John Tuttle wrote:

> ... I suggested utilizing the same basic technology as the chat
> program ICQ.  ICQ, from outward appearances, seems to employ 'two-way
> real-time' transfers of very small packets of information.  My thought
> is that a keyboard is a keyboeard is a keyboard (that's not a typo).
> Other than utilizing a different cable, why can't the input come from
> a MIDI keyboard instead of a 'type-writer' keyboard?

The proposal is intriguing.  What do you propose, John?  Real-time
jamming between distant locations?  Local play-along (Karaoke style)
with a downloading stream?  I fear the complexities here.

We Chat users complain lots about delays when the message traffic gets
heavy.  And that's with a data stream in which there's a uniform data
unit, the character, and patient users who can wait a moment to have
data collected for reading.  A MIDI stream is a good bit more complex
than that, and _must_ be presented in _steady_ time at least.

The devil is in the details here, depending on the desired result and
the technology ICQ offers.  Any thoughts, anyone?

Michael J. Babcock