyper" to it (today's web linking is kind of like the Model-T compared to Engelbart's space age [original 1968 vision](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8734787622017763097&ref=chrismessina.me)). You've really got to [*try it* for yourself](http://hyperscope.org/hyperscope/src/demos/tutor-hyperscope.opml?ref=chrismessina.me#:jmwhyGAP) to see what I mean; what at first seems like a big outline (it's [cleverly](http://hyperscope.org/dev/rationale.html?ref=chrismessina.me) built [on top of OPML](http://hyperscope.org/dev/filespec.html?ref=chrismessina.me)) quickly becomes an immersive experience that other system pale in depth and flexibility to. In some respects, this kind of learnable system is what I was talking about in my post on [learning from game design](http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/09/03/a-lesson-from-game-design/?ref=chrismessina.me). The only presumption, or goal, of the Hyperscope system is that you're interested in working with knowledge and information — how you go about finding, linking to, appending or operating on that information is up to you. All that and it's built on [Alex Russell's](http://alex.dojotoolkit.org/?ref=chrismessina.me) [Dojo Toolkit](http://dojotoolkit.org/?ref=chrismessina.me) is an achievement in open source cross pollination that should be also be duly recognized. Congrats guys.

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### 💬 Comments from the original post

**[Brad Neuberg](http://codinginparadise.org/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-09-05 13:13:04

Hi Chris, great writeup! There is a tutorial up now that can help with learning how to use it: http://hyperscope.org/hyperscope/src/demos/tutor-hyperscope.opml#:jmwhyGAP Best, Brad

**[Labnotes » Rounded Corners](http://blog.labnotes.org/2006/09/05/rounded-corners-14/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-09-05 20:35:37

\[...\] HyperScope? Sounds interesting but … I don’t get it. When the instructions said “make a note to jump back here”, I realized I don’t know where “here” is. And since the back button doesn’t work, that means getting lost. So I switched back to the comfort of my feed reader. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. \[...\]

**Wm** · 2006-11-08 08:53:15

Only over time will we really know what this means? WI see nothing that isn't generations more refined on 10^6 web pages. "You can't understand unless you understand" qouth Derrida's ghost.